172-179
[172]THOUGHT-FORMS,
[173] THOUGHT-FORM BUILDING: RULES,
[174] THOUGHT POWER,
[175] TIME,
[176] TRIANGLES OF LIGHT,
[177] TRUTH,
[178] VIRTUE,
[179] VISUALISATION
[172] THOUGHT-FORMS
(1) Man is constructing thought-forms all the time, and is following unconsciously the same method as his Ego pursues in building his bodies, as the Logos follows in building His system, and as a planetary Logos uses in constructing His scheme.
A man speaks, and a very diversified mantram is the result. The energy thus generated swings into activity a multitude of little lives which proceed to build a form for his thought; they pursue analogous stages to those just outlined. At this time, man sets up these mantric vibrations unconsciously, and in ignorance of the laws of sound and of their effect. The occult work that he is carrying on is thus unknown to him. Later he will speak less, know more, and construct more accurate forms, which will produce powerful effects on physical levels. (3 - 786).
(2) Much that is to be seen now of a distressing nature in the world can be directly traced to the wrong manipulation of mental matter by man.
The selfishness, the sordid motives, the prompt response to evil impulses for which the human race has been distinguished, has brought about a condition of affairs unparalleled in the system. A gigantic thought-form hovers over the entire human family, built by men everywhere during the ages, energised by the insane desires and evil inclinations of all that is
worst in man's nature, and kept alive by the promptings of his lower desires. This thought-form has to be broken up and dissipated by man himself. (3 - 947/8).
(3) Facing each earnest aspirant to the Mysteries, is that vitalised form which he has himself constructed and nourished during the course of his previous incarnations, and which represents the sumtotal of his desires, motives and thoughts. (3 - 953).
(4) In all thought building . . . men have several things to do, which might be enumerated as follows: ... To purify their lower desires, so that they are enabled to see clearly in the occult sense. . . . An ability to lose sight of self-interest in group-interest, and thus co-operate with the plan. . . . To secure control over the mind. . . . An ability, gradually developed once the mind is brought under control through concentration, to meditate in the occult sense, and thus bring through the plan from higher levels, (and) ascertain his individual share in the plan. . . . Finally, having constructed a thought-form, the next thing the servant of humanity has to learn is how to send it on its mission. . . . The average man is often the victim of [Page 411] his own thought-forms. He constructs them, but is neither strong enough to send them out to do their work, nor wise enough to dissipate them when required. (3 - 955/6).
(5) A thought-form is the result of two types of energy:
That emanating in the first instance from the Ego on abstract levels. That originating in a secondary sense from the man on the physical plane through the medium of the brain. (3 - 958).
(6) All activity of every kind is the result:
a. Of thought-forms built consciously or unconsciously.
b. Of self-initiated thought-forms or of the effect of the thought-forms of others.
c. Of responsiveness to one's own inner impulses, or of responsiveness to the impulses of others, and therefore to group thought-forms. (3 - 977)
(7) There is no life so circumscribed and no person so situated who cannot begin to work intelligently and to build thought-forms under law and with understanding. There is no day in any man's life, particularly if he is an aspirant or a disciple, when a man cannot work in mental matter, control his use of thought, watch the effect of his mental processes on those he contacts, and so handle his . . . mind stuff . . . that he becomes more and more useful. (4 - 280).
(8) A thought-form can also act as a poisoning agent, and poison all the springs of life. . . . A violent dislike, a gnawing worry, a jealousy, a constant anxiety, and a longing for something or someone, may act so potently as an irritant or poison that the entire life is spoilt, and service is rendered futile. The entire life is embittered and devitalised by the embodied worry, hatred and desire. All relationships with other people are rendered equally futile or even definitely harmful, for the worried or suspicious aspirant spoils the home circle or his group of friends, by his inner poisonous attitude, governed by an idea. His relation to his own soul and the strength of the contact with the world of spiritual ideas is at a standstill, for he cannot progress onward, and is held back by the poison in his mental system. His
vision becomes distorted, his nature corroded, and all his relationships impeded by the wearing, nagging thoughts which he has himself embodied in form and which have a life so powerful that they can poison him. (4 - 489).
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[173] THOUGHT-FORM BUILDING: RULES
The necessity for clear thinking and the elimination of idle, destructive and negative thoughts, becomes increasingly apparent as the aspirant progresses on his way. As the power of the mind increases, and as the human being differentiates his thoughts increasingly from mass thought, he inevitably builds thought substance into form. It is at first automatic and unconscious. He can not help so doing, and fortunately, for the race, the forms constructed are so feeble that they are largely innocuous, or so in line with mass thought that they are negligible in their effect. But as man evolves his power, and his capacity to harm or to help increases, and unless he learns to build rightly, and correctly to motivate that which he has built, he will become a destructive agency and a centre of harmful force - destroying and harming not only himself, as we shall see shortly, but equally hurting and harming those who vibrate to his note.
Granted all this, you might appositely inquire: Are there some simple rules which the earnest and sincere beginner could apply to this science of building, and which are so clear and concise that they will produce the needed effect? There are, and I will state them simply so that the beginner will, if he follows them, escape the dangers of black magic, and learn to build in line with the Plan. He will, if he follows the rules I give, avoid the intricate problem which he has himself blindly constructed, and which will indeed shut out the light of day, darken his world, and imprison him in a wall of forms which will embody for him his own peculiar great illusion.
These rules may sound too simple for the learned aspirant, but for those who are willing to become as little children, they will be found to be a safe guide into truth and will eventually make them able to pass the tests for adeptship. Some are couched in terms symbolic, others are necessarily blinds, still others express the truth just as it is.
1. View the world of thought, and separate the false out of the true.
2. Learn the meaning of illusion, and in its midst locate the golden thread of truth.
3. Control the body of emotion, for the waves that rise upon the stormy seas of life engulf the swimmer, shut out the sun and render all plans futile.
4. Discover that thou hast a mind and learn its dual use.
5. Concentrate the thinking principle, and be the master of thy mental world.
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6. Learn that the thinker and his thought, and that which is the means of thought, are diverse in their nature, yet one in ultimate reality.
7. Act as the thinker, and learn it is not right to prostitute thy thought to the base use of separative desire.
8. The energy of thought is for the good of all and for the furtherance of the Plan of God. Use it not therefore for thy selfish ends.
9. Before a thought-form is by thee constructed, vision its purpose, ascertain its goal, and verify the motive.
10. For thee, the aspirant on the way of life, the way of conscious building is not yet the goal. The work of cleaning out the atmosphere of thought, of barring fast the doors of thought to hate and pain, to fear, and jealousy and low desire, must first precede the conscious work of building. See to thy aura, oh traveller on the way.
11. Watch close the gates of thought. Sentinel desire. Cast out all fear, all hate, all greed. Look out and up.
12. Because thy life is mostly centred on the plane of concrete life, thy words and speech will indicate thy thought. To these pay close attention.
13. Speech is of triple kind. The idle words will each produce effect. If good and kind, naught need be done. If otherwise, the paying of the price cannot be long delayed.
The selfish words, sent forth with strong intent, build up a wall of separation. Long time it takes to break that wall and so release the stored-up, selfish purpose. See to thy motive, and seek to use those words which blend thy little life with the large purpose of the will of God.
The word of hate, the cruel speech which ruins those who feel the spell, the poisonous gossip, passed along because it gives a thrill - these words kill the flickering impulses of the soul, cut at the roots of life, and so bring death.
If spoken in the light of day, just retribution will they bring; when spoken and then registered as lies, they strengthen that illusory world in which the speaker lives, and holds him back from liberation.
If uttered with intent to hurt, to bruise and kill, they wander back to him who sent them forth, and him they bruise and kill.
14. The idle thought, the selfish thought, the cruel hateful thought, if rendered into word, produce a prison, poison all the springs of life, lead to disease, and cause disaster and delay. Therefore, be sweet and kind and good as far as in thee lies. Keep silence and the light will enter in.
15. Speak not of self. Pity not thy fate. The thoughts of self and of thy lower destiny, prevent the inner voice of thine own soul from striking [Page 414] upon thine ear. Speak of the soul; enlarge upon the plan; forget thyself in building for the world. Thus is the law of form offset. Thus can the rule of love enter upon that world. (4 - 472/5).
[174] THOUGHT POWER
(1) Only when Spirit, by the power of thought, controls the material vehicles, does the subjective life assume its rightful place, does the God within shine and blaze forth till the form is lost from sight, and "The path of the just shine ever more and more until the day be with us." (3 - 140).
(2) These . . . objectives necessitate a clear comprehension among such vital thinkers and workers, of the power of thought; of the direction of thought currents, of the science of thought building, of the manipulation under law and order of mental matter, and of the process of thought manifestation through the two factors of sound and vitalisation. . . . No worker for humanity becomes of real assistance until he (consciously and with full knowledge of his work) definitely directs his thought energy towards some particular channel of service to the race. (3 - 955).
(3) The second question asks, whether an individual or a group can heal by thought power.
Most certainly the generalisation can be made, that an individual and a group can heal, and that thought can play its potent part in the healing process, but not thought alone and unaided. Thought can be the directing agency of forces and energies, which can disrupt and dispel disease, but the process must be aided by the power to visualise, by an ability to work with particular forces as is deemed advisable, by an understanding of the rays and their types of energies, and also by a capacity to handle light substance, as it is called. To these powers must be added the ability to be en rapport with the one to be healed, plus a loving heart. In fact, once these conditions are met, too much use of the thinking faculty, and too potent a use of the mind processes, can arrest and hinder the healing work. Thought has to condition the initial incentive, bringing the intelligence of the man to bear upon the problem of healing, and a comprehension of the nature of the one to be healed; but once it has aided in focussing the attention of the healer and the healing group, it should become a steady but subconscious directive agent, and nothing more than that.
The healing is accomplished, when possible, by the use of energy rightly directed, and by detailed visualisation; love also plays a great part, as does [Page 415] the mind in the early stage. Perhaps 1 should say that a loving heart is one of the most potent of all energies employed. . . .
Thought neither cures disease nor causes it. Thought must be employed in the processes, but it is not the sole or the most important agent. It is on this point that many groups and healers go astray. The mind can direct energy, and this energy can, in its turn, produce over-stimulation of the brain and of the body cells, and so cause nervous trouble and sometimes brain disease, but the mind itself and thinking, per se, cannot cause disease and trouble in the physical body. (17 - 96/7).
See also: (6 - 289).
[175] TIME
(1) The spiritual man is not conscious of time, once he is separated from the physical body. Time is the sequential registration by the brain of states of awareness, and of progressive contacts with phenomena. There is no such thing as time on the inner planes, as humanity understands it. There are only cycles of activity or of non-activity. (18 - 408).
(2) The Master is free from the limitations of time, though not of space, because space is an eternal Entity. (18 - 437).
(3) For the masses of humanity, time is not of very great importance; but for the servers of the race, it matters much. Lose not time, therefore, in undue self-analysis, self-depreciation or self-defence. (5 - 78).
(4) In the work of the disciple, the time element counts not. Growth, deep rooted and established, is the goal, and growth, if sound and good, is slow. (5 - 552).
(5) Disciples waste so much time in distress over words, thoughts and deeds of other disciples, and thus time is lost that could be more constructively employed. (5 - 563).
(6) There is no hurry. There is no need to emphasise speed in your life. . . . There is much time for growth, both here and in other states of being. (5 - 573)
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[176] TRIANGLES OF LIGHT
(1) The triangles of light and of goodwill are essentially invocative. They constitute the a.b.c. of the coming Science of Invocation. Their strength is dependent upon the depth of feeling in the one case, and the strength of the will in the other, with which they are created. I have here given those disciples who are launching this new project, which is so close to my heart, a new and useful hint. This work must go on. It is because the entire concept is so new and different to anything hitherto projected, that it seems so impossible of achievement; the triangles project has its incentive in such highly esoteric sources, that some disciples regard the work as exceedingly difficult, and thus complicate by their thinking, its essential simplicity; others regard it as the simplest thing in the world, and by an emphasis upon the exoteric and the organisational angle, they again hinder the true type of triangle being created. Disciples need to be aware of the true proposed plan, and find ways to make clear the middle position between the difficulties brought forward, and the simplicities which distort.
Perhaps I may help to clarify somewhat the minds responsible for the initial steps in this deeply esoteric enterprise. It is different to the intellectual and practical work which the men and women of goodwill are asked to do and will do; it is not what some earnest people regard as goodwill work, or a phase of the goodwill work. The forming of triangles of light and of goodwill concerns the reservoir of energy upon the inner and etheric side of life, which will automatically and with full circulatory effect enable the exoteric work of the men and women of goodwill to make progress. It is not goodwill per se, but the creation of triangles of energy within the etheric body of the planet, which are deliberately qualified by goodwill. The two phases of the work are necessarily complementary to each other, but must not be regarded as one. The triangles of light must be qualified by or become the agents of goodwill, and the two groups are closely interrelated. The men and women of goodwill need know nothing of these triangles, unless it is deemed wise, and they are individually advanced enough to react correctly, but their work along the lines of goodwill will be successful or non-successful (I speak from the long range view) according to the intensity of purpose, and the depth of love demonstrated by the two groups of triangle members. . . .
It will be apparent to you, therefore, that this creative work, with its intelligent and practical purposes, and its ability when rightly functioning, [Page 417] to unite the exoteric and the esoteric workers in one spiritual undertaking, originates in reality in Shamballa itself, and was grasped - as to intent and purpose - by Masters upon the first and second rays, though primarily the second ray disciple and Master understood it the most easily. Later, when steady and systematic work has been done, and the idea is familiar to the public, this activity will form an important part of the new world religion, and be better understood; it will have its own inner group, who will work entirely subjectively, building the triangles of light and of goodwill, and then will work objectively, directing the activities of those who are building the organisational aspect of triangles of practical goodwill on Earth, with an effective subsidiary activity. (18 - 274/5).
(2) The function of these Triangles is in reality to facilitate the work of distributing the pure incoming love energy (expressing itself as light and as goodwill), into the Hierarchy and Humanity. This deeply esoteric purpose of the Triangles will not be understood by the general public, but some of you who read this will appreciate the opportunity to serve in this manner consciously. ( 18 - 402).
(3) Move rapidly and as a united group with the Triangle work. It is basic in its usefulness and must be widely spread. (13 - 331).
[177] TRUTH
(1) Do you realise that truth has to be wrought out in the texture of daily living before new truth can be safely imparted? (4 - 201).
(2) All right ideas are temporary in nature, and must eventually take their place as partial rights, and give place to the greater truth. The fact of the day is seen later as part of a greater fact. A man can have grasped some of the lesser principles of the Ageless Wisdom so clearly, and be so convinced of their correctness, that the bigger whole is forgotten and he builds a thought-form about the partial truth which he has seen, (and) which can prove a limitation and keep him a prisoner and hold him back from progress. He is so sure of his possession of the truth, that he can see the truth of no one else. He can be so convinced of the reality of his own embodied concept of what the truth may be, that he forgets his own brain limitations, and that the truth has come to him via his own soul, and is consequently coloured by his ray, being subsequently built into form by his personal separative mind. He lives but for that little truth; he can see no other; he forces his thought-form on other people; he becomes the [Page 418] obsessed fanatic and so mentally unbalanced, even if the world regards him as sane. (4 - 490).
(3) All recorded truth is susceptible to many interpretations, and these unfold with increasing clarity, as he takes one initiation after another, and as he develops conscious responsiveness, (11 - 100).
(4) There is no finality in the presentation of truth; it develops and grows to meet man's growing demand for light. (7 - 139).
(5) Only that which you know for yourself and experience consciously within yourself is of importance and constitutes the truth for you. That which may be told you by others, even by me, serves no vital purpose, except to enhance or corroborate an already known truth, or to create illusions or responsibility until it is either rejected or experienced by you in your own consciousness. Do you understand what I mean? (5 - 91).
(6) New truths (and by that I mean truths which are new to the most advanced thinkers, and which are only sensed by the most advanced esotericists) are hovering on the horizon of the human mind. The ground is being prepared for the sowing of this seed, and the stage set for the emergence of new Actors in the great drama of the unfolding revelation of Deity.
Certain great concepts are firmly grasped by man. Certain great hopes are taking form and will become the pattern of man's living. Certain great speculations will become experimental theories, and later prove demonstrated facts . . . A great stirring and moving is going on. The world of men is seething in response to the inflow of spiritual energy. This energy has been evoked by the unrealised and inaudible cry of humanity itself. Humanity has become - for the first time in its history - spiritually invocative. (18 - 77/8).
[178] VIRTUE
(1) Virtue is the calling in of new energies and of a new vibratory rhythm so that the soul becomes the positive controlling factor and the soul forces supersede those of the bodies. This process is that of character building. (4 - 202).
(2) Virtue is the manifestation in man of the spirit of co-operation with his brothers, necessitating unselfishness, understanding, and complete self-forgetfulness. Vice is the negation of this attitude. These two words signify in reality simply perfection and imperfection, conformity to a divine standard of brotherhood, or a failure to achieve that standard. Standards [Page 419] are shifting things, and change with man's growth towards divinity. They vary also according to man's destiny, as it is affected by his time and age, his nature and surroundings. They alter also according to the point of evolutionary development. The standard for attainment is not today what it was one thousand years ago, nor a thousand years hence will it be what it is today. (14 - 284).
[179] VISUALISATION
(1) The secret of all true meditation work in its earlier stages, is the power to visualise . . . Meditation techniques must and will embody visualisation as a primary step, for the following reasons:
1. Visualisation is the initial step in the demonstration of the occult law that "energy follows thought" . . .
2. The power to visualise is the form-building aspect of the creative imagination . . . This process of energy direction can become a spiritual habit if disciples would begin to do it slowly and gradually. At first, the visualising process may seem to you to be laboured and profitless but, if you persevere, you will find eventually that it becomes effortless and effective . . .
3. The power to visualise correctly is one definite mode of ascertaining truth or falsity . . .
This visualising process, and this use of the imagination, form the first two steps in the activity of thought-form building. It is with these self-created forms - embodying spiritual ideas and divine purpose - that the Masters work and hierarchical purpose takes shape. Therefore, my disciples, it is essential that you begin with deliberation and slowly to work in this manner, and to use the above information constructively and creatively. (5 - 89/91).
(2) The clue of all this esoteric work demanded by Shamballa, is to be found in the development of the Art of Visualisation. Through visualisation, three expressions of the human consciousness will become possible:
1. The antahkarana can be built, and the shining of the Triad be definitely seen. Such will be the new vision - an outcome of the development of the sense of vision.
2. Groups, large wholes and major syntheses, will also be visualised, and this will lead to a definite expansion of consciousness. Thus the sense of synthesis will be unfolded.
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3. All creative art will be fostered by this training, and the new art of the future in all departments of creativity, will be rapidly developed as the training proceeds. The unfoldment of the sense of vision and the sense of synthesis, through visualisation, will lead to a sense of livingness in form. ( 18 - 123).