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AN INTRODUCTION TO
THE PATH OF BEAUTY
IN VERY SIMPLE LANGUAGE
Second printing: 1994
Registered copyright: Washington D.C. Copyright Office
September 16, 1992 Number TX3 427 665
Dedication:
To all who strive for a more beautiful future.
Helpful Understandings
(Keeping it simple)
- Agni means spiritual Fire. The easiest way to understand it is to think of it as
psychic energy. - Yoga means union.
- The Path of Beauty is the path of the Heart, because, as we read in the
beautiful Agni Yoga Teachings, “Beauty is the realm of the Heart.” - Co-measurement is the highest wisdom.
- The Mother of Agni Yoga is the name given to Helena Roerich by her Teacher,
the Master Morya. - Centers are areas of force within us. Some other names by which they are
referred to are: Spiritual Centers, Lotuses, Psychic Centers, and Chakras. They
are spiritually, (vibrationally), connected with the endocrine glands. - This introduction to the Path of Beauty is intended as a helping hand along the
way. It is written in a “bottom-line” style. In other words, it strives for simplicity.
However, we have not forgotten that simplicity goes well with humor, wisdom, and
colorful metaphor. Enjoy!
Table Of Contents
- Bloomer
- The Law of Beauty
- The Joyful Person
- Joy, “A Special Wisdom”
- The Secret of The Law of Beauty
- Did You Lock The Door?
- Discernment
- Possibilities Are Seeds
- Bratitude
- Sincerity
- Searching
- Knowledge
- The Future
- The Light of Striving
- Time For Love
- Sacrifice
- Tune-In
- Happiness
- “Strive-On!”
- What Is The Beauty of Simplicity?
- The ABC’s of The Path of Beauty
- A Sample of The Teachings
Chapter 1
BLOOMER
On Listening
Hello. This is the story of Bloomer. At the right season, Bloomer teaches those
who are ready how to bloom. One might think, at first, that a person who is ready
to bloom would instinctively know how to bloom. You know, as a baby swan knows
how to swim then how to fly. However, we humans, unlike baby swans, need
teachers to guide us.
Of course it can’t be just any teacher. To be most effective, it must be the right
teacher, at the right time, in the right place, for the right reason, as well as for the
greatest common good. That is why Bloomer is so doggone perfect … ah, I mean
so flexible.
In this ongoing training program called classroom Earth, Bloomer has great
experience. Bloomer got really good at what he learned to do. Without a doubt,
Bloomer became the best a person could get, if a person really wanted to learn
how to bloom. He even found a source of great joy in his blooming work. Years
melted into decades, and decades into incarnations. (He doesn’t mention it too
often, but Bloomer has lived many more lifetimes than there are stones in the
Great Wall of China.)
Yes, Bloomer is a master of joyous patience. He knows all too well how to caution
us about the all too many obstacles that we create by the all too poor quality of our
thoughts. You see, he’s been there. Bloomer has been just as big a rascal as we
have, (and, in some cases, still are). Bloomer knows all the tricks. It’s a good thing
Bloomer turned out to be a good guy, because he constantly draws on his
experience to guide and warn us so that we can transmute our obstacles into
stepping stones toward our bloom time. (Bloom time is like graduation, but I prefer
to call it liberation.)
There’s just one problem; Bloomer is not a boomer. That’s right, he, as a trained
Cosmic tour guide, has some professional restrictions, which means he follows a
very special code. Bloomer cannot break this code and remain a guide. For one
thing, he cannot interfere with our Free Will. Bloomer is not a tyrant teacher, who
owns us for the seeming infinity of time it takes to get through this Cosmic class
room. Bloomer can’t make us do his will. He can, however, whisper guidance to us
when he thinks we need it. That’s right, whisper.
Anything other than a whisper would be beyond the code and considered as the
1 Cosmic no-no. So let’s ease up on blaming him for not speaking up, while we
are in the heat of our personal experience with all our emotions shouting like an
angry mob.
The thing is that Bloomer’s information is the perfect advice for every situation.
Well, you say, “If that’s the case, then why don’t we listen and reap the benefits?”
Well, if you are now as I have been, (and sometimes still am), you choose to do
that which you figure will give you the most doggone … ah, I mean the most
pleasure. Sometimes the voice of fear or panic also blocks out his whispered
advice on how to conquer the situation safely and sanely for the maximum benefit
of all concerned.
Of course, over the many incarnations of painful experiences we begin to vaguely
remember Bloomer’s warnings, which occurred just before we stepped into a pile
of … ah I mean just before we got into a world of hurt.
After hundreds of more incarnations of this vague memory of warning, we begin to
remember the advice a bit more clearly. Mind you now, we are not listening and
taking or rejecting that advice, before the incident occurs, but are just
remembering it a tad more clearly after we stepped…. ah, got into the pain of
personal problems.
After hundreds of more incarnations, we learn to hear Bloomer’s advice when he
whispers it. Mind you now; we just hear it before the incident occurs. We are not
considering the advice in any way.
After hundreds of more incarnations of a little pleasure and a lot more pain, we
gradually, (snail’s pace gradually), begin to consider Bloomer’s advice during the
situation. Of course we should consider it before the situation so at this stage pain
is still our teacher rather than Bloomer.
Hundreds of more incarnations come and painfully go before we hear and
consider Bloomer’s advice before the situation. As we said, Bloomer is a very
patient guy, but he does get tested by us to the nth degree. You see, Bloomer can
only give advice, but God gave us the Free Will to reject that advice if we consider
that the alternative would give us more pleasure, right?
After hundreds of more incarnations of pain and regret, we finally begin to listen to
Bloomer’s advice with a bit of the detachment that we have learned while
discerning the cause of our seemingly infinite pain. In other words, Bloomer has
finally gotten our attention.
Now do we listen to his advice on the Living Ethics and Cosmic Laws as applied to
the earth plane? No way. We hound him regularly to give us the winning lottery
ticket number ahead of the drawing so that we can get rich and have fun!
Hundreds of more incarnations go painfully by, and Bloomer definitely has our full
attention now. Are we full of gratitude? What do we ask him? Why didn’t you tell
me that before? If you are such a great guide, then how come you didn’t heal me
when I was in the hospital after I got drunk and broke my arm? Why did you let me
stay in all that pain? (Tour guide’s Cosmic no-no #2: Do not interfere with Karma.)
Many more incarnations of some pleasure and a lot more pain go by, and we are
now genuinely grateful to get a friendly warning from that still small voice within,
which those of us on the Path have come to value so highly.
My friends, this message comes to you from Bloomer. Each one of us has a
Bloomer. Each one of us has that still small voice within. It has acquired many
names over the centuries. In Agni Yoga, which is the Path of Beauty, we know that
voice as the Blessed Guide. Other “on-ramps” to that “High-way” know it as the
voice of conscience, the Inner Self, a hunch, the Inner Fire, the Guardian Angel,
Intuition, the Solar Angel, a gut feeling, or the Master Within. However, no matter
what we may call it; you cannot get a better friend or a better deal. Together you
can maximize your service to Humanity, World Culture, The Christ, and His
ashram the Hierarchy of Light in perfect comeasurement. Now what could be
better than that?
Chapter 2
THE LAW OF BEAUTY
If you feel like a gooney bird in winter, running on the lake ice, flapping for take-off,
knowing, beyond a doubt, that your landing will be even more comical, then it is
time to think about the beauty (and the joy) of flight.
It might just be possible that one day the apple will fall up, or sprout wings and fly
away before it falls to the ground. However, it is not likely to happen very soon
unless there is a change in the natural laws of the universe. Science tells us that
when a cause produces the same effect over and over (hundreds of thousands of
times) in experiment after experiment, then it is a natural law of the universe.
Granted, there’s always that chance that the very next experiment could produce a
different effect from the same cause, but science is willing to make that leap of
faith that the result of the next experiment will be exactly the same as the previous
results. Then they give it a name and teach it in the universities, where they
further experiment with it in their laboratories.
In other words, a natural law, for all practical purposes, is a cause that produces
the same effect every time. Now what, in the universe, does all this have to do
with striving for the Light? We read in Agni Yoga that, when an individual senses
something which that individual feels or thinks is beautiful, then, to a degree,
beauty evokes joy from that individual. In short, when we see, hear, feel, smell,
and taste what we consider to be beautiful, then we respond with joy. Our
response to beauty is joy. Joy is the daughter of beauty. Our response of joy
occurs every time we sense beauty. Thus the cause (our perception, memory, or
thoughts of beauty), produces the effect (our joyful response). Beauty leads to joy.
This is the Law of Beauty. It demonstrates itself every time we perceive that what
we think, or intuitively feel, is beautiful. It could range from an arm waving
enthusiastic joy to a calm sigh. Where we recognize beauty, there we experience
joy.
This is not a scientific proof of The Law of Beauty, it is a pointing out of the Law of
Beauty, or, for some of us, it is a reminder of the Law of Beauty. The everyday
type of proof will blossom in your daily experience. The genius and skill of the
scientist will someday create the technical proof. Like the law of gravity, the Law of
Beauty existed long before we recognized it and long before science used it for
day to day living.
Mankind has gone to great effort to take advantage of the Natural Laws of the
Universe to improve the quality of life. It is not different with beauty. Many cities as
well as companies have, are, and will continue to engage in beautification
projects.
Let’s face it. No department store owner purposely designs ugly stores or rewards
interior decorators for creating ugliness — if the store owner values’ customers. No
manufacturer would deliberately create an ugly product for regular daily display in
department stores if that manufacturer is serious about profit.
If good people intuitively understand the role of beauty in improving the quality of
life, then why mention the Law of Beauty? (Aahhhh, I thought you would never
ask.)
Chapter 3
THE JOYFUL PERSON
Beauty is the switch; Joy is the energy. The less obvious value of the law of
beauty concerns the effect of beauty on a human being. The reason it is not too
obvious is that until we become more familiar with the Law of Beauty we do not
associate beauty as a source of joy. In other words, to correctly explore the Law of
Beauty means to strive for greater knowledge and application of joy. Naturally the
more we fill our lives with beauty, the more opportunity we have to experience the
many levels of our response to beauty, which is joy.
The joyful person is rarely hurting for good company, for good people like to be
around joyful people. The joyful person is like a magnet that gathers to it those
good people who sense the value of, and desire to be near, joy. Parents like joyful
children. Teachers like joyful students. Employers like joyful workers. What good
person does not want to have a joyful friend or mate? Joyful people create fewer
problems for themselves and others. Let’s face it; life regularly presents us with
choices. We regularly make choices. The sad person regularly affects the clarity of
his or her thinking with sad thoughts and feelings. The angry person regularly
affects the clarity of his or her thinking with angry thoughts and feelings. The
jealous person regularly clouds his or her thinking with jealous thoughts and
feelings. Whatever mood you are in will affect the clarity of your thinking, whether
it be a temporary mood or a predominate one. No one makes the best decisions
while overwhelmed with sadness or in a depressed state of mind. No one makes
the best decisions while angry or jealous. Angry managers often wonder why
things are always going wrong. They get so angry that they don’t even remember
the decisions that they made while in the state of anger. Later when these
decisions are being implemented by the employees, the manager (busy with the
next thing to get angry about and thus make angry decisions about) doesn’t
realize the angry falling dominoes circulating within and sapping the profits of the
company as well as his or her personal energies. A decision made during sadness
or anger or any depressing mood will not be the best decision that you would have
been capable of making if you were experiencing the vitality of joy. Why? Joy is a
clarifier of our thoughts. The joyful person makes better decisions because the
joyful person has more mental, emotional, physical, psychic, and spiritual energy
to explore the possibilities of the choices presented at the time.
The joyful person is a positive person, not a negative person. The joyful person is
a positive thinker, not a negative thinker. The joyful person is a responsible person
not an irresponsible person. The joyful person is an honest person, not a
dishonest person. The joyful person is a sincere person, not an insincere person.
The joyful person is a caring person, not an uncaring person. The joyful person is
a loving person, not an unloving person. The joyful person lives in the present and
plans for the future. The joyful person is free from the dungeon of emotional
polarities of the past. The joyful person strives for self improvement and is not
lazy. The joyful person is patient and calm, not impatient and irritable. If the joyful
person never searched deeply into the value of joy, he or she would still be better
off than the unjoyful person. However, if a person strives for greater joy, then the
search for the wisdom of joy has begun.
Chapter 4
JOY AS “A SPECIAL WISDOM”
We read in Agni Yoga that, “Joy is a special wisdom.” Let us notice that it does not
say that joy was at one time considered to be a special wisdom, nor does it say
that joy could be considered a special wisdom, nor does it say that one day joy will
be considered a special wisdom. It clearly states, beyond a doubt, in numerous
places within the Agni Yoga Teachings that, “Joy is a special wisdom.” Now what
in the Universe does that mean?
Is it true because of all the beneficial aspects of the joyful person, which we
explored in chapter three, or does it go deeper? Is joy a special wisdom that we
can consciously learn and apply?
Just as a person can intentionally focus on worldly duties, hobbies, or household
projects, so, too, a person can intentionally focus on joy. Obviously this focus is
necessary to intentionally probe deeper into joy. How else can we consciously
learn and apply joy to improve the quality of life? Yes, there is more to learn about
joy, and the more joyfully we learn and apply the wisdom of joy, the better.
Let us consider how long it will take to learn the wisdom of joy. A person who is a
beginner with no prior knowledge would probably look for a weekend seminar on
the subject with the thought in mind that he or she would learn all about joy in a
weekend. Well, if the person is fortunate enough to be guided to one of the very
few speakers who have tuned-in to the wisdom of joy, then there is a possibility
that the person may learn some portion of the wisdom of joy. However, this will be
intellectual knowledge only and not experiential knowledge.
The experienced student uses both. On the Path of Beauty students strive to the
level of development of an Initiate. The Initiate realizes that experiential
knowledge becomes a stepping stone to higher levels of consciousness and thus
higher levels of service.
Intellectual knowledge of joy is only an introduction to the Path of Beauty. The
beginner thinks in terms of weekend seminars. The Initiate thinks in terms of
incarnations. There is the difference between the intellectual knowledge of the
wisdom of joy and the experiential knowledge of the wisdom of joy.
Our introductory knowledge of joy will be fascinating and vitalizing, but our
experiential learning of the wisdom of joy will be the end of boredom for us,
because it will experientially reveal to us the secret of the Law of Beauty.
Chapter 5
THE SECRET OF THE LAW OF BEAUTY
We read in Agni Yoga that joy is a shield. Now what in the Universe does that
mean? Is it a physical shield that has weight? The answer is that the shield of joy
is invisible to the undeveloped eye. The developed eye can “see” the
electromagnetic field which Science tells us exists around every object — even a
stone.
Leaping over the detailed technical explanations for the sake of simplifying
introductory knowledge, we will just get to the bottom line. Our thoughts (and thus
our feelings) affect the color, size and intensity of our aura — our individual
electromagnetic field. Thus sadness will produce its color, size and intensity (or
lack of it) in the aura. The same is true of hate, anger and jealousy. The thoughts
and feelings of lower intent produce a darker aura and one of smaller size and
less intensity or strength. (Never fly with a pessimist; they have a hole in their
balloon.)
Joy, on the other hand, produces a large, bright aura of very strong intensity. In
short, a joyful aura will block out the thoughts and feelings of low intent that are
part of the aura of the unjoyful — both near us and far away. (Remember we are
leaping over the technical details for the sake of simplicity.)
Because of the very high intensity (vibratory rate) of the joyful aura it acts as a
shield against lower thoughts and feelings. Thus Agni Yoga speaks of joy as a
shield. Thus the secret of the Law of Beauty is the shield that is the aura of joy.
Now, how do we make this shield?
The shield of the secret of the Law of Beauty is constructed from our personal
response to beauty, which is joy. Now, how often is this shield in place, and for
how long? Since the shield is a product of our joy (our joyful thoughts and
feelings) then, because it is a rare person who is always thinking and feeling joy,
the shield will only be present when our joy is present. If we are inconsistent in our
joy, then our shield will be inconsistent. (Our science fiction readers know what
happens when we lower our shields around the enemy.)
This is another reason why intellectual knowledge is only part of personal
development on the Path of Beauty. Will a beginner who graduates from a one
weekend seminar be so experientially grounded that he or she will be able to
maintain the shield at will? (Perhaps apples might fall up, or sprout wings and fly
away just before they hit the ground.)
The Initiate on the Path of Beauty intensely strives to learn to maintain a focus on
joy, thus striving to maintain a joyful aura, thus striving to maintain the shield that
is the secret of the Law of Beauty.
Now, why, in the Universe, would the student want to do that? Is it for all the
reasons we explored in chapter three? Is it to protect himself or herself against the
hierarchy of darkness? Yes, (on both accounts). But there is more to learn about
this shield that is the secret of the Law of Beauty.
Chapter 6
DID YOU LOCK THE DOOR?
Do you leave the door unlocked when you leave your home, or when you go to
sleep? Neither should you leave the door to the Temple of your Heart unlocked.
We read in the Agni Yoga Teachings to get into the habit of regularly protecting
ourselves with the shield of joy. Will the Master allow the student access to the
Master’s home if the student has not become security conscious on the Path of
Beauty? The answer is no. A very important part of our training is to learn how to
secure ourselves at will.
Thus we emphasize the Law of Beauty. The student and Initiate of the Path of
Beauty strive to master the art of spiritual security. The bottom line is that we must
strive to master the shield of joy to attain to quality attunements with our Blessed
Guide (remember Bloomer — chapter one?), The Mother of Agni Yoga and her
Teacher the Master Morya in the Hierarchy of Light. This is the beginning of higher
learning, and it all starts with the Law of Beauty. Thus we see that the serious
student on the Path of Beauty strives to master the secret of the Law of Beauty.
Thus do we progress on the Path of Beauty (which is the Path of the Heart, the
path closest to perfection).These chapters on the Law of Beauty emphasize
simplicity, yet they are a very serious introduction to Agni Yoga — the Path of
Beauty. Starting with the next chapter we will explore some of the highlights of
Agni Yoga. Here is your opportunity to apply the Law of Beauty, (read them with
joy)!
Chapter 7
DISCERNMENT
Discernment is the door to higher knowledge. To progress, we must discern what
exists and what does not. The “star” we look at tonight may have exploded
millenniums ago. Not without discernment do we progress on the Path of Beauty.
Discernment leads to happiness. It comes from experience; you cannot buy it,
borrow it, or win it in a local lottery. Discernment is the door to higher knowledge.
For the Agni Yoga student progressing on the Path of Beauty discernment leads to
the accurate attunement with our Blessed Guide, the Mother of Agni Yoga, her
Teacher, the Master Morya, and Maitreya (Eastern word for the Christ).
Discernment exists where there is consciousness, particularly observation,
reflection, and memory. An obvious example of discernment on the physical level
is the difference between the sun and the moon. A not so obvious example is the
difference between peppermint tea and spearmint tea. An obvious example of
discernment on the emotional level is the difference between joy and sorrow. A not
so obvious example is the difference between gratitude and love. An obvious
example of discernment on the mental level is the difference between positive
thinking and negative thinking. A not so obvious example is the difference
between a “message” from within, (Remember Bloomer from chapter one?), and
an old habit (beneficial or non-beneficial) trying to impress or re-impress itself on
the mind. As the student progresses to the level of development of an Agni Yoga
Initiate on the Path of Beauty, the spotlight of discernment turns on the Subtle and
Fiery Worlds to discern what exists on those levels of life. Why? Precise
knowledge requires precise observation. Accurate discernment starts with
accurately observing differences. Accurate discernment enables us to see what
exists. The process of accurate discernment includes our accurate observations,
our accurate reflections upon those accurate observations, and our accurate
memory of our accurate observations and accurate reflections. This process,
when working well (accurately), can be instantaneous. Now, who, in the Universe,
observes accurately every time? Who reflects accurately upon accurate
observations every time? Who accurately remembers accurate observations and
accurate reflections upon them instantaneously? Obviously, the answer is very few
indeed. That is why there is a Path of Beauty. A path has a beginning, a middle
and an end. Our beginning is just a thought away.
We respond (and all too often react) to what the world presents to our intuition and
our sense of sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch. The history of humanity
informs us that our responses to what the world has presented to us have been
based on inaccurate observations and our inaccurate reflections upon these
inaccurate observations as well as our inaccurate memory of these inaccurate
observations and inaccurate reflections. Thus our inaccurate responses (and all
too often our inaccurate reactions) to what the world has presented to us have led
to inharmony and its family of pain, remorse, sadness and depression as well as
the criminal actions (mental as well as physical) which inharmony can lead and
has led us into. This is not theory; it is the history of the physical as well as the
Subtle worlds. Have we lost our way because our levels of personal response to
what the world presents to us are, in varying degrees, inaccurate? That is why
there is a Path of Beauty. The Blessed Guide and the Mother of Agni Yoga safely
guide us to maximize the accuracy of our response to that which the world
presents to us. Thus we maximize the quality of our choices. Thus we maximize
the quality of our love, our life, and our service to humanity.
Chapter 8
POSSIBILITIES ARE SEEDS
Did you choose the best possibility? We have free will. We check out the
possibilities. We choose the best possibility. It’s that simple, right?
Well, in theory maybe, but for the feet-on-the-ground Agni Yoga student
progressing on the Path of Beauty it is all a matter of discernment. Let’s take a
closer look.
Did we find all the possibilities relating to the circumstances (accurate
discernment)? If we have less than 100% accurate observation, then we are less
than 100% accurate in our search to discern all the possibilities that exist for us at
the time. Now what, in the Universe, does that mean?
We miss some possibilities. The best possibility may be among those we missed.
With less than 100% discernment we consistently do not gather all our
possibilities. The outcome is that we may be consistently missing stepping stones
on the Path of Beauty due to our inefficient observation. Now let’s take an even
closer look.
How well did we examine each of the possibilities that we did identify (accurate
discernment)? You are right! This is a bird of the same feather. If we are operating
on less that 100% accurate discernment, then the contents of the identified
possibilities will not be accurately examined. The bottom line is that if we do
identify the possibility that contains the best solution, then there is a probability
that we would not recognize that best solution when we see it.
If this makes you sad, angry, or bewildered then, you have forgotten to use the
Law of Beauty. You have forgotten the wisdom of joy. Well, (don’t make it
permanent) — Strive-on! The progressing Agni Yoga student on the Path of Beauty
recognizes personal shortcomings (sees what exists) and does what is necessary
to bring the best possibilities into play.
How does this happen? How can we ensure that the best possibility will happen?
The student on the Path of Beauty is never alone. The Master and his chosen
disciples keep a vigilant watch on all students.
The student of Agni Yoga, who realizes that the Master (Teacher) is only a thought
away, tunes-in with the Mother of Agni Yoga and her Teacher, the Master Morya.
In this attunement, the student requests of the Mother of Agni Yoga that the best
possibility will manifest in the most harmonious and joyful manner possible. Thus
the progressing student gradually learns that, just because he or she may not
presently be able to personally discern exactly what that best possibility is, there is
no reason why the best possibility cannot manifest. All the student has to do is ask
for it.
The Mother of Agni Yoga and her Teacher, the Master Morya, will gather the
possibilities and discern which is the best possibility for the student and all
concerned.
They will then send the best possibility, and, like a glider, it will land on the runway
of the student’s heart center where it will take effect in the student’s life.
Some will ask, “Is this fair? “Is this cheating?” “Is this relying on the Mother of Agni
Yoga and the Hierarchy of Light to walk the Path of Beauty for us?” “Is this like
sending our little brother to take our piano lessons for us?” The answer is that it is
all a matter of discernment.
The progressing student must accomplish many things before he or she can
accomplish such a request. First the student must discern that he or she doesn’t
have 100% accurate discernment. The student must then discern the existence of
the Mother of Agni Yoga. The student must then establish trust in the Mother of
Agni Yoga. The student must then learn to tune-in to the Mother of Agni Yoga.
After learning all this, the student must discern (remember) in the heat of the
moment to tune-in with the Mother of Agni Yoga for the best possibility for all
concerned. Yes, for all concerned means not just for the student’s benefit, thus the
student must also have discerned love for others — even for those attacking him or
her.
My friend, that is a description of an Agni Yogi, in the middle of life’s confusion,
calmly applying the tools of the Path of Beauty. (Yes, that is correct. It cannot be
done by the uncalm, for impatience is a thief who traffics in beauty). Thus the
student must also discern a degree of mastery over the mind and emotions. Is it
worth it? You bet it is, for a beautiful possibility is an adventure in joy. In the next
chapter we will explore the Agni Yoga student’s response to this privilege of being
allowed to use the Teachings of Agni Yoga for the maximum benefit of all
concerned.
Chapter 9
BRATITUDE
Bratitude becomes gratitude with every caring attitude. My friends (don’t let this
shock you) the Masters in the Hierarchy of Light do not need our gratitude. We
need our gratitude. Now why, in the Universe, do we need our own gratitude?
Well, it is all a matter of discernment.
Gratitude is a milestone in human evolution. Gratitude is close to humility — so
necessary on the Path of Beauty. Gratitude is also very close to love — also very
necessary on the Path of Beauty. The vibrations of true gratitude trigger a self
healing mechanism in the aura. We read in Agni Yoga paragraph #31 that, “He
who has found the seed and realized the care of the Sender can project gratitude
into space.” Besides the sublime, gratitude has its every day practicality. Let’s face
it; ungrateful people are not easy to be around. They do not recognize the sources
of their blessings, worldly or otherwise. Dealing with ungrateful students is
inefficient. They block their own progress. An ungrateful student cannot clearly see
the value of a Teacher on the Path of Beauty. If the student does not recognize
that the Teacher is helping the student, then how can the student build confidence
and tune-in with the Teacher in the heat of life’s experiences? Ingratitude blocks
the process that leads to trust in the student-Teacher relationship.
What creates ingratitude? Vanity doesn’t recognize the help of others because it is
too busy admiring itself. Vanity values and manifests a me-first-“altitude”. This self-
servingness occurs in each of us in varying degrees. (Selfish love is a casual stroll
through a minefield.) The Agni Yoga student progressing on the Path of Beauty
maintains a vigil against his or her own self serving attitudes and habit patterns.
Ingratitude is an aggressive weed in the garden of the student’s personality. The
sooner we sharpen our discernment, the sooner we spot and weed this ugliness in
all it’s varying degrees of subtlety. Thus we see that the Masters in the Hierarchy
of Light do not need our gratitude — on the contrary, we need our gratitude. In the
next chapter we will explore what the Masters in the Hierarchy of Light value most
of all.
Chapter 10
SINCERITY
Sincerity, our inner sun, rises in the land of no-deception. Above all else, the
Hierarchy of Light values sincerity. Our dictionaries tell us that sincerity means
honesty, and that honesty means no-deception. Therefore sincerity means no-
deception.
The Agni Yoga student, progressing on the Path of Beauty, becomes increasingly
aware of his or her level of deception. The more we sharpen our discernment, the
more we minimize our level of deception towards the ideal of deceptionlessness —
100% sincerity. Naturally this is not done in a weekend, nor can it be done
intellectually, for it is all a matter of discernment that is based on our experience. A
deceptive person does not belong in a true brotherhood, because deception leads
to betrayal, and betrayal leads to treason.
It is guaranteed that the Agni Yoga student will be tested to the subtlest degree of
sincerity before he or she is allowed to enter “the land of no-deception.”
There is no substitute for honesty where the Hierarchy of Light is concerned, for
there is only one thing a deceptive person can be trusted to do, and that is to be
deceptive.
Chapter 11
SEARCHING
An Agni Yoga student searches within to be of service without. Now what in the
Universe does that mean?
We search for ways to maximize our service to humanity, world culture and the
Hierarchy of Light. We can maximize our service in at least two ways. The first
way is to change personality habits and thinking which block us from maximizing
our service. The second way is to gather more accurate knowledge and superior
techniques, and to use that knowledge in the most efficient, harmonious and joyful
manner for the common good.
The Agni Yoga student progressing on the Path of Beauty will use both ways;
however, the Agni Yoga student knows that basic to both methods is discernment
and the Student-Teacher relationship. Most assuredly the search will lead to a
perfect contact between the Agni Yoga student, the Blessed Guide, the Mother of
Agni Yoga, and her Teacher, the Master Morya, in the Hierarchy of Light.
This will not be the end of the search. On the contrary, up to this point the student
was like a seed germinating and breaking ground to receive the rays of the sun to
vitalize it. Now with the right amount of nourishment, as well as with the correct
exposure to the sun’s light, the seedling will become a strong tree. Many will sit in
its shade and study nature. Many will eat its fruit and strengthen themselves.
Many will activate the Law of Beauty within themselves when they gaze upon the
beauty of its blossoms and smell the delightful fragrance.
Our search becomes our journey. Every journey has a destination, a path to reach
that destination, and a starting point of that path. Our destination is the Hierarchy
of Light. Our path is the Path of Beauty. Our starting point is just a thought away.
Chapter 12
KNOWLEDGE
Knowledge leads to understanding. Understanding leads to wise application. Wise
application leads to the joy of achievement. True knowledge is an eternal flower of
great beauty; use it well, and you live well; misuse it, and you command it to
misuse you.
Every true Teacher has more intellectual and experiential knowledge than the true
student. Thus the Teacher can provide knowledge to the student more efficiently
than if the student rambled around the planet on his or her own. The true Teacher
sees what exists and does what is necessary. Thus the Teacher will analyze the
student, determine the student’s needs, and guide the student to the type of
experience necessary to progress most efficiently on the Path of Beauty. Besides
knowledge from the Teacher, the Teacher will guide the student to greater
understanding through personal experience.
The Teacher has a Teacher. The Teacher’s Teacher has a Teacher. This string of
Teacher student relationships continues unbroken throughout the Hierarchy of
Light. It continues right up to the Christ, the Highest of Hearts — the highest in our
Hierarchy of Light. Each Teacher in this magnificent chain of Teachers has more
knowledge and experience, and thus more power, than the previous Teacher.
Thus the Teacher functions as both a Teacher and a student. This is a never
ending learning process.
Chapter 13
THE FUTURE
The future is the most fertile field for our thoughts. Disneyland was first a thought
in Walt Disney’s mind, before Disneyland became a buy a ticket and go for a ride
reality in Southern California. Yes, we sense a time lag between the act of
designing (creative thinking) and the manifestation of that design. This time
difference may be years, months, days, hours, minutes, or just a few seconds. The
designing is done, on the mental level, in the present, and the manifestation of
that design takes place in the future. We think in the present. If we decide to put a
thought into action, as Disney did, then that thought will manifest some time after
we make our decision. We call this time the future with respect to the time we
were thinking the design. We live in the present. We think in the present. The
architect designs his building in the present. The building manifests months or
years later in the future. Now what in the Universe is this all about?
The Agni Yoga student, progressing on the Path of Beauty, discovers from
experience that his or her thoughts have become magnetic. They have acquired
the power of attraction. Our thoughts manifest. We create the quality of our
tomorrows by the quality of our thoughts today. We create the future by what we
think today. Gradually we become very active in planning and designing our future.
This puts the responsibility for the quality of our future on the quality of our
thoughts. Thus the Agni Yoga student becomes a future-thinker rather than a
dweller on the emotional polarities of the past. The positive, creative person
embraces the beauty, the joy, and the hope of the future.
Chapter 14
THE LIGHT OF STRIVING
Intense striving is an armor for the Agni Yoga student progressing on the Path of
Beauty. We have already explored the secret of the Law of Beauty and the reason
joy is a shield. The fact that the shield does not exist if our joy does not exist may
have left some readers a little concerned about their protection. But there is more
to learn about spiritual protection, and the Agni Yoga student has access to many
tools that lead to invincibility. Striving is very high on that list. Striving puts us in
tune with the Cosmic rhythm. When we add the higher virtues as a focus for our
striving, we strengthen ourselves all the more.
Many times we, as students just starting out on the Path, expect quite magical
powers to help us along. When we hear, “Think joy in your heart.”, or “Intensify
your striving.”, it just may not fit in with our personal illusion of what is supposed to
happen.
Agni Yoga is the most modern and powerful of all the Yogas. It is the Living Ethics.
It may take a while to realize that weeding our hearts and minds of all degrees of
deception will make us a powerful person. It may take a while to realize that each
of those deceptions is a seed-weed, which we plant in our future. It may take a
while before we realize that deceptive thinking is a lower vibration than the
thinking of no-deception, which is a very high rate of vibration. Thus sincerity (no-
deception) adds strength to our aura, but insincerity lowers our shields. Sincerity
adds greater Light to our aura. Thus a virtue becomes in reality a spiritual armor. It
is not different with striving. As we weed out laziness from our thinking and thus
from our feelings and actions, we raise our level of vibrations and add the Light of
Striving to our aura. The higher the rate of vibration of our aura the stronger we
become. Thus when we make a virtue (such as sincerity) the focus of our striving,
we vastly increase the strength of our aura. We have already explored how the
vibrations of true gratitude activate a self healing mechanism in our aura. It will be
no surprise to learn that the Living Ethics leads to invincibility. Eventually we stop
looking for magic and begin discerning the quality of our thoughts. When that
happens our striving will intensify all the more, because we realize that we are
growing by becoming the Living Ethics.
The best advice that can be given to an Agni Yoga student progressing on the
Path of Beauty is to “Strive-on!”. Think about it — the best advice.
Chapter 15
TIME FOR LOVE
It is time to talk about love. Love is an escalator of Light. The higher we go the
more we glow. The way to go “higher” in love is to make our love purer. Now how,
in the Universe, can we do that? Well, it is all a matter of discernment. We read in
the Agni Yoga Teachings that, “Love is the treasure. Joy is the harvest of the
treasure.” Again, the quality of our thoughts is highly significant. An unloving
thought is of a far lower vibratory rate than a loving thought. As we progress in
applying discernment to the quality of our thoughts, we realize that it is entirely
possible to monitor the quality of our love. As the thermostat in our homes
maintains a certain level of temperature, so too, we can use our discernment to
regulate the quality of our love. The setting at which we choose to maintain the
quality of our love will be determined by our understanding of the value of our love
for our family, for our friends, for our group, for our city, for our nation, for our
planet, for our solar system, for our galaxy, and yes, for our Universe. For the Agni
Yoga student progressing on the Path of Beauty the quality of love for humanity
determines the quality and quantity of service to humanity. If we truly see love as
the treasure, then we will choose a very high setting to maintain our love. If we do
not see love as the treasure, then we will choose a much lower setting at which to
regulate our love. This, of course, will affect the brightness and strength of our
aura as well as the consistency of our love. Love is in reality a power. It is the
greatest force in the universe. Remember, “Love is the treasure, joy is the harvest
of the treasure.”
Chapter 16
SACRIFICE
We read in the Agni Yoga Teachings that sacrifice is power, and that power is
possibility. Therefore, sacrifice opens the door to possibility.
The Agni Yoga student progressing on the Path of Beauty gradually realizes that
people only sacrifice for that which they love. Thus the bottom line on the criteria
for sacrifice is simple: no love — no sacrifice.
Therefore sacrifice is an activity of the heart center, which is associated with
beauty and creativity. The creative person is always exploring possibilities. Thus a
creative person will be involved in sacrifice. We are not speaking of the narrow,
worldly, dull, giving-up type of sacrifice but the joyful taking-on of the work of the
Hierarchy of Light as a coworker of Light. Again, sacrifice is power, and power is
possibility. Thus sacrifice is possibility. Only love will sacrifice. Only the heart
center seeks the opportunity to create a higher possibility through sacrifice.
Success follows sacrifice. Strive-on!
Chapter 17
TUNE-IN
Most people on this planet have turned the dial or pushed the buttons on a
television to tune-in to the channel that will bring their favorite program down from
the invisible airways into visible manifestation. Attunement of the mind and the
heart is like that. The Agni Yoga student progressing on the Path of Beauty
gradually becomes aware that he or she, in fact, can and does tune-in to the
“airways of the heart and the mind”. Some Yogas make a great art out of this
process of tuning in. We hear of people who take hours of preparation to harvest
thirty seconds of higher wisdom and love. Each of us is guided to the right on-
ramp to that “High-way”. Each on-ramp has its time tested methods for tuning in.
Agni Yoga has its method of tuning in as well. It is very fast and very effective.
Just like the radio and T.V., there are many stations too tune-in to. There are as
many stations as there are trends and modes of thinking (or non-thinking). Some
make varying degrees of sense and some are nonsense. Some stations are high
on the moral and ethical levels. Some stations are of low intent. The quality of our
thoughts will determine which stations we attune to. Will we attune with the Christ?
Will we attune with wealth? Will we attune with physical pleasures? Well, it is all a
matter of discernment. The Agni Yoga student progressing on the Path of Beauty
will gradually learn to attune for guidance by going within. (Remember Bloomer
from chapter one?). The Guru’s (Teacher’s) job is to guide us to go within.
Chapter 18
HAPPINESS
Approximately three hundred years before the birth of the Master Jesus, Aristotle
declared that everyone is searching for happiness. This was true then and is no
less true now. Each person has his own evolving concept of what will bring
happiness to him or her. This concept of happiness evolves with our experience in
the search for happiness. Eventually we will gradually evolve to the basic
understanding that our happiness is directly determined by the quality of our
thoughts. Mind you now; this won’t happen in a weekend seminar on happiness.
That will only introduce you to the various methods of the search.
The bottom line is that it is all a matter of discernment. (Now where, in the
Universe, have you heard that before?) Discernment leads to quality thoughts.
Quality thoughts lead to happiness. Therefore discernment leads to happiness.
You may have heard the phrase; “In all thy getting, get wisdom.” Well,
discernment is the root of wisdom. Not without discernment can we find
happiness.
The Agni Yoga student progressing on the Path of Beauty gradually learns that
happiness lies in the quality of his or her service to world culture, humanity, the
Mother of Agni Yoga, her Teacher, the Master Morya, and the Christ in the
Hierarchy of Light.
Chapter 19
“STRIVE-ON”
How does the phrase “Strive-On!” relate to the Law of Beauty? Let us begin with a
poem entitled Think Joy In Your Heart. It goes like this.
Think Joy In Your Heart
Strive-on! Strive-On!
In sunless days
when joy seems gone
and life’s a maze
Strive-on! Strive-On!
When chaos reigns
throughout the land
and your heart pains,
Strive-On! Strive-On!
Go deep within
and you will find
the will to win.
Strive-On! Strive-On!
The swans are white
upon the lake.
Push back the night.
Strive-On! Strive-On!
My friends, this poem is a formula. It is the application of the Law of Beauty in
poetic language. In a moment we will observe that there are four parts to our
poem, but before we begin to look closer, let’s read the poem again. (Re-read
poem.)
The first nine lines of our poem are a description of how a person could begin to
think and feel at various times in his or her life, (especially if they are not aware of
and do not practice the Law of Beauty). It is not pretty. We are told of sunless days
when joy seems gone and life’s a maze. It talks about when chaos reigns
throughout the land, and how your heart pains. It describes a frame of mind, or a
realization, which is on the verge of becoming a frame of mind, and could
potentially blow a person off balance like a kite without a tail.
Without a kite tail for a stabilizer, the kite quickly gets out of control, darting and
diving about until it finally gets tangled in the trees or crashes to the ground.
Everyone needs a stabilizer. I personally know a fisherman who always has a
fishing pole, with its light line, in a refreshing mountain stream surrounded by tall
pines and glittering aspen. It is his place to which he goes to relax and get back in
touch with the beauty of nature. This stream actually physically exists in nature. It
also exists in the heart and mind of my fisherman friend. That’s right; he goes
fishing mentally. Whenever his day starts to become sunless, he sits back and
begins to think of the sun sparkling on that mountain stream. He smells the pine.
He feels the grass and rocks. He feels the tug on his line, and there he is in a test
of skill with a rainbow trout.
My friends, everyone needs a stabilizer to beat those sunless thoughts and
feelings that are so ready and willing to sneak up on us and convince us that life is
hopelessly bound up in a joyless maze. Perhaps some of us here already have a
fishing pole with its line in a refreshing mountain stream somewhere. Perhaps, for
some it is a cabin in the woods with a cozy fire in the fireplace. Perhaps, for others
it is a beautiful rose garden.
This stabilizer (anchor in beauty) brings us to the second part of our four part
poem. This part is the title itself. It states, “Think Joy In Your Heart.” Here is where
The Law of Beauty manifests itself. A person begins to think about his or her
stabilizer (that mountain stream, warm fireplace, or delightful rose garden) and this
mental contact with their ideal of beauty invokes a response of joy.
Let us now raise the question, how often will our fisherman have to put his line in
the sparkling mountain stream to keep himself stabilized during the day? How
often will a person have to visit that fireplace, or that rose garden to bring enough
joy into life to combat the every day inharmonies with which he or she is
continuously bombarded? The answer is, of course, as many times as it is
necessary to bring back the sun — to bring back joy into the heart and mind.
My friends, there are many people who will say, “This is escapism, and therefore it
is no good.” They would rather that the person became increasingly inharmonious
and began to feel and do poorly in his or her everyday activities. Perhaps, the
person may even get upset and quit a job, or worse, get fired because of a bad
attitude. Brothers and sisters, to use the tools we are given to maintain a mental,
emotional, psychic, and spiritual balance in life is not escapism. It is wisdom in
action, which is called prudence.
Let us look closer at this idea of “going fishing” as many times as is necessary to
remove the clouds from our day. Again, everyone must have a stabilizer. Now
since there are many people in the world who use some sort of stabilizer, it is
obvious that everyone does not have the same stabilizer. Now since some people
are consistently happier than others, it is obvious that some stabilizers must be
more effective than others, or if they are all equally effective, then many people
must not be applying them accurately, or they must have forgotten them to some
degree and use their stabilizer infrequently or not at all. Most probably it is some
of each. Some stabilizers are more effective at producing a degree of joy than
others. Many people are applying their stabilizers inaccurately when their days get
clouded over. Some people choose the wrong stabilizer.
The phrase “Strive-On!” supplies a remedy for both problems. We can strive-on to
find the most effective stabilizer, which will allow us to be conscious of beauty and
feel the resulting joy and yet be competent in our daily labor. This would produce
joyful labor — a true way to the joy of achievement, and who can oppose the joy of
achievement?
“No one can oppose the joy of achievement. Thus let us cultivate it as one would
most precious blossoms. “
Fiery World 2, #258
Let us now raise the question, how do we know if our present stabilizer is the most
efficient one that we could have? That, my friends, is very easy to answer. Are we
presently performing consistent joyful labor? If not, then we do not have the most
efficient stabilizer, or we are using it inaccurately.
The next question probably goes something like this. “Well, then, what is the most
efficient stabilizer?” The most efficient stabilizer is that stabilizer that, when used
accurately, will keep you in a constant state of joyful labor. “Well, which stabilizer
will do that?”
The answer here is an individualized one. We must first strive to become
conscious of what our present stabilizer is. Do we have a mountain cabin with a
warm fireplace where we go when troubled? How often do we use it? Does it
work? Maybe we need a rose garden instead.
Brothers and sisters, if we strive to recognize what our stabilizer is, and then
determine if it is working well, then we will be able to search for the best possible
stabilizer for ourselves. This brings us to the third part of our poem, which states:
“Go deep within
and you will find
the will to win.
Strive-On! Strive-On!”
If someone sincerely asked me what is the best stabilizer, I would encourage him
or her to go within and ask the Blessed Guide or the Mother of Agni Yoga for the
most comeasured stabilizer.
After such a sincere request, we will gradually become more aware that our
stabilizer has been transformed into an anchor in the Divine. Perhaps, instead of a
fishing pole with its light line in a sun sparkled stream, that pole and line will
transmute into the Blessed Guide sitting on the bank of that sun sparkled stream
next to us, teaching us how to sow seeds into the fabric of the future for the
evolution of humanity and world culture, as well as our own development.
My friends, at this time I would like to share with each of you what my own
personal stabilizer is. In other words, I would like to share with you my anchor in
beauty, or further, the highest concept of beauty that I can conceive of. I personally
can think of nothing more beautiful than The Hierarchy of Light and how it is
directly connected to the Christ, the Highest of Hearts.
Thought of such a vast Brotherhood brings joy to my heart. I am truly grateful for
this anchor in the Divine. The Hierarchy of Light is the only stable force in the
universe. All else is unstable. Thus I choose as my stabilizer the only stability in
the universe. My sincere gratitude goes to all those, visible and invisible, who
aided me to reach this understanding.
It is up to us to strive to keep our thoughts consistently elevated and thereby fill
our lives with joy, for once we search for and find the best stabilizer for ourselves,
then we must strive to use it in the most efficient way we possibly can. We must
strive to remember to use the beautiful tool we have striven so hard to acquire.
The fourth part of our poem reminds us that beauty is always around us. It is we
who, at times, forget to see this beauty due to our identification (or should I say
mis-identification) with the inharmonies of life. We mistakenly allow our day to
become sunless. Our poem reminds us that:
“The swans are white
upon the lake.
Push back the night.
Strive-On! Strive-On!”
The swans are white upon the lake. All we have to do is push back the night (our
sunless days) and Strive-On! Strive-On! To strive on is to battle against the night
of chaos and confusion that, through lack of discernment, we bring upon
ourselves. We strive to increase our discernment so that we can see clearly
enough to recognize the value of perfecting our character. To strive-on means to
have the goal of the perfection of our character clearly in our understanding and
then to battle to attain that perfection.
To “Think joy in our heart” is in itself a magnificent striving because the Law of
Beauty tells us that joy is a shield that keeps out the vibrations of low intent so that
we may attune with the Blessed Guide and/or the Mother of Agni Yoga in The
Hierarchy of Light for the greatest good. Thus we maximize our service to The
Hierarchy of Light, humanity, and world culture.
The swans are always on the lake. The Hierarchy of Light is ever on duty in
maximum service to Humanity and World Culture. Their pure striving is indeed a
thing of beauty.
Chapter 20
WHAT IS THE BEAUTY OF SIMPLICITY?
If we could only make Agni Yoga so simple that everyone could understand it, then
such an achievement would be truly joyful, right? The Teachings remind us that
the way to progress on The Path of Beauty, which is The Path of The Heart, is to
broaden our consciousness. Why then do we complicate the most beautiful
simplicity? More than half a life time ago, a very good friend of mine told me a
story of a man and a woman of some culture who went into the jungle with their
violins. I can still hear him now.
“After a while, they came to a clearing, started a large camp fire, and then sat
down to serenade the sunset. I tell you, the sun never set to a more beautiful
rendition of the mighty music of Mozart. Truly they had touched the very core of
World Culture. After the horizon swallowed up the sun, the sky slowly filled with
the exquisite colors of the end of the day. It seemed like never ending beauty. The
birds and animals noticed this wonderful festival of beauty and silently, in great
awe and reverence, gathered around the fire to be in closer communion with this
glorious event, as the musicians lovingly radiated their beauty and joy throughout
the evening quiet of the jungle. The entire clearing was filled with wild life calmly
enjoying this feast of music and color.
After a while, a tiger happened to enter the clearing. The tiger quickly spotted the
fire and all his jungle brothers and sisters around it. When the tiger saw the man
and woman threatening them with pieces of wood, the tiger couldn’t believe his
eyes. These sorcerers had cast an evil spell over all these birds and animals. It
was truly incredible. The tiger decided to rescue his jungle family. With a fierce
roar the tiger leaped and courageously attacked and ate the two sorcerers, thus
liberating all his jungle friends. Later, while the tiger was lying around the now
smoldering fire, digesting his evening meal, a deer came up to him and asked the
tiger why he had attacked, killed and eaten the musicians. The tiger seeing the
deer speaking to him leaned his head closer to the dear, and, with an obvious
irritation, loudly said, ‘Huh?’.”
No matter how simply we play the beauty of the Agni Yoga Teachings on the finely
tuned instruments of our hearts, there will most likely be some tiger out there that
is hard of hearing. We complicate the beauty of simplicity through our various
levels of consciousness with our fears (our O my gosh what-ifs) our doubts, our
desires, and our ignorance, but the greatest complicator of all time, past, present,
and future, is our personal degree of vanity. Does that mean we should stop
striving to express the Teachings as simply and as beautifully as we possibly can?
No-way!
The deeper we go into the Teachings of Agni Yoga the greater the grasp we gain
on its simplicity. As our focus becomes clearer and steadier on the goal of Agni
Yoga, we begin to understand that those tigers, (deaf, blind, or otherwise), are
children of our own thought. We meet them karmically as we go. We created them
and we can transmute them into something that is for the maximum benefit of
humanity, world culture, and the Hierarchy of Light. The closer we approach the
Teacher, the simpler it is to spot these roaming tigers of our own making. The
closer we approach the Teacher, the simpler it is not to create roaming tigers in
our consciousness as well as in the world. For this level of joyful labor and joyful
achievement, we must go deeper and deeper into the Teachings of Agni Yoga.
Make it a goal. Strive for it. Do not fear the tigers; we who give the tigers power
can take that power away from them. Go deeper. Strive-on!
The End