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SECTION THREE - FORCES BEHIND THE EVOLUTIONARY PROGRESS OF THE RACE - Part 7

2. There are factors present in this battle between evil and good which are so deeply esoteric and hidden from the understanding of the most advanced human being that it is useless for me to enlarge upon their existence. They are concerned with the ability of the mind, or of the mind principle, to react to truth or to lies; the mystery of this reaction is hidden in the evolutionary process itself. A point can be reached in human development where acceptance of deception is impossible and clear thinking is normal. The potency of glamour (which holds so many people in prison) is related to this mystery. Glamour holds not those who are mentally and emotionally undeveloped; they are complete realists and see life in its bare outlines and baldly. The highly developed are not subject to glamour; they also think realistically but this time with true mental perception and not instinctively. The thinking man, in his process of training, but who is still largely governed by his emotions, is exceedingly prone to glamour, and very often to the glamour of a sentimental so-called loving attitude. These people do not realise that love is a process of determining action on the basis of the ultimate good of the individual or the group, and that the immediate reactions of the personality are secondary. In this conflict the Hierarchy is concerned with the final issue, with the future welfare and the ultimate well-being of humanity. They are not so concerned with the immediate suffering and pain of the personalities involved. Is this a hard saying? A tiny replica of this correct attitude can be found in the influence, words and actions of those wise parents, those far-sighted guides [433] of youth, who see the need of discipline if their children are in the future to be rightly oriented, and to live correctly. The temporary discomfort of the discipline and the rebellion of the children do not in any way condition such parents. They see ahead.

3. The conflict at present involving humanity has its source not only in human weakness and selfishness, but in a situation which has existed for ages between the Great White Lodge of Masters and the Lodge of Black Adepts. This started in Atlantean times and must now be fought out to a finish. With the details of this struggle (fought on mental levels) you have no concern, except in so far as you and the rest of mankind react to lies or to truth. Two streams of mental energy or of thought-directed ideas impinge powerfully at this time upon the human consciousness. One is embodied in the lying propaganda emanating from the Axis Powers and affecting potently not only their own peoples but the selfish politicians, the intolerant and the racially conditioned people, and the well-intentioned but short-sighted appeasers and pacifists. The second stream is embodied in the idealism, the humanitarianism, and the clear presentation of the factual situation which characterise the best minds in every nation and which condition the thinking of the leaders of the United Nations; this stream has, for instance, conditioned the attitude and the changed orientation of the U.S.S.R., and has brought them to a position of cooperation and to a relinquishing of some of their separative ideas.

The leader of the conflict against evil in high places is the Christ, the Head of the Hierarchy. What is the attitude of the Christ at this time? In all reverence, and as one of His humblest friends and personal workers, I am permitted to tell you a little of His position as He nears the great event in May of this year. He knows Himself to be the inner spiritual Commander of the Armies of the Lord. His is the responsibility of awakening the souls of men to their presented opportunity and to the need of bringing [434] to an end this ancient conflict between the Lords of Evil and the Messengers of Light. His has been the problem of teaching humanity that, in order to demonstrate true love and to provide scope and opportunity for a civilisation in which love, brotherhood and right human relations are governing factors, those essential steps must be taken which will accomplish this.

He said when He was on earth two thousand years ago, "I came not to bring peace, but a sword." The sword of the spirit is wielded by the Hierarchy, and by its means cosmic evil is arrested; the sword of discrimination is wielded by the initiates and the disciples of the world, and by its means the distinction between good and evil, with a consequent presentation of free choice between the two, has been laid before humanity, and the lines of demarcation have been made abundantly clear in this world war. It had been the hope of the Christ and the longing of all the Masters that men would see clearly and make free and right choice, so that—without physical plane warfare—they would bring about the needed changes and the ending of wrong conditions. But the conflict descended on to the physical plane and the sword of material war (symbolically speaking) was taken up by humanity.

Forget not (particularly those of you who are outraged by physical conflict through your pacifist inclinations) that, in the West, it was Germany which first of all took the sword in hand, marching into Poland and bringing misery, devastation and cruelty to a smaller and much weaker nation, thus forcing France and Great Britain to fulfil their pledged obligations to that little nation and to declare war upon the aggressor. It was Japan who brought war into the Eastern hemisphere. The Forces of Light were left with no alternative but to fight in defense of freedom.

Prior to the war, the Hierarchy did what it could to change the trend of human living and thinking, awakening the consciences of the intelligent, stimulating the activity of the humanitarians and impressing the minds of Their disciples in order to arouse goodwill, a driving desire for [435] right human relations and peaceful conditions. But the movement was not strong enough; the sword appeared on earth and mankind was plunged into war.

Since then the work of impressing the minds of the world disciples and of those whom they can influence has been along the lines of clarifying the issues, making plain that for which we fight, and arousing men and women to take such action as will, once and for all, end the possibility of a similar world cataclysm.

The activities of our Master, the Christ, fall into three categories:

1. Stiffening the will to fight on behalf of the spiritual issues and for the great humanitarian aims of the Hierarchy.

2. Impressing the minds of diplomats, thinkers and lovers of mankind to work out now certain post-war plans which will entirely change our present civilisation and bring about the new.

3. Arousing the minds of the masses and turning them—each in his own place and manner—into a more religious channel. The growth of spiritual desire and aspiration is phenomenal today, could you but see the indications as the workers on the inner side do.

Our Master, the Christ, is also at this time carrying forward three major activities. I can tell you briefly what they are, but only the disciples of the world will grasp the true implications.

He is, first of all, occupied with the process of deflecting the will-energy, emanating from Shamballa, in such a way that it will not be seized upon and misused by the Axis Powers in order to stiffen their peoples into increased opposition to the Forces of Light. It must be rechannelled and used to stiffen the purpose of the United Nations to carry the war to a finish of victory and of triumph, to increase the will-to-unity of all the allied peoples and to make firm the intention of the post-war planners that freedom, educational facilities, truth and right living shall be [436] the lot of the incoming generation. This necessitates on the part of the Christ a concentration for which we have no equivalent word and a purely spiritual endeavour (a monadic effort) of which we have no faintest idea.

Secondly, He is working within the confines of the Hierarchy itself, preparing His disciples, the Masters, for certain great post-war events. For the war will end. The Restoration of the Mysteries, the initiation of those disciples who have stood firm and unafraid during the war, the enlargement of Their ashrams, owing to the almost unforeseen development of the spiritual sense among the world aspirants who would not normally have become disciples during this incarnation, and also the externalisation of Their ashrams during the next one hundred years, preparatory to the reappearance of the Hierarchy upon earth, are some of His present hierarchical responsibilities. These involve a tremendous expenditure of force, of second ray energy, just as His first activity demands an unusual expenditure of first ray power—something which even He, in His high place, is only now learning to handle, as a pledged Disciple of Sanat Kumara.

His third activity is the effort to offset the growing hate in the world, to strengthen the trend towards unity, and to show people everywhere the danger of separateness. A growing and (from the worldly point of view) reasonable hatred of the German people and of the Japanese is steadily rising. This hate they have brought upon themselves. Hate ever lacks discrimination. The great Law of Spiritual Retribution requires that justice be meted out, but hatred will close the eyes of justice. The law must be administered, and the world will see the expression of that same law, stated in the words, "Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap." But the materialistic law of hate and of separation must be negated and offset. The problem with which the Christ is faced is wellnigh—from the human angle—insoluble. He will require the united effort of all men of goodwill to stem the rising tide of hate—the floodgates of which were opened by Germany when she began her attacks upon the [437] Jews; she is now in danger of drowning in the waters which she has set loose. There is also a rising tendency to separation among certain of the Allied Nations, with which the Christ must deal. Several of them are as houses divided against themselves. Such are Poland, France, Yugoslavia and Greece. How can their differences be reconciled?

The hate of those who have suffered at the hands of the Axis Powers, or as a result of war conditions, must be offset. How can this be done? Such are some of the problems with which the Christ is wrestling. He must work through His disciples, and They must be trained. He must work through the stimulation of the hearts of the intelligent people and of the humanitarians everywhere. He must pour out the life-giving energy of the Christ-life on a wide scale throughout the entire world, and do so in the midst of those conditions wherein human receptivity and sensitivity are at their lowest point, owing to the numbness which comes through intense suffering. He stands in His place unmoved and unafraid, with clear perception of the truth and spiritual insight into the true situation. In collaboration with His great Brother, the Buddha, He is preparing for the next step.

Today the Hierarchy is facing a climaxing activity. From the Full Moon of May, 1944, until the Full Moon of May, 1945, the Members of the Hierarchy will unitedly be putting forth Their maximum effort to close the door upon the Forces of Evil, to direct the Shamballa energy (now let loose upon the world) so that its destructive aspect may be transmuted or directed towards the stimulation which will result in the rebuilding of the world. This will then affect not only the Members of the Hierarchy, but all on Earth who respond to hierarchical impression. Have the following statement in mind:

"The focussed and concentrated work of the Hierarchy at the time of the Full Moon of May, 1944 is—by Their united effort, Their blended thought and Their illumined will power, under the trained guidance of [438] the Buddha and the Christ—to withdraw the energy of the will-to-separation and aggression (a distortion of first ray energy) away from the Forces of Evil and channel it again, via the Hierarchy; it will then demonstrate as the Will-to-Good, and this will express itself via the men of goodwill on Earth. This requires a great Act of Absorption by the Hierarchy."

The Buddha will start the process at the time of His appearance, through the use of a great first ray mantram. This can be used only by someone of His initiate standing and in collaboration with the Lord of the World. He will thereby deflect the Shamballa force which the Adepts of the Black Lodge have turned loose into the Axis nations; this has been made possible by their receptivity to the will-to-power. He will "corral" it (if I may use such a colloquial and inappropriate term) and will place it at the disposal of the Christ. The reception and the acceptance of this first ray energy will require a tremendous effort upon the part of the Christ, the Custodian of the energy of the second Ray of Love-Wisdom. It is for this "reception" that He started to prepare at the time of the April Full Moon.

I have told you elsewhere that this direct impact of the Shamballa energy upon humanity very seldom occurs. It has been loosed only three times during the entire history of the human kingdom. At other times, it makes its impact directly upon the Hierarchy, and is then transmuted or stepped down so that humanity can take it. The three times it has been directed, unimpeded and untransmuted, towards humanity are:

1. At the time of the individualisation of animal-man when the mind principle was implanted. This was the birth hour of the human soul.

2. In Atlantean days when the power of the Black Lodge was so great that defeat faced the Hierarchy and the destruction of the human soul. Shamballa then interfered, and the world of that time was [439] destroyed. This period is recognised in modern history as the time of the Great Flood.

3. Today, once again, the Powers of Darkness are attempting to destroy humanity and the spiritual values. The power of Shamballa was let loose, destroying old forms—political, social and religious—but at the same time this power was seized upon by the evil forces to destroy the souls of men, to precipitate war and to destroy the cities and all our centres of civilisation and culture. The first phase or form of destruction was directed by the disciples, the aspirants and the clear thinking people of the world, and this was needed and very good. The old social, political and religious forms were stultifying the human soul and handicapping all progress. The second phase or form of destruction was directed by evil, and was focussed through those nations who had succumbed to the glamour of superiority, to the temptation of material aggression and to intolerant racial hatreds, implemented by cruelty and barbarism.

The time has now come when this divine energy must express itself through the second aspect of the will-to-good, and not through the first aspect, the will-to-power. Mankind has had to be shown that it is not yet ready for power, because the will-to-good is not adequately strong to balance this first aspect of the will.

This then is the task of the Christ and of the Buddha at the time of the May Full Moon—to channel and redirect the Shamballa force. If They can do this, the result will be a new realisation and accomplishment of the will-to-good by the New Group of World Servers, under the receptive guidance of the world disciples and a responsive activity of the men and women of goodwill.

Therefore, get this clearly in mind, so that your cooperation can be intelligent and rightly directed.

First, at the time of the May Full Moon, the Buddha [440] will sound out a great mantram and become the "absorbing Agent" of the first ray force. He will use the magnetic power of the second ray to attract this force to Himself and will hold it steady, prior to redirecting it. The Christ will then—on behalf of the Hierarchy—become the "receiving Agent" of this potent energy, and the seven groups of Masters Who work with the human and sub-human kingdoms will (in response to His demand) become the "directing Agents" for the sevenfold expression of this force.

Second, at the time of the June Full Moon, the Hierarchy, under the guidance of the Christ, will let loose this will-to-good upon humanity, producing seven great results, according to the seven subrays of this first Ray of Will or Power:

1. Power will be given to the disciples of the world and the initiates among men, so that they can direct efficiently and wisely the coming process of rebuilding.

2. The will-to-love will stimulate the men of goodwill everywhere so that hatred will gradually be overcome and men will seek to live together cooperatively. This will take some time, but the inner urge is there and subject to stimulation.

3. The will-to-action will lead intelligent people throughout the world to inaugurate those activities which will lay the foundation for a new, better and happier world.

4. The will-to-cooperate will steadily increase also. Men will desire and demand right human relations—a result more general than that produced by the activity of the first three aspects of this ray, but which will be a natural outcome of this activity.

5. The will-to-know and to think correctly and creatively will become an outstanding characteristic of the masses. Knowledge is the first step towards wisdom.

6. The will-to-persist (which is an aspect of devotion and idealism) will become a human characteristic—a sublimation of the basic instinct of self-preservation. This will [441] lead to a persistent belief in the ideals presented by the Hierarchy, and the demonstration of immortality.

7. The will-to-organise will further a building process which will be carried forward under the direct inspiration of the Hierarchy. The medium will be the potency of the will-to-good of the New Group of World Servers and the responsive goodwill of mankind.

I have expressed in these few simple terms the results of the planned determination of the two Great Lords which must take shape and emerge at the time of the May and June Full Moons. What they succeed in doing will take years to demonstrate, but the end is inevitable once the right direction of the will-to-good has been achieved. This demonstration is dependent, however, upon two things:

1. The focussed work of the Christ and of the Hierarchy during the coming year, until May 1945.

2. The reflective thinking and careful planning of the New Group of World Servers during the same period.

Much outer activity upon a planetary scale will not be possible till 1945, but much can then become possible if hierarchical requirements are met. A year of preparation for the tremendous task of implementing the will-to-good and of producing a better civilisation and way of life is short indeed.

The Christ has gone into retreat for a month and cannot be reached even by the Masters until May 5th. He is in closest consultation with the Buddha and with the Lord of the World. This great Triangle of Potencies—the Lord of Will or Power, the Lord of Wisdom, and the Lord of Love—are today entirely preoccupied with the task of bringing the war to an end, and therefore with the task of neutralising the destroyer aspect of the first ray. This They will do by implementing the will-to-good by means of the wisdom of which the Buddha is the experienced Custodian, and also by laying down those plans whereby the Christ may—via the Hierarchy and the New Group of World [442] Servers—bring about that "loving understanding" (esoterically understood and bearing little resemblance to what is usually understood by those words) in the hearts of men. When this Triangle of Energies has synchronised its efforts, then at the May Full Moon, the great task of leading humanity into the light of a new day can be begun.

In the meantime, the Masters and Their ashrams are likewise getting ready to implement these plans and are endeavouring to inspire Their disciples with the same vision and objectives, so that they too may be prepared to play their due part.

Such, my brothers, is the situation as regards the position of humanity and the intentions and work of the Hierarchy. What then is the work which you can and must do?

I have for years indicated certain lines of activity which we, the Teachers and Guides on the inner side of life, would have all aspirants and disciples follow. The plans outlined by me during the past ten years are definitely a part of the hierarchical programme and are being presented in their specific forms by the other Masters. There is little that I can add. There is nothing which I tell you at this time that you do not already know. Do I need to ask you to work individually and in the place where you are for national and world unity? Must I plead with you to do what you can to heal divisions, and thus render effective that basic integrity which should unite the three major world powers through which the Hierarchy is attempting to work? Do I need to enjoin the necessity to counteract hate with justice, understanding and mercy? Have I to continue explaining the need for the complete triumph of the Forces of Light, for the triumphant progress of the armies of the United Nations, and for that triumph to be won first of all on spiritual levels and then carried through—with commonsense and persistence—on to the physical side of life, as well as in the intervening mental world? Do I need to ask for the control of emotions in the general interest, and for the consecration of time, energy and money to the enormous task of human salvage?

[443]

On these points I shall not dwell. Nothing is here gained by reiteration except the growing burden of a responsibility which you can shoulder to your eternal happiness or discard to your shame and eventual karmic reaction. Only this will I say: Get rid of selfishness, provincialism and insularity. Think in terms of the one humanity. Let your lives count in the scale of useful and needed service. Leave off saying and thinking those things which are critical of others—other people and other allied nations. See the issues of this conflict clearly, and let no false and glamorous sentiment lead you to favour weakness towards the Axis Powers at this unique and critical moment. The form or forms of their tyranny must be broken and due payment made in all justice and discrimination to an outraged world. But the souls that implemented that tyranny must—through sore trial and right spiritual direction—be again led to walk in the light. The children of the Axis nations must not be penalised for the wickedness or the weakness of their fathers; they must be educated in new and better ways and loved into right understanding of their relationships.

For two complete generations there must be a peace which will be unbroken because behind it and protecting it will stand the Armies of the Lord. At the close of that time, if the educational work done has been adequate, sane, wise and sound, then these Armies can rest from their labours and the sword be turned into the ploughshare. If this programme of supervision, education and spiritual direction is not thus enforced, the war that would then take place would wipe out humanity—as happened once before in human history.

I would here refer you to a parable, spoken in terms of far-sighted vision and warning by the Christ centuries ago, anent the man who cleaned house, casting out the devils; when it was all swept and garnished, it remained empty (as symbol of unused opportunity and ignored responsibility) and then, as the Lord of Light put it, "the last state of that man was worse than the first." The sweeping and cleansing has been going on for five long years, the final stages of [444] this destroying but cleansing process are now being taken. Then, my brothers, what?

I have told you over the years what we seek to have you do: Rally to the aid of the New Group of World Servers, hard pressed in this day of battle. Spread goodwill—to humanity as a whole, learning steadily to think in terms of that whole; uphold those activities which benefit the whole and do not favour one particular nation, even if it is your own. Work today for victory and for the annihilation of evil. Work tomorrow for justice and for the restoration of security. When there is security, readjustment, the obliteration of the aggressor leaders, protection and restoration of the weak and the oppressed, plus right living conditions and wise education for the youth of the world, then peace will come but not till then. Let the soporific of beautiful peace talk die out and let sane methods of establishing goodwill and right human relations precede the discussion of peace. The world talked itself into a dreamy state of idealistic rhapsody about peace between the first phase of this world war and the present one. This must not again occur and it is the task of the intelligent humanitarian to prevent it.

For the work to be done during the next twelve months (and then continued during the ensuing years), I make one last appeal. Stand with fixed intent, implementing the massed intent of the unthinking, the terrified and the distressed and weak. Cooperate with the New Group of World Servers in every land. Let the Full Moons of May and June constitute high points of spiritual attainment which can and will condition your daily life and service during the ensuing year. Let nothing deter you. Nothing from any quarter causes the Christ to deviate from His planned purpose; just in so far as His purposes coincide with your soul purpose, move outward into a wider field of service. If you feel no response to world need and no call to serve, then beware and seek a deeper measure of soul contact and spiritual relationship. Every word spoken or written at this time by an aspirant or a disciple is of a definite potency—either good or bad.

You know about the New Group of World Servers. The [445] work of the men and women of goodwill has been presented to you. The request for the forming of triangles of light and of goodwill has been placed clearly before you. The need for clear thinking is plain. The Hierarchy asks for your aid and your support in the arena of world affairs. I have myself laid my plans before you. There the programme must be left to be carried out by you if you choose. For a quarter of a century (since 1919) I have taught you. I ask now for your cooperation in our mutual responsibility—the helping of humanity.

May He Whom we all love and serve, the Master of all Masters and the undying Friend of Mankind shed His light upon your way and evoke your trust, your understanding and your help in His task—climaxing this year—of leading humanity into the light of a new day.

THE CYCLE OF CONFERENCES

March 1945

The three months of March, April and May in this year mark a moment in time of major significance in our planetary history. I refer to the Easter Full Moon, celebrated on March 28th, the Wesak Full Moon, which falls this year on April 27th, and the Full Moon of June—Christ's "Unique Occasion" as it has been called—which falls on May 26th. From the standpoint of both the Hierarchy and Humanity, the events during these few weeks of spiritual and mundane import (focussed through these three Festival Moons of Aries, Taurus and Gemini) will be of stupendous effect. What is done during this time by the Members of the spiritual Hierarchy of our planet (Who face a major test of Their hierarchical power, not a test of Their love), what is accomplished by the disciples working in the world at this time, and also by the New Group of World Servers, can and will determine the destiny of man for centuries to come. Even those who have no knowledge of occult matters or of human fate or of the effective enterprise of human free will [446] (esoterically understood) stand today with bated breath, waiting to see what will happen and towards which goal or goals human thinking and planning will be directed.

The masses of mankind everywhere have only one desire—tranquillity. I use not the word "peace," because it has such a misleading connotation. Thinking men and women in every country stand with massed intent, determined, if possible, to take those steps which will ensure peace on Earth, through the expression of goodwill. Note that phrasing. The working disciples throughout the world are struggling with every means at their disposal to spread the gospel of sacrifice, because only upon sacrifice can world stability be safely founded—the sacrifice of selfishness. In those words is summed up the demand being made on those whose responsibility it is to determine policies (national and international) and to take those steps which will establish right human relations. The Hierarchy stands—no longer watching and waiting, but acting today with impelling wisdom and fixed decision in order to strengthen the hands of Their workers in every field of human activity (political, educational and religious) so that they may take right action and correctly influence human thinking.

A powerful first ray activity—the activity of will or purpose—is swinging into action. The Christ, as the Leader of the Forces of Light, has empowered the Ashrams of the Masters upon this first Ray of Power to strengthen the hands of all disciples in the field of government and of political arrangement in every nation; to enlighten, if possible, the various national legislatures by whatever means may be needed, so that the potency of their words, the wisdom of their planning, and the breadth of their thinking may prove so effective that the "Cycle of Conferences and of Councils," now being initiated by the statesmen of the world, may be under the direct guidance (again if possible) of Those in the Council Chamber at Shamballa Who know what is the Will of God. The selfishness of the little minds in the various legislatures of the world must in some way be offset. That is the problem. I wonder if you can grasp the significance [447] of this happening? Down the ages, individual statesmen and rulers have from time to time been responsive to the influence of that spiritually supreme Council; but it has been the responsiveness of the individual disciple who has worked alone and unaided and who has faced, (or experienced) defeat as often, if not oftener, than he has experienced victory. Today, in the planning now going forward in connection with the various international conferences and councils of which you all know, the spiritual effort (for the first time in human history) is to bring all of them, as functioning groups, under the direct impact of the energy which motivates and actuates that place where the Will of God is known and the purposes of divinity are defined and projected. This means that each of the coming world conferences (and there will necessarily be many) will have a greater and far more extensive effect than would otherwise be the case; it means, however, that the risks involved and the clash of minds will also be far greater. This is a point which you should bear in mind as you study and read reports of these various conferences.

Forget not that divine energy must make its impact upon human minds; these minds are the only available instrument—in their aggregated effect—through which the Will of God can express  itself; they are necessarily responsive to the stimulating and energising results of that impact, and this will evoke results suited to the type of mind affected. Response will be compatible with the quality and the intention of those minds. Where goodwill is present, and where there is unselfish intention and a broad point of view, those qualities will be strengthened and endowed with potency; where selfishness rules, where isolationism and separativeness are present, and where there is the intention to gain individual and national ends instead of those international purposes which will profit all humanity, those qualities will equally gain in strength.

Two momentous, but preliminary, conferences have already taken place, thus inaugurating this new cycle of group functioning. The League of Nations was an abortive effort—[448] well intentioned but relatively useless, as later happenings proved. One of these initial conferences was held at Yalta. There, three men, constituting a basic triangle, met with goodwill to all and endeavoured to lay the ground for coming world happenings.

All true movements conditioning long cycles in world affairs have at their centre a triangle through which energy can flow and certain definite purposes can be worked out. Little is understood, as yet, anent the nature of the task to be done or the type of men who work in first ray groups and Ashrams, and in Whose hands the political destiny of man rests at any one time. The whole subject of discipleship has been distorted by theological definitions, based upon sweetness of character, which often works singularly for ineffectiveness. The long cycle of ecclesiastical rule has biased human thinking so that the nature of spiritual strength and effectiveness is interpreted in terms of religion and in the terminology of churchianity (I did not say, of Christianity), or in the phraseology of a marked pacifism or a dominating, religious, temporal control. The long rule of the various churches is over. This should be grasped. They have done their work—in the early stages very good work, in the middle stages a necessary consolidating work, and in the modern stage a crystallising and reactionary work. The rule of the churches is over, but not the precepts of Christianity or the example of the Christ. He is, however, responsible for a newer and more effective presentation of the coming world religion, and for that the churches should prepare, if they have enough illumination to recognise their need and His effort to meet that need.

Today a balance must be reached, and this will take place through the medium of an enlightened statesmanship and through a political activity which will be based increasingly upon the good of the whole of humanity, and not upon benefiting any one nation in particular. This balance will not be expressed in religious terms and in so-called spiritual terminology. It will express itself through group work, through conferences, through Leagues of Nations, [449] organised parties and legislation. All of this will be the result of an intensive activity of the Masters and of Their disciples upon the first Ray of Will or Power. The quality of their work will be to express the will-to-good; they see the world in large terms. To the uninitiate, they may at times seem isolated in their actions and over-powerful in the decisions which they reach and which they then proclaim to the world—much to the irritation of the little-minded and of those who interpret freedom in terms of their individual, unenlightened point of view. They are, however, working under spiritual direction as much as any religious leader and this will increasingly be recognised. History will justify their actions, because they will have given a trend to world affairs and to human thinking which will work out in a clearer perception of necessity. What they do will evoke discussion and ofttimes disagreement, as have the decisions of the Yalta triangle of workers. But they are so constituted that they do not resent this; they know that the discussion evoked and the criticisms raised will reveal the inherent smallness and separative instincts of their opponents, and—at the same time—will evoke the banding together of those who see behind the apparently high-handed initial activity an effort to precipitate with clarity the issues with which humanity is faced. Thus humanity can be brought to understanding. These are the things which the triangle at Yalta attempted to do. These they may not have consciously recognised as the work asked of them on account of their discipleship, but they automatically worked this way because they correctly sensed human need. They were and are handicapped by the fact of their own humanity, which makes them liable to make mistakes, but they are far more handicapped by the facts of human selfishness and national greed and by the general low level of human attainment—viewing humanity as one whole.

Having made the issues clear, as they see them, having evoked the enthusiasm of the men of goodwill in the world, and the violent criticism of those who think in terms of partisanship, nationalism, and prejudice, the experiment of [450] the conference in Mexico City was undertaken with success. It was realised that there was an ascertainable measure of hemispheric unity upon which statesmen could count, and thus a foundation could be created for the far more difficult international conference to be held in San Francisco at the time of the Wesak, the Full Moon of the Buddha. Not for nothing is this conference being held during the five days of the Wesak Full Moon. It will be a time of supreme difficulty, in which the Forces of Light will face what I call "the forces of selfishness and separativeness."

Subjectively speaking, the conference will be under the direct influence of the Hierarchy. The consequent stimulation of both the selfish and the unselfish aspects will evoke a tremendous emotional and mental potency. It is therefore essential that all aspirants and disciples throw the weight of their spiritual development and the light of their souls on the side of the Forces which are attempting to plan for the good of humanity, and who regard the welfare of the whole as of far greater importance than any national situation or demand.

Forget not that the Forces of Evil are still powerful, particularly on the physical plane, and that there are many channels through which they can work. Germany is defeated, but is still capable of a final effort of destructiveness and violence. Japan is well on the way to defeat, but is still powerful. The hierarchy of evil on the inner side is being pushed back by the Forces of Light, but its grip on humanity has not relaxed. It is through ignorance that these forces can still attain much power—the ignorance of humanity itself. Nations and people are still ignorant of the true nature of each other; the world is full of distrust and suspicion. Humanity as a whole knows little about Russia, for instance. The true significance of Its ideology is misunderstood because of the initial mistakes of those who engineered the revolution; the license of unruly men in the early days gave onlooking humanity a wrong slant on what was happening. But those days are over. In the fires of suffering and through deepened understanding, this great [451] and composite nation will advance towards a demonstration of brotherhood which may yet set an example to the entire world. China needs a full literacy; her citizens as a whole know nothing of other nations; on a higher turn of the spiral, that educational supremacy which distinguished an oligarchy of learning in the days of China's ancient glory will again distinguish the masses of her people. The great continent of Europe and the British peoples are still unaware of the real significance of the Western hemisphere and of the United States—with its exuberant youthfulness. They find it as irritating as their deeper maturity and wide experience proves irritating to Americans. Americans, both in the northern and in the southern hemispheres, are still basically ignorant of the history of the nations from which they spring, because they have laid the emphasis upon their relatively brief history and have been brought up on a biased and oft prejudiced picture of European culture and of British aims. This ignorance throughout the world plays right into the hands of the Forces of Evil and—beaten as they now are on the physical plane—they will give more violent battle to world goodwill on the planes of emotional decision, and on mental levels to those ideologies which are of benefit to the whole of humanity.

Physical plane methods having resulted only in the complete devastation of Europe and in casualties which (if civilian men, women and children are included) amount to untold millions, the forces of evil will now endeavour to utilise the character of humanity as a whole (at its present total point of development) to hinder the Forces of Light, prevent the attainment of world tranquillity and world understanding, and thus delay the day of their own final defeat. This defeat, when accomplished, must include the three worlds of human evolution—mental, emotional and physical. For long these evil forces have used psychology in order to reach the ends they had in view, and have used it with amazing success; they are still using it, and can be depended upon to employ its methods to the uttermost. They use the press and the radio in order to distort human thinking; [452] they present half-truths, impute false motives, rake up past grievances, foretell (with foreboding) imminent difficulties; they foster ancient prejudices and hatreds, and emphasise religious and national differences. In spite of much shouting, demanding and proposed organisation, there is no truly free press anywhere; particularly is it absent in the United States, where parties and publishers dictate newspaper policies. The main reason why there is no really free press is based on two factors: first, the fact that humanity is not yet free from its predetermined reasonings, its basic ignorances of factual history, or of nations and their psychology; humanity is still controlled by racial and national bias and by prejudice. Secondly, the fact that all this is nurtured and kept alive by the forces of evil, working upon the inner side of human affairs and dealing mainly with the psychological angle because it is so exceedingly potent. This they will increasingly do as this planetary war draws to a close; they will seek to offset the work of the Hierarchy, to hamper the activities of the New Group of World Servers and to cloud the issues involved to such a degree that the men of goodwill everywhere will be bewildered and will fail to see the clear outlines of the factual situation or distinguish between what is true and what is false. Forget not, the forces of evil are exceedingly clever.

It is necessary also to remind ourselves that, having won the war against aggression and barbarity upon the physical plane (and it is won), humanity has now earned the right to carry that accomplishment through to psychological and actual mental victory, and to do this together and with the mustered aid of enlightened men and women from every country—hence the inauguration of this Cycle of Conferences and Councils. This cycle will prove long or short, according to the release of the will-to-good from the spiritual world, in response to the massed intent of the men and women of goodwill everywhere.

As the destroying aspect of the Will of God nears the accomplishing of divine purpose, the will-to-good can emerge with clarity and dominate human affairs. Out of the immensity [453] of planetary evil, demonstrated through the destructive war of the past few years (1914-1945), great and permanent good can come; the spiritual Hierarchy stands ready to evoke the good latent behind the work of destruction which has been done, but this can be so only if the goodwill of humanity itself is employed with adequate invocative power. If this goodwill finds expression, two things can occur: first, certain potencies and forces can be released upon the earth which will aid men's effort to attain right human relations, with its resultant effect—peace; secondly, the forces of evil will be so potently defeated that never again will they be able to wreak such universal destruction upon earth.

Years ago I said that the war which may follow this one would be waged in the field of the world religions. Such a war will not work out, however, in a similar period of extreme carnage and blood; it will be fought largely with mental weapons and in the world of thought; it will involve also the emotional realm, from the standpoint of idealistic fanaticism. This inherent fanaticism (found ever in reactionary groups) will fight against the appearance of the coming world religion and the spread of esotericism. For this struggle certain of the well-organised churches, through their conservative elements (their most powerful elements), are already girding themselves. Those sensitive to the new spiritual impacts are still far from powerful; that which is new always faces the supreme difficulty of superseding and overcoming that which is old and established. Fanaticism, entrenched theological positions, and materialistic selfishness are to be found actively organised in the churches in all continents and of all denominations. They can be expected to fight for their established ecclesiastical order, their material profit and their temporal rule, and already are making the needed preparations.

The coming struggle will emerge within the churches themselves; it will also be precipitated by the enlightened elements who exist in fair numbers already, and are rapidly growing in strength through the impact of human necessity. [454] The fight will then spread to thinking men and women everywhere who—in a protesting revolt—have denied orthodox churchianity and theology. They are not irreligious but have, through pain and sorrow, learned (without ecclesiastical help) that the spiritual values are the only values which can salvage humanity, that the Hierarchy stands, and that Christ—as the symbol of peace and the Leader of the Forces of Light—is not a negligible force but one that is evoking response from the hearts of men everywhere. True religion will come to be interpreted in terms of the will-to-good and its practical expression, goodwill. The coming world conferences and the international councils will give indication of the strength of this new spiritual response (on the part of humanity) to the overshadowing spiritual Potencies awaiting the invocative cry of mankind. When that cry arises, these divine energies will precipitate themselves into the realm of human thinking and planning. Men will then find themselves gifted with renewed strength and with the needed insight which will enable them to drive out the entrenched materialistic forces and the power of selfish interests—banded together to prevent human freedom. If the conferences to be held in the near future demonstrate that mankind is truly striving to bring about right human relations, the forces of evil can then be driven back; the Forces of Light will then take control.

The problem facing the Hierarchy is how to further these desirable ends without infringing on human freedom of thought and action. It is with this problem that the great Council of the spiritual realm, of the Kingdom of God, is dealing at this time, and it will provide the subject of Their discussions and final decision until the middle of June. When the sun begins to move southward again, Their decisions will have been made on the basis of human demand. Humanity will by then have indicated the strength and nature of its goodwill; it will have sounded the "word of invocation"—reaching up into the spiritual realm like a breathing forth of the very soul of humanity; it will have expressed a measure of its willingness to sacrifice in order [455] to stabilise human living, and to rid the world of separativeness and of the abuses which culminated in this war; it will at least have set the stage for the blue-printing and planning which the Cycle of Conferences and Councils will undertake. On the side of the Hierarchy and in response to human demand (in degree and in kind, according to the quality of the demand), the Hierarchy will play its part and aid in making possible that which men dream, vision, and for which they plan today.

Let us consider for a minute what the Hierarchy stands ready to do and what its Members will plan and formulate during the Easter Festival this month, during the Wesak Festival in April, and during the Festival of the Christ at the end of May. It might be said that the Hierarchy, in conjunction with the great Council of the Will of God at Shamballa, will divide Their work into three parts, each governing three phases of the coming restoration of humanity to civilised and cultured living on a new and higher turn of the spiral. They will deal with the problem of spiritual freedom, as it embodies itself in the Four Freedoms, and with the problem of right human relations, as it will express itself through international relations, national parties and general human affairs. It is not for me to tell you what humanity, through its statesmen and leaders, will plan to do at the coming conferences. It is my task to mobilise the New Group of World Servers and the men and women of goodwill so that they may stand as a great "army of implacable spiritual will" behind the participants in these conferences and councils, enabling them to think with clarity about the issues involved and thus (through this clear thinking) affect telepathically the minds of men; this involves the use of a power seldom employed as yet on the side of righteous endeavour, though already widely used by the materialistic leaders of the forces of evil.

It is the task of the Hierarchy to find and reach the enlightened men and women in all the churches, all the political parties, all the organisations—social, economic, and educational—so that their united purpose will be clear. This [456] They will do through the medium of Their active, working disciples in the world. Thus They will pave the way for the true freedom of mankind—a freedom which is as yet a dream and a hope in even the most democratic countries.

But behind all this activity, watched over by the spiritual Guides of the race but determined and implemented by humanity itself, will be found the focussed attention of the Hierarchy. This spiritual tension which exists among Them is far more potent than any of you suspect; it is part of Their preparatory work to make available certain spiritual forces and powers which—though complementary or supplementary to the self-initiated effort of mankind—will make that effort successful. What humanity has now to do, and is already doing to a certain degree, is to arrive at a right orientation as regards human affairs. Let us therefore look at the three phases of this preparatory work now going on, and endeavour to gauge what will be the results if these energies and potencies are released through the invocative demand of men.

The Forces of Restoration

There is first of all the phase, now in progress, which will culminate at the time of the Easter Full Moon. This is dedicated to planning for an inflow of the Forces of Restoration. Do not misunderstand these words. The Hierarchy is not occupied with the restoration of the old order, with the state of life prior to the war, or with the renewal of the theologies (religious, political and social) which have governed the past and which have been largely responsible for the war. The restoration referred to is psychological in nature, but will work out in the restoration of the will-to-live and the will-to-good. It will consequently be foundational, and will guarantee the new civilisation and culture. This is a very different matter.

These Forces of Restoration are concerned with human vision, human integrity and human relations as they underlie the entire problem of the brotherhood of man. These [457] energies, if released upon the Earth, will render futile the efforts of the old order (in politics, religion and education) to restore what was and to bring back that which existed prior to the war. They will endeavour to offset two tendencies which will have to be taken into momentous consideration during the coming cycle of conferences:

a. The tendency to crystallise, to cherish that which has gone (and gone forever, let us hope) and to over-estimate that which is old, worn-out and, if I may use the word, stagnant.