Spiritual Training and Group Identity
There is much symbolism connected with the observatories that stand high above the clouds on Mount Palomar peering into deep space; equally so with the great radio telescopes of the world that link up as one to ‘listen’ to the faint emissions of distant stellar objects. At the heart of this study of the heavens lies the age old question: “Who am I?” While intelligent humanity searches the physical universe for answers to the riddle of existence, the spiritual enquirer internalises the search, exploring the vault of inner space to catch the light of the intuition and answers to the same enduring question.
The development of the intuition is a major objective of discipleship training, and one method of its unfoldment is through the study of symbols. Every form around us is a symbol through which a living idea is expressing itself. As the world is studied from this perspective, the light that substands any particular symbol is eventually discovered and this reveals the quality of the life that has brought the symbol forth. In this new world of luminous qualities, the disciple learns to live and work intuitively – establishing essential relationships with the informing lives of all forms.
Entrance into this world of light is hastened by the practice of meditation in a discipleship group. Together the band of seekers climbs towards the proverbial mountaintop, high above the clouds of thoughtforms that obscure spiritual vision, to ‘see’ and ‘listen’ as one. Here a stand is taken to detect the light of the Divine Plan and revelation of an inner world of archetypes towards which all forms in the outer world are growing. The light of truth, beauty and harmony discovered there is concentrated by the group mind acting as a collective mirror, and reflected into human consciousness to stimulate growth in accordance with the archetypal world.
This is the work towards which a discipleship group aspires – to contact the light of the intuition and "in that light to see the light". It is the creative principle underlying group work and alluded to by the Christ in the words, "If thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light". The single eye refers to that focused aspiration and concentrated effort that gradually brings the ajna centre into functioning activity – the tool which each disciple must learn to consciously employ.
To keep the eye ‘single’ is no easy task in a world of increasing distractions, but confers all the more power to serve upon a group that is able to stand focused and detached in a condition of "isolated unity". To be freed from form attachments is to be free for identification with the life aspect, and only then can the true meaning of unity be realized.
"Lift up thy head, O Lanoo; dost thou see one, or countless lights above thee, burning in the dark midnight sky?'' "I sense one Flame, O Gurudeva; I see countless Undetached sparks shining in it."
Secret Doctrine I. 145. H.P. Blavatsky
Related items of interest on this subject:
A Beam of Light Shining on Our Way: Reflections on the Intuition Reflections from a variety of thinkers on the intuition.
From Intellect to Intuition - Video presentations from the 2016 World Goodwill Seminar
From Intellect to Intuition, World Goodwill Newsletter, 2017 #1