Superior Index Go to the next: Chapter 13
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To Those Who Love Truth Above All:
As the current stage is set, wherever the immortal Light appears on earth, there darkness seems to opaque its radiance by a rancid and bitter shadow. Let the true students of the Light be not surprised that wherever Christ is preached, antichrists are also found. Once man has separated himself from heavenly principles, dwelling in the realm outside Eden where distortion rears its ugly head, he must expect to find compromise. Here on earth, where man is plagued by his uncertainties, he often casts aside the preponderance of triumph and unprecedented virtue to be moved by trifles from the very Truth which alone can set him free.
The students must remember that in the throes of Armageddon1 the price of holding the Hand of God is diligence to the utmost. It is always easier to take the way of condemnation, which is the way of antichrist, even when it is founded on hearsay or derived from sinister plots designed to destroy and maim the image of the Christ in the servants of God. The criterion "By their fruits ye shall know them,"2 while it applies to children of the Light, is not always applicable to the children of darkness; for their masquerades are many.
The warning given by the Lord to Simon Peter "Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat"3 should be heeded today even more by the advanced disciple than by the neophyte; for the dividing of the way between mortal opinion and immortal knowing requires great discrimination.
Beloved ones, ask yourself this question: What is the motive behind statements of condemnation made by one organization against another? Individuals who discredit those who are serving our Cause to the best of their ability are actually maligning the Body of God - the Body of Good Intent - upon the planet. No one is more invulnerable in the eyes of the seeker than the disciple who is unmoved in his devotion to Truth, whereas when he sees someone who criticizes the strongest links in the cosmic chain, he is bound to place him in the category of those who know not what they do.4
Great harm is done by those who declare themselves or their organization to be the only authentic channel through which God can work; for they not only thwart their own progress but also that of the entire Body of God evolving here. Moreover, they focus the attention of fellow students upon discord and disunity rather than upon harmony and togetherness. Observe from your own experience how easily the twisting of facts can occur and how quickly happiness flies out the window. Bear in mind that compassion and concord are of greater importance to the plan of Hierarchy than the exclusivity of spiritual pride.
To proclaim oneself the only doorway through which the Masters can walk, or one's teacher as the sole recipient of universal grace and Truth, is in effect to deny Father and Son as well as Holy Spirit unto mankind. Om Tat Sat. God is universal and must be looked for in the lesser manifestations as well as in the greater. I do not say there is not an ultimate; but in order to meet the human need, the understanding of instructors who themselves are yet upon the lower rungs of the ladder suffices for those who may be incapable of realizing the depth of the love of God and the deeper mysteries thereof.
It is enough. Great injuries occur by reason of little misunderstandings. Some who know the Law defend their criticisms on the basis that they are right and that those whom they are criticizing are wrong. And in their pursuit of God they would deny Him to those who refuse in one point or another to accept their interpretation of Truth.
Truth is not always found in the letter of the law, beloved ones, but in the spirit.5 The sword of the Spirit6 cuts both ways; and while it serves as the standard of a transcendent perfection, its sharp edge may not in a given moment be perceived by every individual who is a God-seeker.
Let men learn tolerance and the wit to create a winsome condition and a wholesome attitude that will not, while professing to adhere to Christ, destroy His purposes by false proclamations. It is far easier to anticipate globs of untruth in others than it is to recognize the sole Truth in oneself. The humble and the wise acknowledge the Truth as inherent in the very Spirit of God whose noble intents, as they are expressed in man, speak louder in divine actions than in the vain words of the hypocrites who boldly proclaim the virtue of the Law while flaunting its very manifestation in themselves.
It is to a right spirit - that motive which appears in the heart as a rising sun of hope - that I dedicate myself in the name of our Brotherhood. Through countless days that are past, happiness has flown from the mind and being of our students, and even from the consciousness of the masses, as the result of terrible distortions in their perception of Truth brought through malicious gossip and outright lies.
I do not choose to focus the attention of the student body upon these defections, but rather to secure a balanced judgment under God that prefers above all to set the captives free7 and to pursue God-ideals that produce happiness in the lives of those who espouse them as surely as grossness and slander produce unhappiness.
While the Holy Spirit leads man into all Truth,8 man requires patience both with himself and with others as he sifts the elements of truth and error within his consciousness. The living Word of God that when first perceived appears so brightly within is sooner or later seen to be the sword that cleaves the Real from the unreal in the very being of man. He who would remain under its protection must ever affirm, "Father, not my will, but Thine be done!"9
There are bound to be complications in the world of God-seeking; for man is born either of parents who proclaim themselves as the guardians of universal destiny or of those who are never sure of the veracity of anything. The great variance in human opinions and in the acceptance of truth and error makes difficult the sifting process. Yet what is most important - that men believe this or that dogmatic presentation of the Law or that they engage in the practice of loving one another? The answer should be obvious to all, but to some it is not. While performing a valiant service on behalf of their fellowman, men must be willing to submit to the winnowing process of the Spirit. For the increased sensitivity that is produced thereby gradually induces through the Christ Consciousness a greater awareness of the law of love that has a stabilizing influence upon the individual and society.
Whereas we advocate an herbivorous diet for the devotee and the avoidance of all that would make him a carnivore, we wink at his dietary indiscretions; for we know that ultimately, when he is ready, he will discover for himself that regime which is not only safe and sane but also conducive to his spiritual development and to his freedom from the bondage of the flesh. Neither do we favor those who have elected to follow the path of celibacy above the householder who has pledged to nourish and bring forth incoming souls to the glory of God. For both are needed if the kingdom of God is to become a reality on earth.
If God Himself is compassionate toward all of His children, can you not also be? Paul spoke to the early Christians regarding the evils of self-righteousness:
"Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not; and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth: for God hath received him. Who art thou that judgest another man's servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand ... But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God. Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother's way."10
As balance is needed in body, mind, and spirit, so it is needed in those concepts that abide in the universal Christ Light. Man must be given the opportunity to learn the way of overcoming the darkness of self and of imbibing the more advanced teachings of cosmic law. Yet these, in making him the master of his world, also make him tolerant of those who have not yet approached his stage of development.
How skillfully the adversary points the finger, naming this or that organization which he would destroy as "pseudo." Students of long standing who accept the lie and take up the banner of false accusation against other students make plain by their actions their failure to comprehend and obey the spirit of the Law. To make matters worse, there are organizations and individuals outside the fold who are openly dedicated to nefarious deeds and to the tearing-down of the image of the Christ. These defend their acts with the Machiavellian rationale of the end justifying the means. They ought not to be judged by the letter of the Law alone, but also by their practical application of its ethic. To know them, it is essential that men see beyond a glib tongue and a suave manner; for it is not what people say or pretend to do that counts, but what they accomplish in the name of God as the result of their inner faith in His will.
"Day unto day uttereth speech and night unto night sheweth knowledge";11 yet again and again when set upon by the rigors of the human intellect, men fail to grasp the true meaning of brotherhood. If the risen Christ is to be found, He must be sought within the domain of the heart as the brightest Light that challenges the grossest darkness in each one. The greed, effrontery, and false witness of the spoilers have not only destroyed men's faith but also the happiness they once knew in their fellowship with Hierarchy.
I say beware; for it is far better that the disciple be found stable in the basic Christ-concepts of the Law than that he allow himself to become obsessed with a fanatical pursuit of that which he imagines Truth to be when his hopes are pinned to false values. Love and a merciful compassion are to be desired above a frenzied zeal and a condescending air. Individuals who allow themselves to become talebearers, coarsened by the judgments handed down from the heads of personality cults, soon lose their discriminating faculties gained through a true knowledge of the Law and a close tie to the I AM Presence. These may do even more harm in the name of God than those who dogmatically search for doctrinal contradiction instead of accepting the oneness of God's law.
"Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one God."12 True monotheism steadfastly proclaims the union of hearts rather than the divisive schemes of those who while proclaiming the Christ do despite to His name by denying Him before men. "A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren"13 - these are an abomination unto the Lord.
Morya urges caution in the search and the certitude of the never failing Light of God which declares that men must not do evil that good may come.14 Let them instead acknowledge our banner, which in its very flutter is unwavering in its purpose to extend divine happiness to all.
In the name of the grace of Christ-unity, I AM