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SECTION THREE - THE ENDING OF GLAMOUR - Part 1

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SECTION THREE

THE ENDING OF GLAMOUR

We come now to the consideration of the third section relating to world glamour. It is difficult to write clearly about this matter because we are in the midst of its most concentrated expression—the worst the world has ever seen because glamour, incident to centuries of greed and selfishness, of aggression and materialism, has been focussed in a triplicity of nations. It is, therefore, easily to be seen and most effective in manifestation. Three nations express the three aspects of world glamour (illusion, glamour and maya) in an amazing manner, and their powerful assault upon the consciousness of humanity is dependent not only upon the response of Germany, Japan and Italy to this ancient miasma but also upon the fact that every nation—United Nations as well as Totalitarian Nations—are tainted with this universal condition. The freedom of the world is consequently largely dependent upon those people in every nation who (within themselves) have moved forward out of one or other of these "glamorous illusions and mayavic impressions" of the human soul into a state of awareness wherein they can see the conflict in its wider terms, i.e., as that existing for them between the Dweller on the Threshold and the Angel of the PRESENCE.

These people are the aspirants, disciples and initiates of the world. They are aware of the dualism, the essential dualism, of the conflict and are not so pre-eminently conscious of the threefold nature and the differentiated condition of the situation which underlies the realised dualism. [162] Their approach to the problem is therefore simpler and, because of this, world direction lies largely in their hands at this time.

It is right here that religion has, as a whole, gone astray. I refer to orthodox religion. It has been preoccupied with the Dweller on the Threshold and the eyes of the theologian have been held upon the material, phenomenal aspect of life through fear and its immediacy, and the fact of the Angel has been a theory and a point of wishful thinking. The balance is being adjusted by the humanitarian attitudes which are so largely coming into control, irrespective of any theological trend. These attitudes take their stand upon the belief of the innate rightness of the human spirit, in the divinity of man, and upon the indestructible nature of the soul of mankind. This inevitably brings in the concept of the PRESENCE, or of God Immanent and is the result of the needed revolt against the belief in God Transcendent. This spiritual revolution was entirely a balancing process and need cause no basic concern, for God Transcendent eternally exists but can only be seen and known and correctly approached by God Immanent—immanent in individual man, in groups and nations, in organised forms and in religion, in humanity as a whole and in the planetary Life Itself. Humanity is today (and has been for ages) battling illusion, glamour and maya. Advanced thinkers, those upon the Probationary Path, upon the Path of Discipleship, and the Path of Initiation have reached a point where materialism and spirituality, the Dweller on the Threshold and the Angel of the PRESENCE, and the basic dualism of manifestation can be seen clearly defined. Because of this clarity of demarcation, the issues underlying the present world events, the objectives of the present world-wide struggle, the modes and methods of re-establishing the spiritual contact so prevalent in Atlantean [163] days and so long lost, and the recognition of the techniques which can bring in the new world era and its cultural order can be clearly noted and appraised.

All generalisations admit of error. It might, however, be said that Germany has focussed in herself world glamour—the most potent and expressive of the three aspects of glamour. Japan is manifesting the force of maya—the crudest form of material force. Italy, individualistic and mentally polarised, is the expression of world illusion. The United Nations, with all their faults, limitations, weaknesses and nationalisms, are focussing the conflict between the Dweller and the Angel, and thus the three forms of glamour and the final form of the conflict between the spiritual ideal and its material opponent are appearing simultaneously. The United Nations are, however, gradually and most decisively throwing the weight of their effort and aspiration on to the side of the Angel, thus restoring the lost balance and slowly producing on a planetary scale those attributes and conditions which will eventually dispel illusion, dissipate glamour and devitalise the prevalent maya. This they are doing by the increased clear thinking of the general public of all the nations, bound together to conquer the three Axis Powers, by their growing ability to conceive ideas in terms of the whole, in terms of a desirable world order or federation, and their capacity to discriminate between the Forces of Light and the potency of evil or materialism.

The work being done by those who see the world stage as the arena for the conflict between the Dweller on the Threshold and the Angel of the PRESENCE might be itemised as:

1. The producing of those world conditions in which the Forces of Light can overcome the Forces of Evil. This they do by the weight of their armed forces, plus their clear insight.

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2. The educating of humanity in the distinction between:

a. Spirituality and materialism, pointing to the differing goals of the combatant forces.

b. Sharing and greed, outlining a future world wherein the Four Freedoms will be dominant and all will have that which is needed for right living-processes.

c. Light and dark, demonstrating the difference between an illumined future of liberty and opportunity, and the dark future of slavery.

d. Fellowship and separation, indicating a world order where racial hatreds, caste distinctions and religious differences will form no barrier to international understanding, and the Axis order of master races, determined religious attitudes, and enslaved peoples.

e. The whole and the part, pointing to the time which is approaching (under the evolutionary urge of spirit) wherein the part or the point of life assumes its responsibility for the whole, and the whole exists for the good of the part.

The dark aspect has been brought about by ages of glamour. The light is being emphasised and made clear by the world aspirants and disciples who by their attitudes, their actions, their writings and their utterances are bringing the light into dark places.

3. Preparing the way for the three spiritual energies which will sweep humanity into an era of comprehension, leading to a focussed mental clarification of men's minds throughout the world. These three imminent energies are:

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a. The energy of the intuition which will gradually dispel world illusion, and produce automatically a great augmentation of the ranks of the initiates.

b. The activity of light which will dissipate, by the energy of illumination, the world glamour and bring many thousands on to the Path of Discipleship.

c. The energy of inspiration which will bring about, through the medium of its sweeping potency, the devitalisation or the removal, as by a wind, of the attractive power of maya or substance. This will release untold thousands on to the Path of Probation.

4. Releasing new life into the planet through the medium of every possible agency. The first step towards this release is the proving that the power of materialism is broken by the complete defeat of the Axis Powers and, secondly, by the ability of the United Nations to demonstrate (when this has been done) the potency of the spiritual values by their constructive undertakings to restore world order and to lay those foundations which will guarantee a better and more spiritual way of life. These constructive attitudes and undertakings must be assumed individually by every person, and by nations as collective wholes. The first is being undertaken at this time. The second remains as yet to be done.

5. Bringing home to the nations of the world the truths taught by the Buddha, the Lord of Light, and the Christ, the Lord of Love. In this connection it might be pointed out that basically:

a. The Axis nations need to grasp the teaching of the Buddha as He enunciated it in the Four Noble [166] Truths; they need to realise that the cause of all sorrow and woe is desire—desire for that which is material.

b. The United Nations need to learn to apply the Law of Love as enunciated in the life of Christ and to express the truth that "no man liveth unto himself" and no nation either, and that the goal of all human effort is loving understanding, prompted by a programme of love for the whole.

If the lives and teachings of these two great Avatars can be comprehended and wrought out anew in the lives of men today, in the world of human affairs, in the realm of human thinking and in the arena of daily living, the present world order (which is today largely disorder) can be so modified and changed that a new world and a new race of men can gradually come into being. Renunciation and the use of the sacrificial will should be the keynote for the interim period after the war, prior to the inauguration of the New Age.

Students need to remember that all manifestations and every point of crisis are symbolised by the ancient symbol of a point within the circle, the focus of power within a sphere of influence or aura. So it is today with the entire problem of ending the world glamour and illusion which fundamentally lie behind the present acute situation and world catastrophe. The possibility of such a dispelling and dissipation is definitely centred in the two Avatars, the Buddha and the Christ.

Within the world of glamour—the world of the astral plane and of the emotions—appeared a point of light. The Lord of Light, the Buddha, undertook to focus in Himself the illumination which would eventually make possible the dissipation of glamour. Within the world of illusion—the world of the mental plane—appeared the Christ, the Lord [167] of Love Himself, Who embodied in Himself the power of the attractive will of God. He undertook to dispel illusion by drawing to Himself (by the potency of love) the hearts of all men, and stated this determination in the words, "I, if I be lifted up, will draw all men unto Me." (John 12:32). From the point they then will have reached, the world of spiritual perception, of truth and of divine ideas will stand revealed. The result will be the disappearing of illusion.

The combined work of these two great Sons of God, concentrated through the world disciples and through Their initiates must and will inevitably shatter illusion and dispel glamour—the one by the intuitive recognition of reality by minds attuned to it, and the other by the pouring in of the light of reason. The Buddha made the first planetary effort to dissipate world glamour; the Christ made the first planetary effort towards the dispelling of illusion. Their work must now be intelligently carried forward by a humanity wise enough to recognise its dharma. Men are being rapidly disillusioned and will consequently see more clearly. The world glamour is being steadily removed from the ways of men. These two developments have been brought about by the incoming new ideas, focussed through the world intuitives and released to the general public by the world thinkers. It has been also largely aided by the well-nigh unconscious, but none the less real, recognition of the true meaning of these Four Noble Truths by the masses. Disillusioned and de-glamoured (if I may use such a term), humanity awaits the coming revelation. This revelation will be brought about by the combined efforts of the Buddha and the Christ. All that we can foresee or foretell anent that revelation is that some potent and far-reaching results will be achieved by the merging of light and love, and by the reaction of "lighted substance to the attractive power of love." In this sentence I have given those who can understand [168] a profound and useful hint as to the method and purpose of the undertaking which was staged for the June Full Moon, 1942. I have also given a clue to the true understanding of the work of these Avatars—a thing hitherto quite unrealised. It might be added that when an appreciation of the meaning of the words "transfiguration of a human being" is gained, the realisation will come that when "the body is full of light" then "in that light shall we see LIGHT." This means that when the personality has reached a point of purification, of dedication and of illumination, then the attractive power of the soul (whose nature is love and understanding) can function, and fusion of these two will take place. This is what the Christ proved and demonstrated.

When the work of the Buddha (or the embodied buddhic principle) is consummated in the aspiring disciple and in his integrated personality, then the full expression of the work of the Christ (the embodied principle of love) can also be consummated and both these potencies—light and love—will find radiant expression in the transfigured disciple. What is true, therefore, of the individual is true also of humanity as a whole, and today humanity (having reached maturity) can "enter into realisation" and consciously take part in the work of enlightenment and of spiritual, loving activity. The practical effects of this process will be the dissipation of glamour and the release of the human spirit from the thraldom of matter; it will produce, also, the dispelling of illusion and the recognition of truth as it exists in the consciousness of those who are polarised in the "awareness of the Christ."

This is necessarily no rapid process but is an ordered and regulated procedure, sure in its eventual success but relatively slow also in its establishment and sequential process. This process was initiated upon the astral plane [169] by the Buddha, and on the mental plane when Christ manifested on Earth. It indicated the approaching maturity of humanity. The process has been slowly gathering momentum as these two great Beings have gathered around Them Their disciples and initiates during the past two thousand years. It has reached a point of intensive usefulness as the channel of communication between Shamballa and the Hierarchy has been opened and enlarged, and as the contact between these two great Centres and Humanity has been more firmly established.

At the June Full Moon, 1942, the first test as to the directness of the communication between the Centre where the Will of God holds sway, the Centre where the Love of God rules, and the Centre where there is intelligent expectancy was made. The medium of the test was the united effort of the Christ, of the Buddha, and of those who responded to Their blended influence. This test had to be carried out in the midst of the terrific onslaught of the powers of evil and was extended over the two weeks beginning on the day of the Full Moon (May 30th 1942) and ending on June 15th 1942. There was a great concentration of the Spiritual Forces at that time, and the use of a special Invocation (one which humanity itself may not use), but the success or failure of the test was, in the last analysis, determined by mankind itself.

You may feel, though wrongly, that not enough people know about or understand the nature of the opportunity or what is transpiring. But the success of such a test is not dependent upon the esoteric knowledge of the few, the relatively few, to whom the facts and the information have been partially imparted. It is dependent also upon the tendency of the many who unconsciously aspire towards the spiritual realities, who seek for a new and better way of life for all, who desire the good of the whole and whose [170] longing and desire is for a true experience of goodness, of right human relations and of spiritual enterprise among men. Their name is Legion and they are to be found in every nation.

When the Will of God, expressed in Shamballa and focussed in the Buddha, the Love of God, expressed in the Hierarchy and focussed through the Christ, and the intelligent desire of humanity, focussed through the world disciples, the world aspirants and the men of goodwill are all brought into line—either consciously or unconsciously—then a great re-orientation can and will take place. This event is something that can happen.

The first result will be the illumination of the astral plane and the beginning of the process which will dissipate glamour; the second result will be the irradiation of the mental plane and the dispelling of all past illusions and the gradual revelation of the new truths of which all past ideals and so-called formulations of truth have only been the signposts. Ponder on that statement. The signpost indicates the way to go; it does not reveal the goal. It is indicative but not conclusive. So with all truth up to the present time.

The demand is, therefore, for knowers and for those whose minds and hearts are open; who are free from preconceived ideas fanatically held, and from ancient idealisms which must be recognised as only partial indications of great unrealised truths—truths which can be realised in great measure and for the first time IF the lessons of the present world situation and the catastrophe of the war are duly learned and the sacrificial will is called into play.

I have made this practical application and the immediate illustration of the teaching anent glamour, illusion and maya because the whole world problem has reached a crisis today and because its clarification will be the outstanding theme [171] of all progress—educational, religious and economic—until 2025 A.D.

In the section with which we are now concerned we shall consider the practical ways in which illusion, glamour and the power of maya can be brought to an end in the life of the individual, and eventually in the life of nations and finally in the world. Always we must begin with the unity of life, the Microcosm; then, having grasped process and progress in connection with the individual, the idea can then be extended to the group, the organisation, the nation, and to humanity as a whole. Thus gradually we shall approach the great Idea to which we give the name of God, the Macrocosm.

We shall in this section deal with techniques, and these might be summarised as follows:

1. The Technique of the Presence. By means of this technique, the soul assumes control of the integrated personality and of its relations, horizontal and vertical. This technique involves the unfolding of the flower of the intuition, dispelling illusion, revealing the Angel, indicating the Presence, and opening up to the disciple the world of ideas and the door of the higher initiations. Through the disciple's grasp and application of these divine ideas or seed thoughts, he becomes initiate and the third initiation becomes possible as an immediate goal. The intuition is the applied power of transfiguration. This technique is related to the little known yoga called Agni Yoga or the yoga of fire.

2. The Technique of Light. By means of this technique, the illumined mind assumes control over the astral or emotional body and dissipates glamour. When light pours in, glamour fades out. Illumination dominates and the vision [172] of reality can be seen. This technique is related to Raja Yoga and its goal is the second initiation; it produces ability to tread the Path of Discipleship, and enables the man to "live a life, enlightened by divinity." Illumination is the applied power of transformation.

3. The Technique of Indifference. By means of this technique, maya is ended; for the control of the purified astral vehicle is consciously and technically brought into activity, producing the freeing of the energies of the etheric body from the control of matter or force-substance, and bringing men in large numbers on to the Probationary Path. Where there is "divine indifference" to the call or pull of matter, then inspiration becomes possible. This technique is related to Karma Yoga in its most practical form and the use of matter with complete impersonality. The goal of this technique is the first initiation, which enables man to "live a life, inspired by God." Inspiration is the applied power of transmission.

1. THE TECHNIQUE OF THE PRESENCE

As we enter upon our consideration of this subject, the student has three things to bear in mind: the existence of the Intuition, the fact of Illusion, and the overshadowing Presence. This Presence is revealed by the intuition through the medium of the Angel and, when revealed and recognised, brings illusion to an end.

The story of illusion is one which must not be confounded with glamour; illusion is related to the whole process of revelation. Glamour can be and often is related to the distortion of that which has been revealed, but it must be borne in mind that illusion is primarily concerned with the reaction of the mind to the unfolding revelation, [173] as the soul registers it and seeks to impress it on the highest aspect of the personal lower self. Illusion is, therefore, the failure of the mind correctly to register, to interpret or translate that which has been transmitted and it is consequently a sin (if you care for that word) of the intelligent and highly developed people, of those who stand on the Path and who are in process of becoming rightly oriented; it is also a sin of accepted disciples as they seek to expand their consciousness in response to soul contact. When they have "seen through illusion" (and I use this phrase in its esoteric sense) then they are ready for the third initiation.

Our theme is, therefore, the theme of revelation and I would like to make some general remarks upon the subject, because thereby the problem of world illusion can be clarified and incidentally individual illusion also.

The unfoldment of human awareness has been progressive down the ages, and has been dependent upon two major and related factors:

1. The factor of the gradual development of the human mind through the processes of evolution itself. This might be regarded as the innate capacity of that which we call the mind, the chitta, or mind stuff, to become more and more sensitive to the impact of the phenomenal world, and to the impression from the higher worlds of being. The mind is the instrument which registers the process of "becoming" but it is also—during the later stages of human unfoldment—capable of registering the nature or function of being. Becoming is revealed through the medium of the intellect; Being, through the medium of the intuition. In all study of illusion, the instrumental nature of the mind must be remembered and its power to register accurately, to interpret [174] and transmit knowledge coming from the world of phenomena and wisdom from the realm of the soul.

2. The factor of the method whereby humanity is made aware of that which is not immediately apparent. This is the method or process of what has been called "imposed revelation" or the impression conveyed to minds capable of reception of those ideas, beings, plans and purposes which exist behind the scenes, so to speak, and which are (in the last analysis) the factors which determine and condition the world process. These revelations or subjective, vital impressions are revealed by the intuition and have nothing to do with the knowledges, impressions and impacts which are related to the three worlds of human evolution, except in so far that (when grasped and apprehended) they have steadily transformed man's way of living, revealed to him his goals, and indicated his true nature. The revelations given throughout the ages and impressed on the minds of those trained to receive them deal with the great universals, are concerned with the whole, and lead to a developed appreciation of the oneness of life and with hylozoistic expression.

Two paralleling processes have produced humanity and its civilisation: One is the evolutionary process itself whereby the mind of the individual has been gradually unfolded until it becomes the dominant aspect in the personality; and at the same time a graded, wisely imparted series of revelations which have led humanity as a whole nearer to the inevitable apprehension of being; they have led him steadily away from identification with form and into those states of consciousness which are super-normal from the ordinary human angle but entirely normal from the spiritual.

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Putting this concept specifically into occult terminology: Individuality has led to the steady perfecting of the mind with its perception, apprehension, analysis and interpretation whilst initiation, through the growth of the intuition, brings about (when the mental perfecting process has reached a relatively high degree of development) the apprehension of the world of spiritual values, of unified being and of intuitive understanding. This involves a consequent moving of the point of individual focus out of the world of phenomena into the world of reality. The lower use of the mind and its processes of unfoldment have produced illusion whilst the unfoldment of the higher mind and, later, its use as the transmitter of the intuition and of the higher revelation, will produce the transfiguration of the three worlds of phenomena in terms of the world of being.

Illusion is frequently misinterpreted and misapplied mental perception of truth. It has naught to do with the mental phase of glamour, though illusion can be carried down into the world of feeling and become glamour. When this happens, its potency is exceedingly great because a thoughtform has become an entity, with vital power, and the magnetic power of feeling is added to the cold form of thought. Ponder on this. But at the stage with which we are now dealing, which is that of pure illusion, a revelation has precipitated upon the mental plane and—owing to failure rightly to apprehend and interpret it or to apply it usefully—it has developed into an illusion and enters upon a career of deception, of crystallisation and of misinformation.

The theme of this technique is, therefore, concerned primarily with:

1. The process of revelation. This process has been and today is the main testimony and guarantee of the existence, [176] behind the scenes of the phenomenal life, of a revealing Group or Agency whose task is of a triple nature:

a. To gauge the unfoldment of the human consciousness and to meet its constant appeal and demand for further light and knowledge.

b. To judge what is the next needed revelation and what form it should take, through what medium it should emerge, and where and when it should appear.

c. To ascertain with what obstructions, hindrances, and preconceived ideas the new incoming revelation will have to contend.

2. The fact of the Presence. This Presence is the impelling force behind all revelation and is in reality God Immanent, striving ever for recognition and Itself impelled thereto by the fact of God Transcendent.

3. The influence of the Angel, who is the individualised seed of consciousness through whom, after due growth and response of the personal lower self, will come the revelation of the Presence. All true revelation is concerned with the unfolding glory of divinity in some field of expression, thereby testifying to the latent hidden Presence.

4. The reaction of the intuitives throughout the world to that revelation and the form in which they present it to the world thinkers. These latter are ever the first to appreciate and appropriate the new truth. The intuitives present the next phase of truth in a relatively pure form even though at the time of presentation it may be symbolically veiled.

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5. The response of the thinking world to the presented truth. It is at this point that illusion appears and misinterpretation and misrepresentation take place. These untrue interpretations of revealed truth, when they have lasted long enough and have acquired momentum, add to the general illusion and become part of it and thus feed and are fed by the world illusion. This is the built-up illusory form of thought, developed down the ages, which controls so much of the mass belief. When the revelation reaches this stage, the mass of men become involved; they recognise the illusion as the truth; they regard this illusion as reality; they fail to grasp the significance of the veiled, symbolically presented revelation but confuse it with the illusory presentation, and thus the intuitively perceived revelation becomes a distorted, twisted doctrine.

Theological interpretations and dogmas fall into this category and there ensues a re-enactment of the ancient drama of the blind leading the blind, to which Christ referred as He faced the theologians of His time.

The above statements are true of all revelation as it comes forth from the emanating centre of light, whether they concern so-called religious truth or scientific discoveries or the great standard of spiritual values whereby advanced humanity of both hemispheres seek to live and which, from time to time, move on a step in significance and in importance.

a. Intuition dispels Individual Illusion

Today we have reached a crisis in the field of human apprehension and can now enter into a new era wherein illusion can be dispelled and thinkers can begin to register accurately and without misapprehension that which the intuitives convey to them. This statement does not as yet apply to the [178] general public. It will be a long time before they will respond without illusion, because illusion is based upon the thoughtform-building activity of the lower mind. The masses are just beginning to use that lower mind and illusion is, therefore, for them a necessary stage of testing and training and one through which they must pass or they will lose much valuable experience, leaving undeveloped their powers of discrimination. This is a point which all teachers of occultism should have in mind. It is essential consequently that the masses are taught the significance of illusion and be trained to see and choose the kernel of pure truth in any presentation of truth with which they may be confronted. It is essential likewise that the world intuitives learn to use and control and understand the faculty of spiritual perception, of divine isolation and appropriate response which characterises the intuition. This they can do through the practice of the Technique of the Presence, but not as it is usually taught and presented.

Perhaps I shall make my meaning clearer if I state that this technique falls into certain scientific lines or modes of work, for which much of the training given in schools of true meditation and in the Raja Yoga systems have prepared the aspirant. These stages begin where the usual formulas leave off, and pre-suppose facility in approach to the Angel or the soul, and an ability to raise the consciousness to a point of soul fusion. I will list the processes or stages as follows:

1. The evocation of the stage of tension. This is basic and essential. It is a tension brought about by complete control of the personal self so that it is "fitted for contact with the real."

2. The achieving of a state of fusion with the soul or with the Angel which guards the approach to the Path of the Higher Evolution.

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3. The holding of the mind steady in the light of the soul, which remains the attitude of the lower self for the entire remaining period of work, held at the point of tension by the soul and not by an effort of the personality. The soul undertakes this holding when the personal self has done its utmost to achieve the desired tension.

These are the three preliminary steps for which the practice of alignment should have prepared the student of the higher mysteries. These steps must precede all effort to develop the intuition, and this may take several months (or even years) of careful preparation. Fire is the symbol of the mind and these are the first three stages of the Agni Yoga discipline or of the yoga of fire for which Raja Yoga has prepared the student.

Next come six more stages in the Technique, and these must be thoroughly understood and form the basis of prolonged brooding and intelligent reflection, carried on whilst the daily avocations and duties are being performed and not carried out at certain set times. The trained intuitive or disciple lives ever the dual life of mundane activity and of intense and simultaneous spiritual reflection. This will be the outstanding characteristic of the Western disciple in contradistinction to the Eastern disciple who escapes from life into the silent places and away from the pressures of daily living and constant contact with others. The task of the Western disciple is much harder, but that which he will prove to himself and to the world as a whole will be still higher. This is to be expected if the evolutionary process means anything. The Western races must move forward into spiritual supremacy, without obliterating the Eastern contribution, and the functioning of the Law of Rebirth holds the clue to this and demonstrates this necessity. The [180] tide of life moves from East to West as moves the sun, and those who in past centuries struck the note of Eastern mysticism must strike and are now striking the note of Western occultism. Therefore, the following stages must follow upon the three earlier. We will continue with the numbering as given, for what I here suggest is a formula for a more advanced meditation attitude. I said not form.

4. Definite and sustained effort to sense the Presence throughout the Universe in all forms and in all presentations of truth. This could be expressed in the words: "the effort to isolate the germ or seed of divinity which has brought all forms into being." I would point out that this is not the attainment of a loving attitude and a sentimental approach to all people and circumstances. That is the mystical way and though not intended to be negated in the disciple's life, is not used at this time in the process of effective approach. It is the effort primarily to see in the light which the Angel radiates the point of light behind all phenomenal appearances. This is, therefore, the transference of the mystical vision to the higher levels of awareness. It is not the vision of the soul but the vision or the spiritual sensing of that which the light of the soul can aid in revealing. The flickering soul light in the personal self has enabled the disciple to see the vision of the soul and in that light to reach union with the soul, even if only temporarily. Now the greater light of the soul becomes focussed like a radiant sun and it reveals in its turn a still more stupendous vision—that of the Presence, of which the Angel is the guarantee and promise. As the light of the Moon is the guarantee that the light of the Sun exists, so the light of the Sun is the guarantee, did you but know it, of a still greater light.

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5. Then, having sensed the Presence—not theoretically but in vibrating response to its Existence—there next comes the stage of the ascertaining of the Purpose. Hope of identification with the purpose lies too far ahead even for the average initiate, under the status of Master. With that unattainable stage (for us) we are not concerned. But we are concerned with the effort to achieve an understanding of that which through the medium of form is seeking to embody the high purpose at any particular point in the evolutionary cycle. This is possible and has been achieved down the ages by those who have rightly approached and duly reflected upon the Way of the Higher Evolution. This Way is revealed to the disciple, e'en though it may not concern the intuitive message which he may bring back from his high adventure.

6. He then carries some world problem, some design which his mind has evolved or his heart desired for the helping of humanity into what is esoterically called "the triple light of the intuition." This light is formed by the blending of the light of the personal self, focussed in the mind, the light of the soul, focussed in the Angel, and the universal light which the Presence emits; this, when done with facility through concentration and long practice, will produce two results:

a. There will suddenly dawn upon the disciple's waiting mind (which still remains the agent of reception) the answer to his problem, the clue to what is needed to bring relief to humanity, the information desired which, when applied, will unlock some door in the realm of science, psychology or religion. This door, when opened, will bring relief or release to many. As before I have told you, the intuition is never concerned [182] with individual problems or enquiries, as so many self-centred aspirants think. It is purely impersonal and only applicable to humanity in a synthetic sense.

b. The "intruding agent of light" (as the Old Commentary calls these adventuring intuitives) is recognised as one to whom can be entrusted some revelation, some new impartation of truth, some significant expansion from a seed of truth already given to the race. He then sees a vision, hears a voice, registers a message, or—highest form of all—he becomes a channel of power and light to the world, a conscious Embodiment of divinity, or a Custodian of a divine principle. These forms constitute true revelation, imparted or embodied; they are still rare but will increasingly be developed in humanity.

7. The next few stages are called, in preparation for the revelation:

a. The relinquishing of the Higher Way.

b. The return to the Angel, or a refocussing in the soul.

c. A pause or interlude for constructive thinking, under the influence of the Angel.

d. The turning of the mind to the formulation of those forms of thought which must embody the revelation.

e. Then again a pause which is called "the pause preceding presentation."

8. The presentation of the revelation or of the imparted truth and its precipitation into the world of illusion comes next. In that world of illusion, it undergoes the "fiery ordeal" wherein "some of the fire within that which is revealed wings its way back to the source from whence it came; some of it serves to destroy the revealer, [183] and some to burn those who recognise the revelation." This is a phase of Agni Yoga which, as you can see, is only for those who can penetrate beyond the Angel into the place "where fire dwelleth," and where God, the Presence, functions as a consuming fire and waits for the hour of total revelation. This is a symbolic rendering of a great truth. In the case of the individual initiate, the third initiation, the Transfiguration, marks the consummation of the process. Only glory then is seen: only the voice of the Presence is heard and union with the past, the present and the future is reached.

9. The succumbing of the revelation to the prevailing illusion, its descent into the world of glamour, and its subsequent disappearance as a revelation and its emergence as a doctrine. But, in the meantime, humanity has been helped and led forward; the intuitives continue to work and the inflow of that which is to be revealed never ceases.

This basic technique underlies both primary and secondary revelations. In the case of the first, the time cycle is long; in the second, the time cycle is short. A very good instance of this process is demonstrated by one of the secondary points of revelation in connection with the teaching which emanated from the Hierarchy (the Custodian of secondary revelations, as Shamballa is of primary) fifty years ago and which took the form of The Secret Doctrine. H.P.B. was the "penetrating, sensing, appropriating intuitive." The revelation she conveyed followed the accustomed routine of all secondary revelation from the Source to the outer plane. There the minds of men, veiled by illusion and clouded by glamour, formulated it into an inelastic doctrine, recognising no further revelation and holding steadily—many of the theosophical groups—that The Secret Doctrine was a final [184] revelation and that naught must be recognised but that book and naught deemed correct but their interpretations of that book. If they are correct, then evolutionary revelation is ended and the plight of humanity is hard indeed.

Even the neophyte upon the way of the intuition can begin to develop in himself the power to recognise that which the lower mind cannot give him. Some thought of revealing potency, to be used for the helping of the many, may drop into his mind; some new light upon an old, old truth may penetrate, releasing the truth from the trammels of orthodoxy, thus illumining his consciousness. This he must use for all and not for himself alone. Little by little, he learns the way into the world of the intuition; day by day, and year by year, he becomes more sensitive to divine Ideas and more apt in appropriating them wisely for the use of his fellowmen.

The hope of the world and the dispelling of illusion lies in the development of intuitives and their conscious training. There are many natural intuitives whose work is a blend of the higher psychism with flashes of true intuition. There must be the training of the exact intuitive. Paralleling their intuitive response and their effort to precipitate their intuition into the world of human thought, there must also be the steady development of the human mind so that it can grasp and apprehend what is projected, and in this too lies the hope of the race.

b. Group Intuition dispels World Illusion

Today the world is full of illusions, many of them veiled under the form of idealisms; it is full of wishful thinking and planning, and even though much of this is rightly oriented and expresses the fixed determination of the intelligentsia to create better living conditions for the entire population [185] of the world, the question arises: Is there in the sum total of this wishful thinking enough of the essential dynamic livingness which will carry it down into physical demonstration and factual expression and thus truly meet human need? I would point out that the two greatest revealing Agents Who have ever come to Earth within the range of modern history made the following simple revelations to humanity:

1. The cause of all human suffering is desire and personal selfishness. Give up desire and you will be free.

2. There is a way of liberation and it leads to illumination.

3. It profits a man nothing to gain the whole world and lose his soul.

4. Every human being is a Son of God.

5. There is a way of liberation and it is the way of love and sacrifice.

The lives of these Revealers were symbolic representations of that which They taught, and the rest of Their teaching but an extension of Their central themes. Their contribution was an integral part of the general revelation of the ages which has led men from the primitive state of human existence to the complex state of modern civilisation. This general revelation can be called the Revelation of the Path which leads out of form to the Centre of all life; the purity of this revelation has been preserved down the ages by a small handful of disciples, initiates and true esotericists who have always been present upon the Earth—defending the simplicity of that teaching, seeking for those who could respond to and recognise the germ or seed of truth, and training men to take Their place and to tread the way of intuitive perception. One of the major tasks of the Hierarchy is to seek for and find those who are sensitive to revelation [186] and whose minds are trained so that they can formulate the emerging truths in such a way that they reach the ears of the world thinkers, relatively unchanged. All revelation, however, when put into words and word forms, loses something of its divine clarity.

Much of the revelation of the past has come along the lines of the religious impulse and, as the illusion has deepened and grown in time, the original simplicity (as it was conveyed by its Revealers) has been lost. All basic revelations are presented in the simplest forms. Accretion after accretion crept in; the minds of men made the teaching complex through their mental dissertations until the great theological systems were built up which we call, for instance, the Christian Church and the Buddhist system. Their Founders would have much difficulty in recognising the two or three fundamental and divine facts or truths which They sought to reveal and emphasise, so great is the mantle of illusion which has been thrown over the simple pronouncements of the Christ and of the Buddha. The vast cathedrals and the pompous ceremonies of the orthodox are far removed from the humble way of the life of the Christ, the Master of all the Masters and the Teacher alike of angels and of men, and from the simplicity of His present way of life as He watches and waits for the return of His people to the simple way of spiritual realisation.

So great has been the illusion that in the West today men talk of the "temporal power of the Catholic Church"; the Protestant Churches are split up into warring factions; the Christian Science Church is known for its ability to amass money and to teach its adherents to do so and to achieve temporary good health; the Greek Orthodox Church was corrupt throughout, and only the simple faith of the uncultured and the poor has preserved any semblance of the truth in its original simple form. They have no ability for [187] high sounding theological discussions, but they do believe that God is love—just simply that—that there is a way which leads to peace and light, and that if they deny their own material desires they are pleasing God. I am, I know, widely generalising, brother of mine, for I do know also that there are wise and good Christians and churchmen within the theological systems; these, however, spend not their time in theological discussions but in loving their fellowmen, and this they do because they love Christ and all for which He stands. They are not interested in building great churches of stone and marble and in gathering together the money needed for their support; they are interested to gather out those who form the true Church upon the inner spiritual plane and in helping them to walk in the light.

The illusion of power, the illusion of superiority, taints them not. After the world crisis is over, Churchmen everywhere will not rest until they can discover how to penetrate through the illusion of doctrine and dogma which engulfs them, and find their way back to Christ and His simple message which has in it the power to save the world, if recognised and practised.

Much of the true revelation since the time of Christ has come to the world along the line of science. The presentation, for instance, of material substance (scientifically proven) as essentially only a form of energy was as great a revelation as any given by the Christ or the Buddha. It completely revolutionised men's thinking and was—little as you may think it—a major blow struck at the Great Illusion. It related energy to force, form to life, and man to God and held the secret of transformation, transmutation and transfiguration. The revelations of science when basic and fundamental are as divine as those of religion, but both have been prostituted to meet human demand. The era is [188] close at hand when science will bend every effort to heal humanity's sores and build a better and happier world.

The revelations of science, though focussed often through one man or woman, are more specifically the result of group endeavour and of trained group activity than are the revelations of religion, so called. Revelation, therefore, comes in two ways:

1. Through the effort, aspiration and achievement of one man who is so close to the Hierarchy and so imbued with conscious divinity that he can receive the message direct from the central divine Source. He has joined the ranks of the Great Intuitives and works freely in the world of divine Ideas. He knows His mission clearly; He chooses His sphere of activity with deliberation and isolates the truth or truths which He deems appropriate to the need of the time. He comes forth as a Messenger of the Most High, leads a dramatic and arresting life of service and symbolises in His life-events certain basic truths which have already been revealed but which He pictorially re-enacts. He epitomises in Himself the revelations of the past, and to them adds His Own contribution of the new revelation which it is His specific function to present to the world.

2. Through the effort of a group of seekers, such as the scientific investigators in every country, who together are searching for light on the problems of manifestation or for some means to alleviate human suffering, a revelation comes. The effort of such a group often lifts upon the wings of its unrealised aspiration some one man who can then penetrate into the world of divine Ideas and there find the longed for cure or key and thus he intuitively discovers a long sought secret. The discovery, [189] when of the first rank, is as much a revelation as the truths presented by the World Teachers. Who shall say that the statement that God is Love is of more value than the statement that All is Energy?