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SECTION THREE - FORCES BEHIND THE EVOLUTIONARY PROGRESS OF THE RACE - Part 6

There is definite Biblical testimony to this highest of all centres, Shamballa. At moments of crisis in the earthly life of Christ we read that a Voice spoke to Him, the Voice of the Father was heard by Him, affirming His Sonship and setting the seal of approval upon His acts and work. At that [408] moment a great fusion of the two spiritual centres—the Hierarchy and Shamballa, the Kingdom of God and the world of Spirit—was brought about, and thus spiritual energy was released on Earth. We need to remember that the work of all World Saviours and Teachers is to act primarily as distributors of divine energy and as channels for spiritual force. This outpouring manifests either as the impulse behind a world religion, the incentive behind some new political ideology, or the principle of some scientific discovery of importance to the growth of the human spirit. Thus do religions, governments and civilisations find their motivation. History has demonstrated that again and again these developments are the results of the appearance and the activity of some great man at an advanced stage of development. Those who come forth as Teachers, Saviours or Founders of a new religion come forth from the Hierarchy and are of the highest order of spiritual perfection. Those who convey to man the purposes of God through new ideological concepts are not as yet of so high an order, because man is not yet ready for the highest presentation. Much has yet to be learnt and mastered by man, and spiritual unfoldment always outpaces the outer expression of human relationships and the social order; hence the world religions come first and produce the conditions which make the work of the rulers possible. Those who come forth from the spiritual centre, Shamballa, are of great power, however, and the thread of Their influence can be traced throughout history in great declarations and pronouncements such as the Magna Charta, the Declaration of Independence and the Atlantic Charter. Those who come forth from Shamballa or the Hierarchy for the release and the guidance of humanity are evoked by human desire and demand, for there is a spiritual interplay existing between Humanity and the Hierarchy, and between both and Shamballa.

Such Messengers embody divine intention. The response of mankind to Their messages is dependent upon the point in evolution which has been attained by man. Back in the early history of the race these Approaches were rare indeed. [409] Countless ages passed between them. Today, owing to the greatly increased power of the human mind and the growing sensitivity of the human soul to the spiritual values as they express themselves through major world ideologies, these Approaches of the divine to the human can become more frequent and are taking on a new form. Man's inner realisation of his own innate spiritual potency and the unfoldment of his sense of relationship are bringing about an effort on his part—consciously undertaken—to make true progress towards the good, the true and the beautiful, and this in spite of the fact of the war and the misery and suffering present upon our Earth. It has therefore become possible to synchronise the Approach of the divine to the human and to instruct the masses of men in the technique of thus invoking the Approach. This attitude of humanity will lead to a new revelation, to the new world religion and to new attitudes in the relation of man to God (religion) and of man to man (government or social relationships).

Two major Approaches are to be found in the past history of the race, and both are of such significance that it would be well to note them here. They lie so far back in human history that we have only myth and monument to indicate their happening.

The first great Approach of the divine to man caused the appearance of the human soul and the adding of another kingdom in nature to the three (mineral, vegetable and animal) already existing. The kingdom of man appeared on Earth.

Aeons passed away whilst primitive man continued to evolve, and when the second great Approach took place and the Spiritual Hierarchy of our planet drew nearer to humanity; the spiritual Way to God was opened for those who consciously can move forward, who can definitely demonstrate the Christ spirit, and who earnestly seek enlightenment and liberation. The true appeal of Christ's words: "Ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free" urges them to move forward into the light, through the gate of initiation and on to that path which "shineth [410] ever more and more until the perfect day." At the time of the second great Approach, the fact of the existence of the Spiritual Hierarchy, of the open door to initiation and of the Way of Sacrifice first dawned on the human consciousness; from that moment men have found the Way and have moved out of the human kingdom into the spiritual; they have transformed their human consciousness into divine awareness. The kingdom of man and the kingdom of God were brought into relationship. Religion became a factor in the development of the human spirit and God drew nearer to His Own. God Transcendent first conditioned man's concept of Deity. Then God as the national controller took possession of man's mind, and the Jehovah concept (as depicted in the Jewish dispensation) appeared; next God was seen as the perfected human being, and the divine God-man walked the Earth in the person of the Christ. Today, we have a rapidly growing emphasis on God Immanent in every human being. Such have been the results of the second great Approach and such have been the results of the work of the world Saviours and Teachers down the ages, culminating in the work of Christ, Who summed up in Himself the unfoldments of the past and the hope of the future.

A third great Approach is now possible and will take place once the world war is over and man—purified by fire and suffering—has set his house in order and is ready, therefore, for a new revelation. For this coming revelation the work of the Buddha and of the Christ has been preparatory. They embodied in Themselves two lesser Approaches, and through Their united effort, humanity throughout the world has been prepared to play its part in this third Approach.

The Buddha came embodying in Himself a great divine principle or quality. He was the Conveyor of Enlightenment to the world; He was the Lord of Light. As is always the case, He re-enacted in Himself, for the instruction of His disciples, the processes of illumination and became the "Illumined One." We are told in the scriptures of India that He achieved illumination under the tree, just as Christ achieved the liberation of the human spirit upon the tree [411] set up on Golgotha. Light, wisdom, reason, as divine yet human attributes, were focussed in the Buddha. He proved the possibility of all men achieving this illumination and of walking in the light. He challenged the people to tread the Path of Illumination, of which wisdom, mental perception and intuition are the aspects.

Then came the next great Teacher, the Christ. He embodied in Himself a still greater divine principle or aspect, that of Love, whilst at the same time embracing within Himself all that the Buddha had of Light. Christ was the expression of both Light and Love.

Through Their work, therefore, there is now possible a deeper reaction to, and a broader comprehension of the work and influence of those great Lives Who are waiting today to help humanity. The work of these two Sons of God produced among many results the following:

1. They embodied in Themselves certain cosmic principles, and by Their work and sacrifice certain divine potencies poured through and upon the race, stimulating intelligence into wisdom and emotion into love. The Buddha, when He achieved illumination, "let in" a flood of light upon life and world problems. He formulated this revelation into the Four Truths. His group of disciples erected a structure of truth which (by the power of collective thought) has flooded mankind with light.

2. Through the message of the Buddha, man has for the first time grasped the cause of His constant distaste and dissatisfaction and has learnt that the Way of Release is to be found in detachment, dispassion and discrimination. Where these are present, there is rapid release from the wheel of rebirth.

3. Through the message of the Christ, three concepts emerge into the racial consciousness:

a. The value of the individual and the necessity for tensity of effort on his part.

b. The opportunity which was to be presented to humanity [412] to take a tremendous step forward and undergo the new birth or the first initiation.

c. The method whereby this next step could be taken in the new age, voiced for us in the words "love your neighbour as yourself." Individual effort, group opportunity and men's identification with each other—such is the message of the Christ.

In the message of the Buddha we have the three methods whereby the personality can be changed and prepared to be a conscious expression of divinity. Through detachment, the brain consciousness or state of awareness (embodying physical recognition of inner causes) is withdrawn or abstracted from the things of the senses and from the calls of the lower nature. Detachment is in reality the imposition of a new rhythm or habit reaction upon the cells of the brain which renders the brain unaware of the lure of the world of sensory perception. Through dispassion, the emotional nature is rendered immune from the appeal of the senses and desire fails to deter the soul from its rightful task. Through discrimination, the mind learns to select the good, the beautiful and the true, and to substitute these for the sense of "identification with the personality," which is so characteristic of the majority of men. Personality holds so many in thrall. This has to go. These three attitudes, when correctly and sanely held, will organise the personality, bring in the rule of wisdom, and prepare the disciple for initiation.

Then follows the work of the Christ, resulting in an understanding of the value of the individual and his self-initiated effort at release and illumination, with the objective of group goodwill. We learn to perfect ourselves in order to have somewhat to sacrifice to the group, and thus enrich the group with our individual contribution. This is the first result of the activity of the Christ Principle in the life of the individual. Personality fades out in the glory of the soul, which (like the rising sun) blots out the darkness and irradiates the lower nature. This is the second [413] result, and is a group activity. The word goes forth to the initiates of the future: Lose sight of self in group endeavour. Forget the self in group activity. Pass through the portal to initiation in group formation and let the personality life be lost in the group life.

The final result of the work of the Christ is to be found in our identification with the whole: individuality, initiation, and identification—these are the terms in which the message of the Christ can be summarised. He said, when on Earth: "I and my Father are One," and in these words epitomised His entire message. I, the individual, through initiation, am identified with Deity. Therefore we have:

1. The Buddha . . . the method . . . Detachment, Dispassion, Discrimination.

2. The Christ . . . the result . . . Individualism, Initiation, Identification.

It is interesting to note that the work of the Buddha is expressed in words all beginning with the fourth letter of the alphabet, the letter D. The sense of personality is achieved; the quaternary is transcended, and the Buddha gave us the reason for this transmutation and the rules. The work of the Christ is expressed for us in words beginning with the ninth letter of the alphabet, the letter I, and this number is the number of initiation. These things happen not idly but all have their underlying purpose.

I have here very briefly and inadequately outlined the nature of two great Approaches and two minor. These have prepared humanity for the third great Approach which will bring the new revelation, with its realised consequences, of a new heaven and a new earth. I would ask the orthodox theologian how he interprets the words "a new heaven"? May it not signify an entirely new conception as to the world of spiritual realities and perhaps of the very nature of God Himself? May it not be possible that our present ideas of God as the Universal Mind, as Love and as Will, may be enriched by a new idea and quality for which we have as yet no name or word and of which we have as yet [414] no faintest understanding? Each of the three present concepts as to the divine nature—the Trinity—have been entirely new when first sequentially presented to humanity.

What this third major Approach will bring to humanity we do not and cannot know. It will bring about as definite results as did the two earlier Approaches. For some years now the spiritual Hierarchy has been drawing nearer to mankind, and this is responsible for the great concepts of freedom which are so close to the hearts of men everywhere today and for which humanity is now fighting. As the Members of the Hierarchy approach closer to us, the dream of brotherhood, of fellowship, of world cooperation and of a peace (based upon right human relations) becomes clearer in our minds. As They draw nearer we vision a new and vital world religion, a universal faith, at-one in its basic idealism with the past but different in its mode of expression.

I have cited earlier the foundational truths upon which the new world religion will rest. I would suggest that the theme of the coming religion will be that of the great Approaches themselves; that it will emphasise anew God's love for man as evidenced in these divine Approaches, and also man's response to God as the word goes forth: "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you"; that it will—in its rites and ceremonies—be concerned with the invocative and evocative side of spiritual appeal.

Man invokes the divine Approach in two ways: by means of the inchoate, voiceless appeal or invocative cry of the masses, and also by the planned, defined invocation of the spiritually oriented aspirants, the intelligently convinced worker, disciple and initiate—by all, in fact, who form the New Group of World Servers.

The science of invocation and evocation will take the place of what we now call prayer and worship. Be not disturbed by the use of the word "science." It is not the cold and heartless intellectual thing so oft depicted. It is in reality the intelligent organisation of spiritual energy and of the forces of love, and when effective, will evoke the response of spiritual Beings Who can again walk openly [415] among men and thus establish a close relation and a constant communication between humanity and the spiritual Hierarchy.

It will be obvious to you that as humanity, through its most advanced units, prepares for this next great Approach it must accept with faith and conviction (faith for the masses, and conviction for the knowers and the New Group of World Servers) the premises stated above:

1. The fact of God (God Transcendent)

2. Man's relationship to the divine (God Immanent)

3. The fact of immortality

4. The Brotherhood of man (God in expression)

5. The existence of the Way to God

6. The historicity of the two great Approaches and the possibility of a third and imminent Approach.

It is here that the churches, if regenerated, can concentrate their efforts, cease perpetuating the outer and visible form, and begin to deal with the reality underlying all dogmas and doctrines. Upon these inner assurances man must take his stand, and a study of them will reveal that the majority of the unthinking masses (an immense majority) do accept them hopefully and with desire, though without any definite understanding, and that a steadily increasing minority also accept them with a full convinced awareness—an awareness that is the result of the transformation of hope into self-proven fact. In between these two extremes is a large group of questioning people; they are not part of the unintelligent mass, nor are they yet either occultists, mystics or even aspirants. They question and seek conviction; they repudiate faith as unintelligent, but long for a substitute; they are constantly emerging out of the mass of men and constantly moving forward in consciousness through the following of spiritual techniques, eventually taking their stand among those who can say with St. Paul: "I know Whom I have believed." It is with these techniques that the true religious teaching should primarily concern itself.

As we look ahead into the world of tomorrow and begin [416] to question what structure the faith of humanity should assume and what building the skill of the knowers will erect to house the religious spirit of man, three more fundamental truths appear to be emerging as necessary adjuncts to the revealed body of truth:

1. The demonstrated existence of a Spiritual Hierarchy, the life-purpose of which is the good of humanity. The Members of the Hierarchy are seen to be the Custodians of the divine Plan and expressions of the Love of God.

2. The development of the Science of Invocation and Evocation as a means and method of approach to divinity. This will grow out of the ancient habits of prayer as used by the masses, and the practice of meditation as developed by the mystics and occultists. Prayer and meditation are the preliminary steps to this emerging science, and what is vaguely called "worship" is the group effort to establish some form of united approach to the spiritual Hierarchy, functioning under the guidance and control of the Christ and related to the highest spiritual centre, Shamballa, through its most advanced individuals, just as humanity is related to the Hierarchy by its spiritually minded people.

3. The realisation that the starry heavens, the solar system and the planetary spheres are all of them the manifestations of great spiritual Lives and that the interrelation between these embodied Lives is as real and effectual as is the relation between members of the human family.

The spiritual Hierarchy of the planet, the ability of mankind to contact its Members and to work in cooperation with Them, and the existence of the greater Hierarchy of spiritual energies of which our tiny planetary sphere is a part—these are the three truths upon which the coming world religion may be based.

Relationship to God, through Christ, has ever been the teaching of the spiritual leaders of the world, no matter by what name they called Him. In the future we shall draw closer and more intelligently to the living substance of [417] Reality and be more definite in our apprehension of this hitherto vaguely sensed relationship. We shall know and see and understand. We shall not just believe, have hope and try to comprehend. We shall speak openly of the Hierarchy and of its Members and Their work. The hierarchical nature of all spiritual Lives, and the fact of the great "chain of hierarchies" stretching all the way up from the mineral kingdom through the human and the kingdom of God to apparently remote spiritual groups, will be emphasised. Then there will open for the spiritual Lives what has been called "the Way of the Higher Evolution." Much along these lines has been given out during the past two centuries. The fact of the existence of the Hierarchy is consciously recognised by hundreds of thousands today, though still denied by the orthodox; the general public are familiar with the idea of the existence of the Masters, and either gullibly accept the mass of futile and idiotic information handed out by many today or fight furiously against the spread of this teaching. Others are open-minded enough to investigate whether the teaching is true and to follow the techniques suggested, in the hope that hypothesis may turn to fact. This last group is steadily increasing in number and upon their accumulating evidence belief can be translated into knowledge. So many know the truth today; so many people of integrity and worth are cooperating consciously with Members of this Hierarchy that the very foundations of the ecclesiastical antagonisms and the belittling comments of the concrete minded are of no avail. What the orthodox theologian and the narrow doctrinaire have to offer no longer satisfies the intelligent seeker or suffices to answer his questions; he is shifting his allegiances into wider and more spiritual areas. He is moving out from under doctrinal authority into direct personal, spiritual experience and coming under the direct authority which contact with Christ and His disciples, the Masters, gives.

In considering our second point, the Science of Invocation and Evocation, we are also moving forward into the area of mental understanding. The grasping nature of [418] many of the prayers of men, based as they are upon desire for something, has long disturbed the intelligent; the vagueness of the meditation taught and practised in the East and in the West, and its emphatically selfish note (personal liberation and personal knowledge) are likewise causing a revolt. The demand today is for group work, group good, group knowledge, group contact with the divine, group salvation, group understanding and group relationship to God and the Spiritual Hierarchy. All this indicates progress.

At this point it should be useful to repeat part of what I said elsewhere concerning future developments along this line. (The Reappearance of the Christ, pages 152-159.)

This new invocative work will be the keynote of the coming world religion and will fall into two parts. There will be the invocative work of the masses of the people, trained by the spiritually minded people of the world (working in the churches, whenever possible, under an enlightened clergy) to accept the fact of the approaching spiritual energies, focussed through the spiritual Hierarchy, and to voice their spiritual demand for light, liberation and understanding. There will also be the trained, scientific work of appeal and invocation as practised by those who have trained their minds through right meditation, who know the uses of sound, of formulas and of invocation, and who can work consciously, focussing the invocative cry of the masses and at the same time using certain great formulas of words which will later be given to the race, as The Lord's Prayer was given by the Christ and The Great Invocation has been given in this day and age.

This new religious science (for which prayer, meditation and ritual have laid the foundation) will train its students to present, at certain stated periods throughout the year, the voiced demand of the people of the world for relationship with God and with each other. This work, when rightly carried forward, will evoke response from the waiting Hierarchy; through this response, the belief of the masses will gradually be changed into the conviction of the knowers. In this way humanity will be transformed and spiritualised. [419] Then will begin, as the ages pass away, the regeneration of material nature, with the two spiritual centres—the Hierarchy and Humanity—working together in full consciousness and understanding. The Kingdom of God will be functioning on Earth.

It will be apparent to you that I can indicate only the broad general outlines of the new world religion. The expansion of the human consciousness which will take place as a result of the coming great Approach will enable man to grasp not only his relation to the spiritual Life of our planet, the "One in Whom we live and move and have our being," but will also give him a glimpse of the relation of our planet to the circle of planetary lives moving within the orbit of the Sun, and the still greater circle of spiritual Influences which contact our solar system as it pursues its orbit in the Heavens (the twelve constellations of the zodiac). Astronomical and astrological investigation has demonstrated this relationship and the influences exerted, but there is still speculation and much foolish claiming and interpretation. Yet the churches have ever recognised this relationship, and the Bible has testified to it. "The stars in their courses fought against Sisera"; "Who can withstand the sweet influences of the Pleiades?"; and many other passages bear out this contention of the Knowers. Many church festivals are fixed by reference to the moon or a zodiacal constellation. Investigation will prove this to be increasingly the case, and when the ritual of the new world religion is universally established this will be one of the important factors considered.

The establishing of certain major festivals in relation to the moon, and in a lesser degree to the zodiac, will bring a strengthening of the spirit of invocation and the resultant inflow of responsive influences. The truth lying behind all invocation is based upon the power of thought, particularly in its telepathic nature, rapport and aspect. The unified invocative thought of the masses and the focussed, directed thought of the New Group of World Servers constitute an outgoing stream of energy. This will reach telepathically [420] those spiritual Beings Who are sensitive and responsive to such impacts. Their evoked response, sent out as spiritual energy, will in turn reach humanity, after having been stepped down into thought energy, and in that form will make its due impact upon the minds of men, convincing them and carrying inspiration and revelation. Thus has it ever been in the history of the spiritual unfoldment of the world and in the procedure followed in writing the world Scriptures.

Secondly, the establishing of a certain uniformity in the world religious rituals will aid men everywhere to strengthen each other's work and enhance powerfully the thought currents directed to the waiting Spiritual Lives. At present, the Christian religion has its great festivals, the Buddhist keeps his different set of spiritual events, and the Hindu has still another list of holy days. In the future world, when organised, all men of spiritual inclination and intention everywhere will keep the same holy days. This will bring about a pooling of spiritual resources and a united spiritual effort, plus a simultaneous spiritual invocation. The potency of this will be apparent.

Let me indicate the possibilities of such spiritual events, and prophesy the nature of the coming world-wide Festivals. There will be three such major Festivals each year, concentrated in three consecutive months, and leading therefore to a prolonged spiritual effort which will affect the remainder of the year. These will be:

1. The Festival of Easter. This is the festival of the risen, living Christ, the Teacher of all men and the Head of the Spiritual Hierarchy. He is the Expression of the Love of God. On this day the Spiritual Hierarchy which He guides and directs will be recognised, and the nature of God's love will be emphasised. This festival is determined always by the date of the first Full Moon of spring, and is the great Western and Christian festival.

2. The Festival of Wesak. This is the festival of the Buddha, the spiritual Intermediary between the highest [421] spiritual centre, Shamballa, and the Hierarchy. The Buddha is the Expression of the Wisdom of God, the Embodiment of Light, and the Indicator of the divine Purpose. This will be fixed annually in relation to the Full Moon of May, as is at present the case. It is the great Eastern festival.

3. The Festival of Goodwill. This will be the festival of the spirit of humanity—aspiring towards God, seeking conformity with the Will of God and dedicated to the expression of right human relation. This will be fixed annually in relation to the Full Moon of June. It will be a day whereon the spiritual and divine nature of mankind will be recognised. On this festival, for two thousand years, the Christ has represented humanity and has stood before the Hierarchy and in the sight of Shamballa as the God-Man, the Leader of His people and "the Eldest in a great family of brothers" (Romans VIII:29). Each year at that time He has preached the last sermon of the Buddha before the assembled Hierarchy. This will therefore be a festival of deep invocation and appeal, of a basic aspiration towards fellowship, of human and spiritual unity, and will represent the effect in the human consciousness of the work of the Buddha and of the Christ.

These three festivals are already being kept throughout the world, though they are not as yet related to each other, and as part of the unified spiritual Approach of humanity. The time is coming when all three festivals will be kept simultaneously throughout the world, and by their means a great spiritual unity will be achieved and the effects of the great Approach so close to us at this time will be stabilised by the united invocation of humanity throughout the planet.

The remaining full moons will constitute lesser festivals, but will be recognised to be also of vital importance. They will establish the divine attributes in the consciousness of man, just as the major festivals establish the three divine aspects. These aspects and qualities will be arrived at and determined by a close study of the nature of a particular [422] constellation or constellations influencing those months. For instance, Capricorn (December) will call attention to the first initiation, the birth of the Christ in the cave of the heart, and indicate the training needed to bring about that great spiritual event in the life of the individual man. I give this one instance to you in order to indicate the possibilities for spiritual unfoldment that could be given through an understanding of these influences, and in order to revivify the ancient faiths by expanding them into their larger undying relationships.

We have, therefore, the following:

Shamballa........ the Will aspect of God....... Wesak............ May Full Moon (Taurus)

Hierarchy........ the Love aspect of God..... Easter.............. April Full Moon (Aries)

Humanity......... divine Intelligence............... Goodwill......... June Full Moon (Gemini)

The remaining nine Full Moons will be concerned with the divine characteristics and their development in mankind.

Thus the twelve festivals will constitute a revelation of divinity. They will present a means of bringing about relationship, first of all during three months with the three great spiritual centres, the three expressions of the divine Trinity. The minor festivals will emphasise the inter-relation of the Whole, thus lifting the divine presentation out of the individual and the personal into that of the universal divine Purpose; the relationship of the Whole to the part and of the part to that Whole will be thereby fully expressed.

Humanity will therefore invoke the spiritual power of the Kingdom of God, the Hierarchy; the Hierarchy will respond, and God's plans will then be worked out on Earth. The Hierarchy, on a higher turn of the spiral, will invoke the centre of God's Will, Shamballa or Shangri-Lha, thus invoking the Purpose of God. Thus will the Will of God be implemented by Love and manifested intelligently; for this mankind is ready, and for this the Earth waits.

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FACTORS IN THE WORLD SITUATION

April 1944

I have written to the world aspirants for many Wesaks now. I have again and again brought to your attention and theirs the close relation which is being established between the world of men and the world of souls. I have again and again pointed out that, under the Law of Evolution, certain great fusions, at-one-ments or great Approaches are taking place. I have indicated that the present activity of our planetary Logos is bringing certain major adjustments within the planetary sphere of influence and that these primarily affect the human kingdom. I have called to your notice the urgency of the incoming life, producing tension, spiritual recognitions of a far-reaching nature, the immediate overthrow of false Gods and standards, and the destruction of outworn and crystallised interpretations (called doctrines) of the spiritual realities. By these means, the way is cleared for a new and simple recognition of divinity which will satisfy not only the heart of the simplest person, but which will meet the need of the most intelligent. I have talked in terms of the union of Eastern and Western thought and of the need for the great civilisations—nurtured under the influence of Shri Krishna, the Buddha and the Christ—to be brought closer together. I have said (and I here re-affirm) that He Who comes will make this union possible and effective. This event will evoke world-wide recognition.

I have stated also that we are reaching a climaxing period in human history; in this period the Lords of Karma are unusually active; the Law of Cause and Effect is bringing the results of past activities, the subjective thinking and the secret impulses to the surface, and exacting penalty and the planned cleaning of the slate of human history. When He Whom all disciples serve was on Earth two thousand years ago, He said that secret things would be made plain; by this emergence of the good and of the bad into prominence, men will arrive at knowledge, at understanding, and will be forced to take those steps which will be needed to [424] build a new and better world, based on the Law of Love and not on the Law of Separateness and hate. This is what is happening today.

I have said also that the Forces of Light are nearing the Earth and that the Hierarchy is coming steadily closer to mankind.

These basic events, these subjective happenings and these spiritual determinations—under the Law of Action and Reaction—have evoked a more rapid response from the Forces of Evil (present in our planetary life) than from humanity. Certain great Forces or embodied Energies of darkness and of evil organised themselves and took the needed steps (so they believed) to prevent humanity from stepping onward into light. They availed themselves of the weaknesses, the selfishness and the self-interest of man; just as good can stimulate the latent goodness in mankind into expression, so evil can evoke greater evil from those susceptible from innate weakness, and from the unthinking and emotional: the Forces of Light work only with men's souls. Lies, false teaching, evil propaganda, a war of nerves, the culture of fear, the organisation of groups and of isolated workers in every nation pledged to undermine righteousness and distort the truth, went rapidly forward. Great and fundamental truths were twisted to meet the ends of the evil workers.

The doctrine, for instance, of the super-race was interpreted to mean the superiority of the German nation and culture to all in the West, whilst the divinity of the Sons of Heaven (the Japanese race) was emphasised to all in the East. The bewildered peoples of both nations were led to believe that they had a great and spiritual mission to dominate the world.

This was the first result of the approach of the Kingdom of God to the earth, or rather to the physical plane. In that kingdom men of all races will demonstrate their divinity; the kingdom of souls will be recognised as the universal home and race of all men. Separative nationalities will, in that kingdom, have no place or recognition.

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The Forces of Evil sought for those leaders and groups who are the materialistic correspondence to the spiritual leaders and those who seek to guide humanity along right lines. They took possession (and I use this word with deliberation) of the evil men who led the Axis Powers—Hitler, Tojo, Goebbels, Ribbentrop, Himmler and—to a much lesser degree—Mussolini, Hess, Goering and others. They completely overpowered the minds of these men, already distorted with ambition and sadistic inclinations. Who, you ask, do I mean by "they"? I mean those intelligent evil, unloving, hateful Individualities who are to the world of selfish and material focus what the Hierarchy of Masters, working under the Christ, are to struggling human aspirants. The power of these evil forces is enormous, for they recognise no restrictions or ordinary decent, human limitations; they work through violence, coercion, cruelty, hate, terror and lies; they aim to subjugate the human consciousness through the complete control of men's minds, through the withholding of good and the promulgation of evil. They stimulate the brains of men through the extent of their evil and magical knowledge; I mean this literally and physically. The Great White Lodge, working under the inspiration of the Christ and of Shamballa, functions necessarily under certain spiritual restrictions. Coercion is not permitted; the minds of men must be and are left free; the stimulation of the souls of men is permitted, because it results in the stimulation of the expression of love and of understanding, leading to right human relations. These spiritual restrictions greatly slow down the progress of the Forces of Light; it should interest you to remember that the length of the war was partly dependent upon the inability of the Armies of the Lord to commit the crimes for which the Axis Powers have been responsible. The physical activities of the Forces of Light do recognise certain limitations, and of this the Forces of Evil take constant advantage. The bombing of massed populations was started by Hitler and could have been ended by him immediately if he so chose.

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There is another aspect of this matter to which I would like to call your attention. These restrictions which the Forces of Light recognise have also an undesirable effect where the unintelligent and well-meaning are concerned, and where those who are emotionally polarised interpret the Law of Love. The United Nations, working for human liberation and freedom (and therefore working under the Law of Love, rightly understood) is prevented from following the lines of indiscriminate cruelty which characterised the German and Japanese techniques: torture, starvation, lying propaganda, misuse of prisoners, the dissemination of a terror campaign. These are not permitted by the rules of the Brothers of Humanity. From a purely physical angle, this can be interpreted as putting the "Armies of the Lord" at a disadvantage. It is this right attitude on the part of the Forces of Light which has an undesirable effect upon the appeasers and pacifists of the world. These would, for humanitarian reasons and from love of the forms through which humanity functions, bring the war to an immediate end.

In their well-meaning blindness they would sacrifice the future of humanity and the lives of millions of people at a later date for a temporary cessation of hostilities. I would emphasise to you that the Forces of Evil must be defeated now; the evil leaders must be wrenched from their high place, and the complete defeat and annihilation of those responsible for launching this horror on humanity is an absolute necessity and bounden duty, if security, well-being and a new order of happier living is to be the lot of coming generations. A temporary ending of the war would only give time for the Forces of Evil to reorganise, and the future war would be infinitely worse than this one. This the intelligent humanitarian is saying, and this is the opinion of the Hierarchy. The Hierarchy stands firmly on the side of those who demand a war to a finish, and the reasons are the ultimate saving of millions of lives and the preservation of certain basic spiritual values.

The issue is far more serious spiritually than you know; [427] the work of the Hierarchy is handicapped not only by the restrictions under which the Forces of Light must work, but also by the work and utterances of the silly little men with small vision who see not the future possibilities if the war came to an inconclusive finish, and who (for the present comfort of the present generation) would sacrifice the children of tomorrow and later generations. The work of the Hierarchy is handicapped by the attitudes of men with no perspective and much selfishness, of no cruelty but of stupid thinking. These men—in the houses of legislature in the various United Nations, in Parliament, in Congress, and in the churches—plead for the cessation of the war before victory is won and before the enemies of humanity are beaten to their knees in supplication for mercy and in a demand for peace. They see the end of business as they have known it; they see the familiar landmarks of their comfortable world disappearing; they dislike the results of the war as it affects them; or they cannot bear the general suffering and prompted by pity they demand an immediate peace. Others are prompted by isolationism and the desire to withdraw from participation in the misery of war; others hate those whose duty it is to carry the war to a successful climax, or see their particular ambitions threatened by the conditionings of a changing world. They would sacrifice future generations, as I have said above, to their short-sighted policy and feeble judgment. They spread disunity, therefore, and shackle the hands of those administering in high places. Their efforts prolong the war, dishearten the fighting forces, break down national and military morale, and lay a poor foundation for the work of the post-war world. There are many of these in every nation, there are too many in the United States of America; there are none in the U.S.S.R., and hence her triumphant march forward.

You have, consequently, in the world today:

1. The Forces of Evil, working through Germany and Japan. To date, they are holding their own and they are not yet defeated. They are terrorising the world. Within [428] their own national borders they do not possess enough people with courage, understanding, or with the ability to think clearly, who hate evil and who can hold to a vision. There is little in either nation to bring assistance to the Forces of Light. The Germans were deceived from the beginning, and a widespread national deception, backed by a terror campaign, argues a general weakness, lack of courage and a natural predilection for evil guidance. The tendency to be led along aggressive, selfish and evil lines has been characteristic of the German mentality for a great length of time. This negative nation, with its arrogant psychology (one of the great paradoxes of the ages), must be taught the ways of positive good, and a courageous championing of righteousness must take the place of the present negative acceptance of evil. With humility and intelligence must the German nation be taught to take a proper place in the community of nations. The Japanese nation, in spite of its great age, must go back into the nursery state; it must be taught, as children are taught, to be social and not anti-social, and it will be long before it will be safe to trust this nation. The Italian nation presents no greater problem than does any other nation in the world. It is normal, as are the United Nations; the German nation and the Japanese race are not normal, and must be brought back to normality by careful, kindly, but firm handling, and by applied educational processes.

2. The Forces of Light. I would here correct an impression which exists among esotericists. By this phrase, (the Forces of Light), they are apt to mean that the Hierarchy is literally fighting against the Axis nations. This is not so in the physical sense. The Hierarchy works—as you well know—with the souls of men and with those minds which are so oriented and disposed that they react to soul impression. When I use the expression "the Forces of Light" I mean those enlightened nations upon whom the light of Freedom shines and who will refuse, at all costs, to relinquish that light. There is no freedom in Germany or in [429] Japan. In a lesser sense and for a brief time, there was no freedom in Italy, but Italy must be counted among the enlightened nations, for it could not be held in duress. The Forces of Light comprise those nations (working through their armies and in the diplomatic arena) who are today fighting for the freedom of humanity, for the eternal rights of man, for liberty of conscience, for the position of the individual in any nation, and for freedom of religion or the right of man's self-chosen approach to the spiritual realities. Behind these nations stands the Hierarchy. Freedom is the birthright of mankind, and free will is the highest of the divine characteristics. Freedom is misinterpreted and misused by many, owing to the point in evolution of the mass of humanity, but it is a fundamental, divine principle; and where principles are involved the Hierarchy knows no compromise. There is no spiritual principle behind any of the activities of the Axis Powers, behind German activity or Japanese aggression. Therefore, the Hierarchy does not stand with power or strength behind any of their efforts.

3. Humanity as a whole. The men, women and children of the world are all implicated in and affected by this universal war. The effects reach into the most isolated village, the most extensive desert and the highest mountain top, as well as into the cities and congested areas of all the nations. No one is exempt from the consequences of this present catastrophe. The bulk of humanity are universal and innocent sufferers. The majority scarcely realise what it is all about; they view this great historical climax from the purely self-centred angle and from the point of view of how it affects them as individuals and their nation as a whole. An increasing number are coming to realise that this war must be fought to a successful finish because there is no peace or hope or right world relationships as long as two nations—one in the Western hemisphere and the other in the Eastern—can precipitate disaster upon countless millions. A minority are realising that the war has precipitated the condensed evil of the ages and that humanity is faced with the opportunity [430] of erasing past errors, ancient selfishness and ingrained wickedness, and of inaugurating a new and better world. In this new world there will be freedom of approach to God, opportunity for individual expression, freedom to live in right relations and scope for creative living. A few—a very few—know that this is a climaxing point in an ancient conflict between Christ with His Hierarchy of Masters, and "spiritual wickedness in high places." A mere handful of knowers and disciples know, past all controversy and discussion, that, heading up those unhappy lands—Germany and Japan—are ancient leaders who have again sought to bring planetary disaster and to deflect the ends and the aims of the Great White Lodge.

Among all these are thousands who stand bewildered, sensing the truth but feeling helpless in the face of the gigantic horror which the evil gang now ruling Germany has precipitated upon humanity. They tend to right thinking but are still the prey of the unscrupulous and the selfish. When their thinking has been guided into right lines through a process of right presentation of the situation, they will constitute a powerful asset to the Forces of Light.

Such is the situation with which the Hierarchy and humanity is today faced. The strength of the Forces of Light is growing; the power of the Forces of Darkness may be waning but is still vastly strong—upon the physical plane. Their main hold is upon the minds of men and that is exceedingly potent and unweakened, for it is aided by the mild, unthinking person, by the bewildered, the pacifist, the appeaser and the isolationist. The idealism of this group is turned to the aid of Germany by the skilful evil workers. The German armies are still unbeaten; central Europe is a mighty fortress, dominated by the arch enemy of mankind, sitting on his mountain-top. There, symbolically, he is to be found, the initiator into evil conditions, and into slavery. The armies of the Lord stand poised, and victory will be theirs when there is complete unity of purpose, concentrated attention upon right human relations, and a [431] spread of idealistic aspiration to all who are fighting this battle for freedom. For this unity of purpose all the enlightened people of the world must work. It is not yet adequately present.

Let us now turn to the work of the Hierarchy and to the event for which all initiates and disciples are now preparing—the coming Wesak Festival.

THE TASK OF IMPLEMENTING THE WILL-TO-GOOD

May 1944

How is the Hierarchy working at this time? In what manner are the Masters aiding the work of the Forces of Light? Can something of moment and of lasting significance happen at this coming May Full Moon? How do the Masters look at the world situation? What are Their plans?  Can these plans be materialised? And what can the individual disciple, initiate and world disciple accomplish in the face of humanity's dilemma?

These are all normal and intelligent questions and can be answered partially, though not fully, owing to three reasons:

1. The outcome of the coming climaxing conflict depends on humanity itself. A greater effort is required, particularly in America—an effort to see the issues clearly, to understand the causes of this war, and a determination to take those steps—through propaganda and discussion—which will clarify the minds of the masses. Into these age-long causes I cannot here go; there is not time to do more than enumerate certain of them

a. Universal and ancient selfishness, materialism, aggression, and national prides. Of these faults all nations have been guilty.

b. A sense of separateness of which the border issue between such nations as Russia and Poland is symbolic. The need of humanity and its general well-being comes [432] eternally first. Nations and their ephemeral disputes are of secondary interest.

c. A tendency—centuries old—among the Germanic peoples to dominate, to take what is not their own, to regard themselves as unique, superior, and as embodying a super-race; there is also a fixed determination, on behalf of their own interests, to plunge other nations and races into war. Today they have achieved a planetary war.