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SECTION THREE - FORCES BEHIND THE EVOLUTIONARY PROGRESS OF THE RACE - Part 8

b. The tendency to over-fatigue and to complete collapse—once the war is over. This tendency is due to the weight of the war and to the physical and psychological strain under which mankind has laboured for so many years.

Great danger to the future of the race lies in these two tendencies; the Hierarchy is determined to offset them as far as possible, whilst the forces of evil are eagerly trying to foster and nurture them. They are also dangers which the intelligent leaders of the race equally recognise. This recognition will make them slow in arriving at final decisions, because they will realise the need for a cycle of restoration before final and lasting decisions are made. They will therefore work for a slower moving forward and for a more careful and even prolonged investigation of the situation and of future possibilities than may seem desirable to the impatient.

These new and living restorative forces are under the direction and the control of One Whom we might call (speaking symbolically, yet factually) the Spirit of Resurrection. It is this living spiritual Entity, working temporarily under the direction of the Christ, Who will restore livingness to men's spiritual aims and life to their planning; Who will engender anew the vitality needed to implement the trends of the New Age and Who will guide humanity out of the dark cave of death, isolation and selfishness into the light of the new day. It is this resurrection life which will be poured into humanity at Easter time this year, to some [458] degree, but which—during the next three Easter periods—can be poured in in full measure, if the men and women of goodwill will think clearly, speak forcefully, demand spiritually and implement the inner plans with intelligence.

On a planetary scale, and not just in reference to mankind, this Spirit of Resurrection is the opponent and the antagonist of the Spirit of Death. Physical death takes place only when the psychological and mental vitality of the individual, of a nation, or of humanity drops below a certain level. Humanity has been responding to the processes of dying during the last 150 years; psychologically, mankind has been ruled by selfishness, and selfishness is the potent seed of death—material death, psychological death and mental death. This is seen well demonstrated in the German nation. Think this statement out, and then recognise that similar seeds and similar areas of death (though to a lesser degree) exist in every nation—even in the younger nations of the world. Hence the war; hence the destruction of all the outer garments of civilisation.

But the work of the Angel of Death, awful as it may seem as it demonstrates today on a planetary scale—but beneficent as we know it to be in intent and in purpose—will give place to that of the Spirit of Resurrection.

It is the planning of this restoration and this resurrection activity which is now under consideration by the Hierarchy, having been handed over to Them because They are closer to man than are Those Who function in the Council Chamber at Shamballa. It must be remembered that this Spirit of Resurrection is a Member of that Council and Their chosen Emissary. He (if one may be permitted to personalise the impersonal) is in truth the "Sun of Righteousness" Who can now arise "with healing in His wings"; Who can carry this life-giving energy which counteracts death, this vision which gives incentive to life, and this hope which can restore all nations. At the Full Moon of March, let the demand go out for the appearance of this life-giving Spirit. Let it go forth with such intensity that the Hierarchy will be called into active response and will [459] immediately release the potency of this Spirit into the hearts of men everywhere.

All of these spiritual forces, working as they are at this time under the direction of the Leader of the Forces of Light, the Christ, are closely related and their activity is most intimately synchronised. In a deeply occult sense, they are all working together, because in the human family there are those who are at every stage of responsiveness. This triple work of the Hierarchy, therefore, proceeds simultaneously—from the standpoint of time. The Forces of Restoration are—on a small scale—evoking response from the members of the New Group of World Servers and from disciples everywhere. As their psychological "morale" stiffens and their will-to-live and their will-to-good is strengthened, an immediate effect will be felt on a larger scale; the work of the Spirit of Resurrection will intensify, and is already making its presence felt. More and more people are beginning to be forward-looking and to hope with greater conviction and courage for a better world set-up; their hitherto wishful thinking and their emotional desire are slowly giving place to a more practical attitude; their clear thinking and their fixed determination are far more active and their plans better laid because both their thinking and their planning are today based on facts; they are also beginning to recognise those factors and conditions which must not be restored, and this is a point of major importance.

At the stage which we are now passing through, these responsive people fall into three categories:

The visionary dreamer or the well-intentioned but impractical person whose ideas and world plans and suggestions as to the new world order litter the desks of world leaders and of those groups and organisations who are attempting practically to blueprint the future. Their dreams and ideas deal with projects for which the world of today is not ready and will not be ready for several thousand years. It is an easy thing for them to present impossible Utopias which have not the faintest relation to things which are needed today and [460] which could be made possible. The name of these people is legion, and at this time they constitute a definite hindrance. A vision of the impossible is not the type of vision which will keep the people from perishing. Because of an inability to compromise and to face up to things as they are, these people and those whom they influence are landed in despair and disillusionment.

The intelligent people of the world who are actuated by the spirit of goodwill and by the conviction that things must be changed. They are often staggered by the magnitude of the task to be undertaken, and this frequently leads them to take one of three positions:

a. They fall into the depths of pessimism. It is a pessimism based on a real ability to sense the scope of the problem and to assess the resources available. This may land them in non-activity.

b. They may leave the settling of the problem to the trained statesmen, diplomats and politicians, standing ready to help when—but only when—decision has been made. This leads to a shifting of responsibility. Yet, because the war involved the people of all lands and masses of population, so must the reconstruction of the world.

c. They may assume responsibility, ventilate the abuses which must be put right, discuss proposed plans and, from their particular angle of vision, set to work to bring about, to the best of their ability, right human relations. This attitude of responsibility and consequent activity may lead to mistakes, but in the aggregate of the endeavour it will meet the demand for right action in an emergency—this time a world emergency.

Those partisan and nationally minded persons who will attempt to exploit the world situation for their own immediate ends and for the benefiting of their particular nation or group. These people, and they are found in every nation, are selfishly motivated; they do not care for humanity as a whole and have no liking or interest in anything or anyone [461] but their political party and the reactionary interests of some national group. They see in the present world situation a grand opportunity to engineer moves which will benefit an individual, a class or a nation. In doing this, they frequently have a wide grasp of affairs and are keen politicians, but all they know is to be used and so implemented that it attains their narrow ends, no matter at what cost to the rest of the world. These people are usually a large majority. Their attitude leads inevitably to trouble and hinders the work of restoration; it handicaps those who are seeking to establish the entire human family in a sounder way of life than heretofore, and to give a saner and wiser motivation to international relationships. These are the people who are the most to be feared at the coming conference at San Francisco. The isolationists in all nations, particularly in the United States, French national idealism, and the obsession of certain factors in the Polish race over boundaries will need watching, as these attitudes can be exploited by the evil and selfish interests which (behind the scenes) are seeking to prevent the world attaining that equilibrium which will permit tranquillity. These three groups, however, indicate the successful operation of the Forces of Restoration. These are tentatively beginning their work and preparing the way for a much fuller expression of the intentions of the Spirit of Resurrection, after the coming Full Moon of March and in the three years which lie ahead.

The Forces of Enlightenment

A realisation of the need of humanity, and a careful appraisal of that which must be done to meet that need, have awakened the men of goodwill to responsiveness to the Forces of Restoration; this has led to an insistent demand that the second phase of the hierarchial work be set in motion. This phase is directed towards those activities and the development of that invocative spirit which will bring the Forces of Enlightenment into contact with humanity and lead to activity on their part. These forces can function [462] fully and until 1949 hold sway over the minds of men, if the people of the world can be organised to stand with massed intent behind that type of statesmanship which is seeking the greatest good of the greatest number, which sees the world as one great interdependent whole, and which refuses to be sidetracked by the clamouring of the selfish little minds or by the demands of the reactionary forces to be found in all lands.

These Forces of Enlightenment are always present on Earth on a small scale, influencing the minds of the New Group of World Servers, the selfless workers for humanity, and the thinkers in every school of thought, working in every field of human betterment; they work upon and through all who truly love their fellowmen. They are unable to influence the minds of the closed egocentric person; they can do little with the separative isolationist; they are ineffectual where the theologian of all groups—political, religious or social—is concerned, and they can do little with the type of mind that is concentrated upon personal or group problems (their group, expressing their ideas and working their way) and who fail to see themselves or the group in relation to the whole of humanity.

Today, however, a community of suffering and a general recognition that the causes of war are to be found in selfishness and in inherent cruelty has greatly widened people's approach to reality and to possibility, as they exist today. Churchmen, statesmen and leaders of important world groups are admitting the failure of their church, or their legislative bodies, or their policies to bring about world order and world tranquillity. They are seeking earnestly for new ways in government, new modes of suitable living, and for a method whereby right human relations can be established. They present a field of expression to the Forces of Enlightenment and offer Them opportunity to change the ways of human thinking; they are being mobilised by the light-bearing energies upon the planet so that wisdom, understanding and skill in action may distinguish the activities of men in the immediate future.

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The organiser of these Forces at this time is the Buddha. He is the symbol of enlightenment or of illumination. Countless millions down the ages have recognised Him as a Light-bearer from on high. His Four Noble Truths exposed the causes of human trouble and pointed to the cure. His message can be paraphrased in the following words: Cease to identify yourselves with material things; gain a proper sense of the spiritual values; cease regarding possessions and earthly existence as of major importance; follow the Noble Eight-fold Path which is the path of right relations—right relations to God and to each other—and thus be happy. The steps on this Path are:

Right Values                             Right Aspiration

Right Speech                            Right Conduct

Right Mode of Living                Right Effort

Right Thinking                           Right Rapture or true Happiness

His ancient message is as new today as it was when He spoke His words on earth; a recognition of its truth and value is desperately needed, and the following of the "eight right ways of living" will enable humanity to find liberation. It is on the foundation of His teaching that the Christ raised the superstructure of the brotherhood of man to form an expression of the Love of God. Today, as it views the crumbling, devastated world, mankind has a fresh opportunity to reject selfish, materialistic motives and philosophy and to begin those processes which will—steadily and gradually—bring about its liberation. It will then be possible for men to tread the Lighted Way which leads back to the divine Source of light and love.

The Buddha could point to the goal and indicate the Way because He had achieved full enlightenment; the Christ gave us an example of One Who has reached the same goal; the Buddha left the world after reaching illumination; the Christ returned to us, proclaiming Himself as the Light of the World, and showed us how we too could learn to tread the Lighted Way.

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The Buddha, Whose Festival is held ever at the Full Moon of May (or of Taurus, falling this year during the last week in April), acts today as the agent of that great Life in Whom we live and move and have our being, Who is Himself the true Light of the World and the planetary Enlightener. I refer to the Ancient of Days (as He is called in the Old Testament), to the God of Love, to Sanat Kumara, the Eternal Youth, the One Who holds all men in life and Who is carrying His whole creation along the path of evolution to its consummation—a consummation of which we have not as yet the faintest idea. Year after year, ever since the Buddha achieved His goal of illumination, an effort has been made to increase the flow of enlightenment into the world and to throw the light of wisdom, experience and understanding (as it is called) into the minds of men. At each Full Moon of May this has been the effort of the spiritual Forces which are working out the Will of God. A supreme effort will be made by Them this year, during the five days of the Full Moon (April 25-30), and a major test of the effectiveness of Their activity will be given at the San Francisco Conference. This I would ask you to remember, and for this I beg you to mobilise.

A great Triangle of Force will be called into play during those five days as the nucleus through which the Forces of Enlightenment will work. The three Lives controlling the energy which it is hoped can be released for the illumining of men's minds are:

1. The Lord of the World, the Light of Life Itself.

2. The Buddha, the Lord of Wisdom, bringing spiritual light to the Hierarchy and revealing what is the divine purpose.

3. The Christ, the Lord of Love, presenting the demand of humanity and acting as the distributing Agent for the Forces of Enlightenment.

The Forces of Light, upon the physical plane, have driven the forces of evil and of darkness backward, and are bringing the war to an end through the defeat of the Axis Nations.

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But another great "division" of those Forces (if I may symbolically use a military term) is being mobilised and can be brought into active service at the Full Moon of May (Taurus) if the demand is strong enough, is mentally powerful and adequately focussed. These Forces work entirely upon the level of the mind and with the minds of men; it is their task to bring the battle between the Forces of Light and the Forces of Darkness to an end—not only physically, but through the inauguration of an era of right thinking. This will end the present cycle of emotional distress, of agony, of glamour and illusion, and of materialistic desires which today form the pattern of men's lives. This has to be done by means of the spiritual will, working as enlightenment upon the mental plane and demonstrating as wisdom, and as skill in action, motivated by loving understanding. These three aspects of light—mental enlightenment, the illumination which wisdom confers, and loving understanding—all find their perfect expression in the Lord of the World (Whom the orthodox call God) and in His reflections, the Buddha and the Christ—the One Who brought Illumination to the world and the Other Who demonstrated the actuality of the Love of God. These three great expressions of divinity (One so divine that we can only know Him through His representatives) can be called into a new and most potent activity through right invocation at the time of the Full Moon of May. Those who can carry out this great act of invocation are the spiritually minded people everywhere, the enlightened statesmen, the religious leaders, and the men and women of goodwill, if they can stand with massed intent, particularly throughout the entire month of April. Their assistance can also be invoked by the dire need of men, women and children everywhere who can voice no cry, for they know not where to turn, but whose appeal is heard and noted.

Their work, however, must be focussed through and implemented by the world intelligentsia, by leading "lovers of humanity," working in the various organisations and groups dedicated to human betterment, and by representative [466] unselfish people. It is they who must receive the inflow of "lighted wisdom" and of loving understanding; today this can be made possible in a manner never known before. The success of the effort now being spiritually planned is dependent upon the ability of mankind to use the light they already have, in order to establish right relations in their families, in their communities, in their nation and in the world.

This matter of being in a position to receive, and then be the agents of, enlightenment is an intensely practical matter. It is hoped that the response will be so real that it will constitute a great and uniform activity which will leave no single thinking person untouched, which will put the responsibility of establishing right human relations upon the shoulders of the men and women of goodwill, and not on the shoulders of the unthinking, undeveloped and suffering masses. This is a major point to bear in mind. If the thinking and executive people of the world can have their minds "illumined" by the spirit of wisdom and understanding, they can act as distributors of that light through enlightened planning and legislation, and thus affect the entire world. This is the immediate opportunity ahead, and when I say "immediate" I refer to the coming five days of the Wesak Festival. This should have a pronounced effect upon the San Francisco Conference. I also refer to the next five years, with their five Wesak Festivals on five May Full Moons.

This year will mark a climaxing effort in the long relation of the Buddha to humanity. Year by year, since He left the earth, He has come back to humanity, bringing light and blessing. Year by year, He has released this light and has presented opportunity to the Forces of Enlightenment to strengthen Their hold upon the minds of men. The success of Their effort has been so great that it has led to the crescendo of knowledge, to the glory of modern science and to the widespread education which has distinguished the past five hundred years. Knowledge is the hallmark of our civilisation; it has often been knowledge misapplied and [467] dedicated to the selfishness of men, but it has been an impersonal thing personally applied; this must end. Now another phase of that light can begin to demonstrate as the result of the past, and that is Wisdom. Wisdom is the enlightened application of knowledge, through love, to the affairs of men. It is understanding, pouring out everywhere as the result of experience.

I call you, therefore, everyone, to a great service of demand and of invocation on behalf of humanity—a demand for the inflow of light upon the decisions of men. I would ask you to request and expect the needed enlightenment for those who have to make decision on behalf of men everywhere. Your individual enlightenment has nothing to do with this demand. It is a selfless motive which is required and which must lie behind your individual and group demand. You are demanding enlightenment and illumined perception for those who have to guide the destiny of races, nations and world groups. On their shoulders lies the responsibility to take wise action, based on world understanding, in the interests of international cooperation, and in the establishment of right human relations.

Throughout the month of April, until May first, the realisation of this is a major duty. To the support of the Forces of Enlightenment I call all today. As individuals, you must work for an open and receptive mind, free from prejudice or national bias; as individuals, you need to think in broader terms and of the one world and the one humanity. The mass of right-thinking and convinced demand which you, who seek to serve the Christ, can throw behind the men legislating for the world, can bring great results and can release the Forces of Enlightenment in a new and potent manner.

Concentration upon the work to be done is of such importance and will call for such practical activities that I will write no more at this time. I desire to keep the immediate issue clear. We will deal later with the Forces of Reconstruction. I would like to close this message with some [468] words which I wrote many years ago. They express the needed attitude and orientation:

"I ask you to drop your antagonisms and your antipathies, your hatreds and your racial differences, and attempt to think in terms of the one family, the one Life and the one humanity."

AN EASTER MESSAGE

Easter Day 1945

On this day, we recall to our minds the fact of Resurrection—a universal and eternally recurring resurrection. I would like to talk with you anent the Christ, about His work as head of the Hierarchy, and about the rebuilding which humanity must undertake and which the Hierarchy is seeking to impulse at this time. A great period of reconstruction is planned. Here are the two words around which I wish to create my theme: Resurrection and Reconstruction. It will be a reconstruction implemented by Those Who know the meaning of resurrection, and it will involve a resurrection of humanity through the medium of its intelligentsia and men and women of goodwill. These two groups (the Hierarchy and Humanity) will need to be brought into a closer rapport, and this is entirely possible if the followers of the Christ realise their opportunity and shoulder their responsibilities. I would point out that when I use the phrase "followers of the Christ" I refer to all those who love their fellowmen, irrespective of creed or religion. Only upon this basic premise can a hopeful future be founded.

I do not care whether or not those who read my words accept the occult teaching of a spiritual and planetary Hierarchy over which the Christ presides, or whether they think in terms of Christ and His disciples. The essential recognition for which I plead is that this great group of spiritual Individuals, Who receive so general a recognition throughout the world and in all the great religions, should be [469] regarded as active. The Christian view of the Christ is built upon that which He enacted for us two thousand years ago and through which He symbolically indicated to us the way which all aspirants must go. It portrays a picture of a waiting, quiescent Christ, living in some vague and far away heaven, "resting on His laurels" and practically doing nothing very much until such time as the sons of men of every race and creed acclaim Him as Saviour; this they must do both as individuals and as representing the organised Christian Church. It is a picture of a listening, observing Christ, animated by pity and compassion, but Who has done all He could and now waits for us to do our part; it is also a picture of One Who waits to see what humanity, as a whole, will accept theologically. In the mind of the narrow, fundamentalist theologian, Christ is seen as presiding over a peaceful place called Heaven, into which the elect are welcomed; He is also seen as consigning all who remain aware of their own spiritual integrity and responsibility, who refuse to be gathered into organised churches or who go idly or wickedly through life, to some vague place of eternal punishment. To this vast multitude (probably the majority) His love and compassion apparently do not reach, and His heart remains untouched. It appears that He cares not whether they suffer eternally or attain complete annihilation.

This surely cannot be so. None of these pictures is accurate or adequate; they are not true in any sense of the word. This is being realised by the more intelligent of the world thinkers, and from the time of this Full Moon of June (Gemini, celebrated this year the last week of May) a different message must be sent out by the churches of Christendom, if they are to meet the need of mankind and so aid in the work of reconstruction which lies ahead. They cannot stop this work, but the churches could be ignored if an inability to think with clarity is shown and if they are not freed from theological narrowness.

Resurrection is the keynote of nature; death is not. Death is only the ante-chamber of resurrection. Resurrection is the clue to the world of meaning, and is the fundamental [470] theme of all the world religions—past, present and the future. Resurrection of the spirit in man, in all forms, in all kingdoms, is the objective of the entire evolutionary process and this involves liberation from materialism and selfishness. In that resurrection, evolution and death are only preparatory and familiar stages. The note and message sounded by the Christ when last on Earth was resurrection, but so morbid has been mankind and so enveloped in glamour and illusion, that His death has been permitted to sidestep understanding; consequently, for centuries, the emphasis has been laid upon death, and only on Easter Day or in the cemeteries is the resurrection acclaimed. This must change. It is not helpful to a progressive understanding of the eternal verities to have this condition perpetuated. The Hierarchy is today dedicated to bringing about this change and thus altering the approach of mankind to the world of the unseen and to the spiritual realities.

Before, however, They could do anything, our present civilisation had to die. During the coming century, the meaning of the resurrection will be unfolded and the new age will reveal its true significance. The first step will be the emergence of humanity from the death of its civilisation, of its old ideas and modes of living, the relinquishing of its materialistic goals and its damning selfishness, and its moving into the clear light of the resurrection life. I am not here speaking in symbolical or mystical terms. I am dealing with facts—facts as real and as imminent as the coming Cycle of Conferences, and facts for which the past two hundred years have prepared humanity. This preparation has culminated in the restlessness of the twentieth century and has led to the horror of this world war, 1914-1945 through which we have been passing.

The true work of The Cycle of Conferences about which I wrote earlier will only be inaugurated at San Francisco. There the stage will be set for those processes which will usher in an era of relative tranquillity; thus the door of the dark cave of materialism will be opened and the stone rolled from the door of the sepulchre which has too long [471] entombed mankind. Then will follow those steps which will lead to a new and better life and which will indicate the expression of the spirit of resurrection. These facts (so near to manifestation) are physical facts; they will demonstrate as such if the disciples of the world recognise what it is that the Christ desires, and if the men and women of goodwill implement their response to His wishes.

Speaking symbolically, the first step after the advent of the spirit of the resurrection will be similar to that in the Biblical story. Mary, that woman of sorrow, of experience and of aspiration, stands (as ever in the symbolism of the world) as the symbol of materialism. Humanity must say with her, "They have taken away my Lord and I know not where they have laid Him." But—she said it to the Lord Himself, not recognising Him and realising only her own deep need and despair. So must it be again. Humanity—materialistic, suffering, facing the future with despair and agony, but still aspiring—must go forth from the cave of matter, seeking the Christ and at first not recognising Him or the work that He is attempting to do. The churches—materialistic, hide-bound and submerged in their theological concepts, seeking political power or possessions, emphasising stone buildings and cathedrals whilst neglecting "the Temple of God, not made with hands, eternal in the heavens"—are occupied with the symbols and not with the reality. Now they must learn to recognise that the Lord is not with them and they too must go forth, as Mary did, and seek Him anew. If they will do so, they will surely find Him and again become His messengers.

The fact of the resurrection will be demonstrated during the next few centuries, and the Living Christ will walk among men and lead them onward towards the Mount of Ascension. The Pentecost will become truth. All men will come under the tide of inspiration from on high, and though they may speak with many tongues, they will all understand each other.

What I have to say to you, I intend to divide into two parts:

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The Work of the Christ Today

The Coming Work of Reconstruction

These two convey the same basic ideas and thus complement each other. They proclaim the fact that all that truly concerns us is that which takes place upon Earth in line with the "blueprints" which guide the work of the Christ. (When I use the phrase "concerns us" I refer to man's physical, emotional and mental reactions.) They proclaim the fact that every state of consciousness is anchored within humanity and that all are factual here and now, did men but know it. They proclaim also the truth that Christ has never left us for a distant heaven of nebulous outlines, but that He is ever within our reach. They proclaim also the fact that His interest, His arduous labours on our behalf and the activities of His working disciples, the Masters of the Wisdom and the Lords of Compassion, are with us, here and now. They proclaim that we are not alone, but that the Forces of Light and of Enlightenment are constantly working; that the strength and the wisdom of Those who know are being mobilised to aid mankind, and that nothing can now arrest or prevent the contact between that intelligent aspiring centre, called humanity, and the inner spiritual group, the Hierarchy.

The Work of the Christ Today

Forget not one important point. The Hierarchy itself is the result of human activity and aspiration; it has been created by humanity. Its members are human beings who have lived, suffered, achieved, failed, attained success, endured death and passed through the experience of resurrection. They are the same in nature as are those who struggle today with the processes of disintegration but who—nevertheless—have in them the seed of resurrection. All states of consciousness are known to Them and They have mastered all of them; They have mastered them as men, thus guaranteeing to humanity the same ultimate achievement. We are apt to look upon the members of the Hierarchy [473] as different radically from humanity, forgetting that the Hierarchy is a community of successful men, Who earlier submitted Themselves to the purificatory fires of daily living, working out their own salvation as men and women of affairs, as business men, as husbands and wives, farmers and rulers and that they know life, therefore, in all its phases and gradation. They have surmounted the experiences of life; Their great Master is the Christ; They have passed through the initiations of the new birth, the baptism, the transfiguration, the final crucifixion and the resurrection. But they still are men and differ from the Christ only in the fact that He, the first of our humanity to attain divinity, the Eldest in a great family of brothers (as St. Paul expresses it), the Master of the Masters and the Teacher of angels and of men was deemed so pure, so holy and so enlightened that He was permitted to embody for us the great cosmic principle of love; He thus revealed to us, for the first time, the nature of the heart of God.

These perfected men, therefore, exist; They are more than men because the divine spirit in them registers all stages of consciousness and awareness—subhuman, human and superhuman. This inclusive development enables them to work with men, to contact humanity at need, and to know how to lead us forward to the phases of resurrection.

There is no need for me to enlarge at this point upon the world that They are attempting to aid and to salvage. The state of humanity today is known to all truly thinking people. Devastation, crucifixion, slaughter and death are widespread; sorrow, pain, disillusionment and pessimism are conditioning the thinking and the reactions of millions, whilst the plight of the unthinking but helpless masses has reached an inconceivable height of misery. The ignorance, lack of understanding, and selfishness of men everywhere, particularly in the countries which have escaped the ravages of war, aggravate the situation. Nevertheless with serenity and confidence, the Hierarchy today faces its arduous task.

One aspect of Their work and attitude I would like to touch upon, for it is apt to cause misunderstanding among [474] those with narrow vision and (if I may describe them) with constricted, though loving, hearts. I refer to the attitude taken by the Hierarchy during the past years of war. This attitude has caused some to find in it cause for criticism. Let me be explicit and also bring in the time equation. I can well do so, because it was through my writings that the position of the Hierarchy was affirmed and publicly stated.

In 1932, I wrote a series of pamphlets which were intended to mobilise the disciples of the world under the name of the New Group of World Servers and to arouse the men and women of goodwill in a final effort to awaken humanity to the need for change. I endeavoured to institute a worldwide house cleaning and to incite men to take the steps which were needed to avert war—a war which the Hierarchy saw coming closer, day by day. In a way unrealised and undreamt of by the average man, the Forces of Evil were in a most potent manner emerging from their ancient lair; they were intent upon seeking those whom they could mould and obsess, and thus hurry mankind towards disaster. They found minds responsive to their evil promptings in every country; they found also that it was possible to take possession of two countries, Japan and Germany and—to a very much less extent—of Italy.

The Hierarchy, foreseeing this, attempted to offset their efforts. They made appeal to the spiritually minded people of the world; Their appeal reached millions and culminated in May, 1936, in a planetary effort wherein the Great Invocation was used upon a large scale in most of the countries of the world. For another three years Their labour of love continued; They struggled to save humanity and to arouse men to their imminent peril; They endeavoured to arrest the selfishness of humanity and to produce a new and fresh orientation to the spiritual values, and thus avert war. They failed. The men and women of goodwill and the spiritually minded people could not appreciate the true nature of the impending danger. Some recognised it and did their utmost; a few worked hard, trusting to the wisdom [475] of those who knew and asked their aid; most of them were disturbed and worried, but none of them appreciated properly the double danger with which humanity was faced: the danger arising out of human selfishness and greed, plus the danger which was nearing the Earth through the agency of the combined forces of evil. These forces were organised by beings of most evil and expert experience and were preparing to obsess and ultimately possess the negative German people, ruled by a group of men of such positive selfishness and aggressive materialistic spirit that they could easily become the agents of the subjective evil forces.

In September, 1939, supreme wickedness broke loose upon earth. Because the Hierarchy could not and would not infringe upon human free will, the evil which humanity itself had engendered manifested itself, and that to which certain nations and certain individuals had responded appeared, and thus World War II started. Rampant evil took possession of the earth through the medium of the Axis nations. The Germans marched into Poland. This country was the recipient of the first impact because of her national selfishness, her suppression of the lower classes, her exaltation of a Fascist-minded aristocracy and her hatred of the Jews. The United Nations then began slowly to organise under the impression of the Forces of Light. The war was on.

What, under these circumstances was the Hierarchy to do? Full opportunity had been given to humanity to arrest the descent of evil into manifestation. Voices of leaders and humanitarians everywhere were proclaiming the need for reform. On which side should the Hierarchy throw its weight and its influence? Should it take sides at all, or should it be neutral? Should it remain aloof and take the position of the onlooker, the observer? Should it stand superior to the deeds of mankind and await the decision of the battle to be fought? Should it conform to the sentimental ideas of the church-trained public and talk "Peace, peace" when there was no peace, and present a negative [476] aspect of love-to-all-peoples whilst hatred strode rampant over the earth?

It must be remembered that if this war had resembled other wars down the centuries, and had simply been a fight between human groups and nations, the Hierarchy would have remained outside the conflict and left mankind to fight a conclusive victory on the merits of its fighting units. But this time a great deal more was involved and this the Hierarchy knew. This war has not only been an aggressive conflict between nations or of hate between the exponents of differing ideologies but something far more serious. The Hierarchy knew that extremely powerful forces were taking advantage of human stupidity to intrude into world affairs, and that potent groups of evil beings were organised to exploit the existing world situation. They knew also that the combination of ancient evil with men's selfishness would inevitably prove too strong for even the United Nations, if they were left unassisted to meet the Axis Powers and the Lords of Evil emerging from their hiding place. So the Hierarchy took its stand upon the side of the United Nations and let it be known that it had done so. In doing this, definite physical steps were taken to aid the Forces of Light; men and leaders were carefully chosen and picked disciples were placed in positions of power and of authority. The leaders of the United Nations and of their armies are not Godless men, as are the leaders of the Axis Powers; they are men of rectitude and of spiritual and humanitarian purpose and are able thus to work—consciously or unconsciously—under the inspiration of the Hierarchy. This has been amply demonstrated. On account of this decision of the Hierarchy, Christ became automatically the Leader of these Forces.

His work has been greatly hindered by the sweet sentimentality of the unthinking Christian and by the well-meaning, but oft unintelligent, pacifist. Both these groups would sacrifice the future of humanity to temporary methods of "being nice" or "being kind" or taking gentle measures. The forces of evil, stalking the world today, do not understand [477] such measures. The cry of such people that "God loves all men" is true—eternally and forever true. It is one of the unalterable facts of existence itself. God loves—without distinction and irrespective of race or creed. To that Great Life naught matters but humanity and its perfecting, because upon humanity depends the salvation of all the kingdoms in nature. But this statement (made in time and space and as it concerns the form aspect and not the spirit in man) is frequently misleading, and the simple-minded are apt to forget that the Christ said, "He that is not with me is against me."

Men fail also to realise the potency of the thought wielded by Those who work under and with the Christ. Thought is pure divine energy, impersonal and—like the sun—it pours down upon the worthy and the unworthy, unless definitely and deliberately directed. The Hierarchy was therefore faced with the problem and the necessity of seeing that pure impersonal thought energy did not find its way into the ranks of those fighting human freedoms, for it stimulates the minds and the mental processes of the good and the bad alike. This danger They deliberately offset by directing Their thought to the forces fighting under the leaders of the United Nations and by openly taking Their stand upon the side of right human relations. They did not dare to do otherwise, for—in their place and given circumstances—the leaders of the forces of evil have proved themselves cleverer and more calculating than those fighting for human freedom. It is this distinction and its necessity that some kindly and well-intentioned but ignorant Christian thinkers often overlook.

The work of Christ in relation to the war has also been handicapped by the commercially minded in all nations, particularly in the neutral countries, who have profited by the war, as well as by "big business" interests in many lands. These are focussed at this time through certain monied groups in every powerful nation, particularly in the United States. He has been hindered also by those individuals who [478] seek to exploit the plight of suffering humanity to their own financial advantage.

Therefore, when the war broke out and humanity chose to fight and the forces of evil were let loose upon our planet, the Hierarchy ceased its efforts to bring peace through goodwill and openly sided with those fighting to drive evil back whence it came, and to defeat the Axis nations. Because of this decision on Their part, unthinking people claim that the statements of those who represent the Hierarchy on earth have been contradictory and that the actions of the Hierarchy have not been compatible with their preconceived ideas of how love should be demonstrated. For the past five years, therefore, the efforts of the Christ and of His followers, the Masters of the Wisdom, have been directed towards clarifying the true issues in the minds of men, towards indicating the lines along which right action should be taken, and towards unifying inter-allied policies. They have been occupied with banding together the men of goodwill throughout the world in preparation for the Cycle of Conferences and the coming world readjustments. They have sought to protect the sufferers, organising methods of relief, guiding the minds of army leaders, and arousing public opinion to take those steps which will eventually lead to right human relations. Temporarily, the German people and the Japanese have been left to their fate and to the tender mercies of the armies of evil; the present debacle in Germany is a testimony as to what evil can bring upon those who follow it. With all these modes of strengthening the Forces of Light and of extricating humanity from the descended evil, the Hierarchy has also been occupied with lines of activity which may not be disclosed, because they concern the handling of the subjective forces of evil. The potency of these forces will be realised if the length of time which the war has lasted is considered and also the fact that two nations have been able to withstand—until the past few months—an entire world of nations united against them.

This is a phenomenal fact in itself and a witness to the [479] strength of the evil group—objective and subjective—which has sought to gain dominance over mankind. Had the Hierarchy not taken sides with the United Nations and thrown the power of its thought into the battle, victory might still be a long way off. Today it is well-nigh in our hands.

As I said elsewhere, it is a fallacy to believe, as some do, that the main trend of Christ's work is through the medium of the churches or the world religions. He necessarily works through them when conditions permit and there is a living nucleus of true spirituality within them, or when their invocative appeal is potent enough to reach Him. He uses all possible channels whereby the consciousness of man may be enlarged and right orientation may be brought about. It is, however, truer to say that it is as World Teacher that He consistently works, and that the churches are but one of the teaching avenues He employs. All that enlightens the minds of men, all propaganda that tends to bring about right human relations, all modes of acquiring real knowledge, all methods of transmuting knowledge into wisdom and understanding, all that expands the consciousness of humanity and of all subhuman states of awareness and sensitivity, all that dispels glamour and illusion and that disrupts crystallisation and disturbs all static conditions, come under the realistic activities of the department within the Hierarchy which He supervises. He is limited by the quality and the calibre of the invocative appeal of humanity and that, in its turn, is conditioned by the point in evolution attained.

In the Middle Ages of history, and earlier, it was the churches and the schools of philosophy which provided the major avenues for His activity, but it is not so today; this is a point which the churches and organised religion would do well to remember. There is now a shift of His emphasis and attention into two new fields of endeavour: first, into the field of world-wide education, and secondly, into the sphere of implementing intelligently those activities which come under the department of government in its three aspects of statesmanship, politics and legislature. The common people are today awakening to the importance and [480] responsibility of government; it is therefore realised by the Hierarchy that before the cycle of true democracy (as it essentially exists and will eventually demonstrate) can come into being, the education of the masses in cooperative statesmanship, in economic stabilisation through right sharing, and in clean, political interplay is imperatively necessary. The long divorce between religion and politics must be ended, and this can now come about because of the high level of the human mass intelligence and the fact that science has made all men so close that what happens in some remote area of the earth's surface is a matter of general interest within a few minutes. Time and space are now negated.

The Coming Work of Reconstruction

I have referred to the coming Full Moon of June as "Christ's Unique Occasion." (The Reappearance of the Christ, Chapter II.) Just what is entailed in that statement I am not empowered to say, but I can cast some light upon one phase of it. It has long been a legend (and who shall say it is not a fact?) that at each Full Moon of June, Christ repeats and preaches again to the assembled world (to the hearts and minds of men) the last sermon of the Buddha, thus linking the full enlightenment of the pre-Christian era and the wisdom of the Buddha to the cycle of the distribution of the energy of love, for which Christ is responsible.

This year the message of the past and of the present will be augmented, enhanced and supplemented by the enunciating of the new note, word or theme which will distinguish the New Age and characterise the coming civilisation and culture. It will climax all the past and lay the seeds for the future. The significance of this statement lies in the fact that telepathically and with the entire force of the Hierarchy behind Him, plus the potency of Those to Whom is committed the expression of the Will of God (later to be implemented by the Hierarchy under the direction of the Christ), the World Teacher will, in His Own [481] right, make certain statements and use certain word-formulas which will create the nucleus of the thoughtform and present the blueprint around which and upon which the New Age will be developed. For this moment the thinking and the planning of the enlightened aspirants of the world have made—consciously, but mostly unconsciously—long preparation. They have, through their efforts, provided the mass of thought substance which the coming pronouncement will affect. Christ will bring this into proper form for the creative activity of the New Group of World Servers working in every nation and in every religious, social, economic and political group.

Christ's pronouncement will be embodied in certain Stanzas, of which those already given are a small part. Only He can use these Words of Power in their proper manner, connotation and emphasis; only an inadequate paraphrase of certain sentences found in that pronouncement can be given to humanity, and this paraphrase can be used only when the war is over and not before. This means that they can be employed only when both Germany and Japan are under the complete control of the United Nations, through whom the Hierarchy has been working. This will not imply the attainment of complete peace, but it will mean the end of all aggressive fighting and all organised resistance, leading to a period of relative tranquillity.

Standing in His Own place at a central point in Asia, remote from the throngs and the impact of humanity, Christ will bless the world at the exact moment of the Full Moon of June. He will then repeat the Buddha's last words or sermon, as well as the Beatitudes which He uttered when on earth and which have been so inadequately and misleadingly translated—a translation based upon the memory of what He said but not upon direct dictation. To these two messages, the Christ will add a new one, imbued with power for the future. That part of what He says in which it is possible for men to participate will be used for years to come in the place of the two Stanzas of the Great Invocation which have been used for nine years.

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Behind the Christ, focussing with intensity today and preparing for a great act of spiritual cooperation at the time of the June Full Moon, stands the Hierarchy. Together with Him, They will invoke a group of spiritual Forces which (for lack of a better name) we will call the Forces of Reconstruction.