October 1941
Certain questions arise in the minds of all disciples anent the general position of the hierarchical effort, about the possibility of materialising the Plan, and particularly concerning the share in these plans which spiritual groups can undertake. I would have you remember that disciples learn to work with the
plan by working; they learn to discover the inner expanding consciousness of humanity by the
development of an increasing sensitivity to it; and they find their coworkers in the Plan by the old and tried method of trial and error. The less evolved the disciple and worker, the larger the number of trials and the greater the number of errors.
But the system works, for it is an eliminating as well as a perfecting process, and the residue which remains after due effort, can be trusted. You have those, finally, who remain and who are worthy of trust. Why does this system work? Because by its means the graces of humility, prompt obedience to soul injunction, and inner integrity are unfolded and developed. Where these are present, there will be found sureness of touch when humanity is contacted; sensitivity to the impression of the Hierarchy when that Hierarchy is seeking contact; and a right sense of proportion.
One of the difficulties which comes to the server immersed in the thick of the undertaking is that of preserving contact with the vision. I refer to the vision itself and not to its materialisation. Perhaps I can make my meaning clear if I point out that, just as long as the contact is a vertical one, the work is fairly simple, the next step is apparent and plain, the line of activity to be followed is clear and the inspiration is fresh and vital. But the moment that the consciousness of the disciple becomes inclusive horizontally (and that must take place), then the difficulty becomes great, and the disciple begins to understand—for the first time—the true significance of the words, "the Cross of the Saviour." Yet if he can train himself to stand where the four arms meet (I am here speaking symbolically) he will discover that he stands in the place of power, and at the "midway point." Then he can truly begin (again speaking symbolically) to look off to the four corners of the earth, both subjectively and objectively, and with reality;
immediately the strain is terrific.
This is one of the difficulties confronting the New Group of World Servers at this time. You will remember that some little time back I spoke of the crisis with which the group is faced. How can I express in words the nature of this crisis? It is that of the invocation or the precipitation of the Plan, for those two words are synonymous. This necessarily involves a strain—the strain of prolonged inner contact and realisation, plus the effort to use skill in action and due physical plane executive ability. The New Group of World Servers is therefore today pulled two ways. Its effort must be to stand ready at the centre. The new group today stands at the very centre and must preserve and hold its position at all costs. That which signifies the most at this time is the spiritual poise and the spiritual sensitivity of the workers.
It is to this important condition that the group members must pay due attention. Disciples and spiritual workers must not be so occupied with the details of the Plan, with the production of that which will produce the externalisation of the ideas, that the spiritual training and strengthening of the workers is neglected. In the dust and turmoil and noise of the fight, grow not insensitive and hard, or so
preoccupied that the needs of those with whom you work are forgotten or pass unnoticed. Let love be the keynote in all relationships, for the power which must salvage the world is the precipitation of love, and how shall that find its way onto the physical plane save through a group whose ears are attuned to its imminent emergence, and through the lives of those in the group who are irradiated by love itself? It is here that there is lack—not intentionally or because of the existence of its opposing quality—but simply through world pressure and strain. In the unfoldment of goodwill in the world at the close of the war—which will be one of the major tasks of the New Group of World Servers—let love be the active force among the senior members of the group. I would like to see more of it among all of you.
power used to evoke the emerging crisis of love, an increasing number of workers with first ray qualities will be drawn into the ranks of the New Group of World Servers. This constitutes the second difficulty, and it is here that I feel the need to utter a word of warning. This coming in will greatly strengthen the work but brings with it also great problems. Much of the work done hitherto has been second ray work; its quality is gentler, its technique is that of building and teaching, and its workers are magnetic and they present, when brought together, no great problems of cohesion and of group
integration. Of this aspect of work, the Arcane School is an example.
When, however, first ray workers appear to aid in the expansion of the work and to carry it to the four quarters of the earth, then certain difficulties inevitably appear. It is the dynamic quality of the power aspect which must be guarded against, not in the sense that it must not be permitted expression, but in the sense that it must be motivated by love, harnessed to gentleness, and qualified by understanding. The problem, therefore, will be to integrate first ray workers into the New Group of World Servers in such a manner that the destructive aspect of the ray will not cause difficulty, produce disruption or any obliteration of the dominant love note which should be the outstanding characteristic of all workers with the Plan at this time. Otherwise, the precipitation of the crisis of love will be hindered.
I would ask for an intensification of love between all of you, and a growth of real understanding. Forget not, at the same time, that love is the great attractive magnetic force, and will consequently draw to itself all that is needed at the present crisis and for the materialisation of the vision in due form on earth. This will require spiritual energy, sound business sense, skill in action and financial support. Remember that money is the consolidation of the loving, living energy of divinity, and that the greater the realisation and expression of love, the freer will be the inflow of that which is needed to carry forward the work. You are working with the energy of love and not with the energy of desire, the reflection or distortion of love. I think that if you will ponder on this, you will see the way more clearly. There are many first ray workers wielding the power of desire and thus materialising money. There are many first ray workers finding their way into the ranks of the workers among the New Group of World Servers. Unless these workers are swept by love, their first ray energy will wreck the work of the group. Yet they are needed at this time, for they have the strength to stand unmoved at the centre. It is the conjunction of the first and second ray workers which can carry the world through the coming crisis of Reconstruction, and it will be of value if this is borne in mind by all of you in all work connected with the new group. It is important integrating work.
You might ask me at this point to be specific and state if there is any significant hindrance which needs to be offset or changed, once realised. An understanding of all I have stated above will greatly help, for I have pointed out three difficulties. Add to this the realisation that a right handling of the broad issues will automatically tend to take care of the details. By this I mean that the establishing of sound inner group relations between all of the workers will produce that inner cohesion and one-pointed effort which must inevitably and surely produce the outer results and attract both the needed workers and the essential money.
See to it also that one department of the work is not over-emphasised in your minds to the exclusion of others, for that will produce strain, lack of balance and sometimes a sense of separation, leading if continued, to disruption. Let the consciousness be developed that there is one work being done by all, and that the whole group is concerned in the entire activity. This inclusive attitude should permeate the entire organisation, and thus the departmental spirit need not enter in.
One point I will touch upon for the clarification of your minds. The daily meditation, both personal and in relation to the group, would produce better results if the focus of attention were given to the attaining of the needed inner attitudes, the intensification of the inner spiritual life of understanding and the welding of all workers into one unity of service. A united attitude of love, of hopeful expectancy, of courage, of spiritual demand and of directed will is potent in results and will bring all that is required. Has there not been too much attention in the past to aspects of physical plane effort, and to techniques of working? Has there not been too much consideration of how to do the work and too little
consideration of the spiritual dynamics of the work itself? The need has been great and the problems many. The expansion of the work may seem necessarily to foster a departmental spirit. When such situations arise, it is necessary then to intensify the inner sense of unity. Differentiations are easy, for they follow the line of least resistance upon the physical plane. But the work is one work, and the workers constitute one group. The need now is fusion and group understanding.
Is it not true that a point of fusion achieved in the daily meditation by an individual brings about right expression in the daily life and a right handling of life conditions? A point of fusion achieved in group meditation will evoke the right results and produce an instrument of service of such power that its progress will be irresistible.
The strain of the past three years has been long and great. Many of the workers are feeling it, and the need for love and strength is great. The strain ahead will be no lighter, though it will register differently and bring different problems, but you are equal to it and to the task ahead. Success can crown the efforts being made, and the New Group of World Servers can measure up to the need, if there is a more conscious and definite attempt to stand in the centre—the place of loving power—and an increased ability to think in terms of group synthesis and fusion, and to choose with wisdom those who (from inner development and outer ability, for these must go together) belong to the group.