I shall read to you the fifteenth chapter of St. John’s Book
Jhn 15:1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.”
This chapter is addressed to the disciples, not to ordinary people. The verse relating to the branches forms the first part of the chapter. The branches represent God’s Kingdom which is now developing on Earth. The second phase is contained in the verse:
Jhn 15:3 “Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.”
This is a comparison between the vine branch and the relationships the disciple forms. For just as a branch draws juices from the vine, so should the disciple draw juices from his Master during his development. In this process of growth our Father is a husbandman. You need to know that it is namely the principle of reincarnation which is represented by the inoculation of the fruit’s seed. Do not imagine that when you choose a wrong Path you can be planted just anywhere. No, there is a similarity in the act of inoculation due to which you are under a duty to follow this principle.
Jhn 15:7 “If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you”.
This and the following two verses relate to the thought world:
Jhn 15:5 “He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit.”
Jhn 15:8 “Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.”
These words of the Christ indicate the conditions necessary for you to become disciples. Someone says: “May I become a disciple!” Do read chapter fifteen and take note of the conditions. This is the only way for you to be disciples.
Now the second phase of the disciple is taking place. What shall become of one after she becomes a disciple? The second phase you are now seeking is Love - it is the second consecration. To those who have to enter I shall say:
Jhn 15:9 “As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love”.
The state which distinguishes a disciple is contained in the words:”…continue ye in my love.” Jesus says:
Jhn 15: 10 “If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in His love.”
Now you want to be loved but you do not abide in Love yourselves. Which one of you abides in Love, could you tell me? Where is your Love? Christ has proven that he abides in Love; when He was crucified He cried, prayed and finally He bore all suffering voluntarily. This is what it means to abide in Love! Whether one is a disciple or a Master he still needs to prove his Love. This year, I want you to prove your Love. How can Love be demonstrated? To me, empty words mean nothing and promises do not matter, either. What is significant is this present Life and your task is to bear fruit. You wish for the Heavens to open up to you, for you to have all the strength you need, for God to do much for you, but you yourselves give nothing. As far as I can see the disciples in Bulgaria want a lot. It should not be this way! The rules have not changed for the disciples of any nation, tribe, of any period in time and any century, and they never will. Now you are seeking the Christ and speaking of Him, you wish His Love, you want to know Him and think you know Him. Is it possible for you to know Him and yet fail to abide in His Love? Christ clarifies:
Jhn 15:11 “These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and [that] your joy might be full.”
Jhn 15:12 “This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.”
The third point Christ addresses is that the Love which exists among all disciples should be the same as the Love which arises between the disciples and the Master:
Jhn 15:13 “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.“
Jhn 15:14 “Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.”
Jhn 15:15 “Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.”
Jhn 15:16 “Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and [that] your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.”
Jhn 15:17 “These things I command you, that ye love one another.”
Jhn 15:18 “If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before [it hated] you.”
Jhn 15:19 “If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.”
Here, what Christ means by “world” is the Black Brotherhood, the Black lodge. It cannot love you. The modern world is governed by the Black lodge, its rules, orders and the formalities of the church are characterized by their ostentation and spirit of emulation.
Further on Christ explains:
Jhn 15:20 “Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.”
Jhn 15:21 “But all these things will they do unto you for my name's sake, because they know not him that sent me.”
Jhn 15:22 “If I had not come and spoken unto them, they would not have had sin: but now they have no cloke for their sin.”
Jhn 15:24 “If I had not done among them the works which no other man did, they would not have had sin: but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father.”
Jhn 15: 27 “And ye also shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning.”
This chapter you can read many times and ponder. It holds precious directions and exercises for any disciple.
Now, you are all inspired by the idea of leaving the Path for the Spiritual world you have entered. This is a misconception. When Spirit and flesh live and work together, they inevitably quarrel but at the same time they are so connected that each needs the other; similarly, once you enter the world you need to do your work and defeat it. If you do not defeat the world you cannot be good disciples. You will win and all it holds shall be at your disposal. If you do not defeat it, you cannot be good disciples. Christ says “I defeated the world.” If Christ - our Master did so, then so can a disciple. Now, your desire is to go in the world in order to defeat it but it is also to obey its thoughts, wishes and actions. You think all that happens in this world is perfection. Which of you does not desire to see how perfect actors play their parts? Well, is there a greater show than real life itself?! Between an actor suffering on stage and an ill man suffering in bed, who is a better performer? Between an actor killed on stage and a man killed in real life, who is a better performer? Certainly, it is the latter. Observe life and you can witness top performances of a great variety - comedies, tragedies, drama. You say: “Let us go to the theatre, this drama is to be played”. I am telling you - I have seen better plays than that. Indeed, the playwright has created a good replica through his work, but I have to ask if you have seen the original version of this drama. It is ten times better. There are painters and musicians, who copy Living Nature and if we reach a state where we are capable of understanding her language, then we will be able to perceive a things’ true essence and will then have a better and more correct understanding. The sense of hearing of modern people is not that well developed, thus, we think that Nature does not speak. But it speaks very well, beautifully and eloquently. At some times of the year, on some days, the Master of the White Brotherhood can, through a cosmic path, descend into Nature. They say of such moments that the Heavens open and different apparitions come forward. There are moments in every age when the Master descends to us and if you are aware of these moments, you will see the Splendour of Nature. Sometimes God remains silent, sometimes He speaks to us. He is silent when He is occupied with an ever so grand a thought of creation of a new world. And it is namely when these Divine acts of creation take place that the greatest crimes happen as well, as then God is too occupied to be concerned with mankind’s folly and foolishness. So now you say: “Let us commit this and this act while God is silent, now is the best time!” But once God finishes his work, He turns to us and sees it all. He keeps a record of everything, never forgets anything and anyone, misses nothing and never falls asleep. He may seemingly fail to notice you and even when He looks at you, God manifestly does not see you. He keeps his silence; continues to do so even when He observes you, but you tend to mistakenly think He does not notice you and you take comfort in this false idea. No, he did and does see you.
In order to achieve Love, you have to be disciples. In order to be loved by its mother, a child has to become a child. If it does not, it cannot be loved. Similarly, a disciple has to assume the position of a disciple in order to have Love. If you want to experience Love, you have to descend upon Earth, to accept some limitations and to realise your relationship with God. Once you become humble, you shall all feel eternal as God; you shall begin to abide in Him and shall seek no other. Once you accept the limitations and come here to work, this is when the Lord will show Himself to you in his Love. And for this manifestation of Love, you will need a body; what is more - it needs to be a harmoniously developed body. In it we need an excellent heart made of the finest matter, which exists in God’s world. Next, we need an excellent mind, created by the finest powers which exist within Nature. Furthermore, we need a soul which originated in the Divine substance, in His very essence - a soul which holds and reflects the functioning of the whole Cosmos. We also need a Spirit - this Divine ray of light which disperses Life as it is released. This is the being within. And when all of these elements are combined, then one becomes conscious that she exists simultaneously on Earth, in the Astral dimension, in the Causal and, finally, Divine world.
Now, when I say you should be disciples this is not to say you are not ones but it is desirable that you should be diligent and capable and when faced with hardship, able to find the most suitable solution. If you had a daughter who you kept locked in a castle, then she would be completely pure. If you had another daughter who remained pure after being lead into society and surrounded by any temptation and ordeal possible, which of these two would stand higher? It is certainly the latter. If you find yourselves in favourable conditions and you remain pure, then this is excellent, however, what you need to know is whether through the tests and hardships of life you can still remain uncorrupted. One who has gone through the turmoil of life, through all the temptations and, yet, has managed to keep her purity, can be said to be a disciple. You wish to be disciples, to isolate yourselves from any temptation and thus remain pure. This is the easiest thing to do but then being disciples would lose its purpose. No, a disciple walks in the world, he is put to any possible temptation; however, if he resists, you know he is a disciple. But when you set out on your Path, you say: “May the hardship and the temptations be fewer.” What an odd set of conceptions! You will have just as many difficulties along your way as are necessary for your growth and development. Take for instance a secular school and its curriculum. In first grade it corresponds to the level of understanding of the pupils; in second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth grades - it is the same. If people arrange things in life in this manner, then imagine how much better at this must be our Lord! May God foresee everything! We have set out on our Path and now say: “Dear Lord, please give us not difficulties which will break us!” We give our Lord advice! What this means is that we do not truly believe in Him.
This is a trial, a temptation. Instead we should say: “Dear Lord, we shall fulfil Your plan as You have drawn it up for us. May Your Will prevail!”
Now, I speak to those who are already preparing, who are on the doorstep of acquiring their status as disciples. You would say you are already disciples. Yes, of course, but there are disciples of first, second, third, fourth grade and so forth; from one disciple to the next there is ample difference. Moreover, there are high-school students, university students and finally - esoteric students or disciples. The word disciple is different from student. Sometimes, when I say you are not disciples as yet, you disagree “How come we are not!”. You are like primary school students rather than high-school students. Then you become like high-school students but still not university students. Is this not true? It is. Oh well, let me ask you now what should be the qualities of the disciples in the esoteric school? All the qualities required of a disciple need to be clearly determined for you and you have to possess these characteristics. The aim of a trader is to be rich and this is a right aim. The aim of the fighter is to be strong and tough. The aim of the warrior on the battle field is to prevail over the enemy. The aim of the one who is hungry is to satisfy his hunger, of the one who is thirsty - to quench his thirst. The aim of the disciple is to learn. And thus, our goal throughout the year will be to learn. What exactly? How to love. The first thing to learn is how to love! The second is to learn the ways and methods in which this Love is manifested. The third task is to know the conditions which will allow us to demonstrate our Love.
In order for people to love you, there has to be something about you. For instance, you love music; if you know how to play, I will love you. You like art, painting; if you excel at it, if you are a first -class artist and do a painting, I will love you. You love compassion; I see you perform an act of compassion which is of assistance to someone and you uplift them – I will love you for that. In consequence, in order to be loved by people, you must always manifest your Love to others; you have to demonstrate your Love for the weaker through your acts. In order to be loved by her child, a mother must be able to educate it. Then all say: “She is an excellent mother and a wonderful example to others.” But if she then abandoned her child and left its education to others, if she instead chose to frequent different meetings which concern her private interest and no public matter, and if she were to leave her children on their own, then anyone would say: “This mother should know better than to leave her children alone and fail to educate them”.
Now, you may know all there is to know in the world but you do not know how to serve Christ, your Master, you are unable to apply His Teachings. When you need to apply the principles, you do not know how to go about it. If I were to ask someone whether the teachings of the Christ are applicable and capable of being practised in the modern world, she would reply they are inapplicable and incompatible. Also when Purity is concerned, you say “We cannot be pure, I am married and thus could not possibly be pure.” Even if not married this one would still be impure. A woman is to you like a carafe which serves to keep you from becoming dirty. But do you know when a man and a woman become dirty? When they have such a union where they have their eyes fixed on the outward expression of their relationship: the man looks at what is on the outside, the woman looks at the same. But looking at the exterior is what brings dishonour. When one stops giving importance to God within and admiring His Love, but starts to admire the outer side, then he is on the road to crime - he has committed all the crimes already. And then anyone can disarm you: you can be disarmed by the eyes of a woman, when they are dark, when she has a plump figure, or that she has a beautiful nose, that she has full lips, and so on and so forth. Further on you can be disarmed by the fact that someone has houses, a field, and money. Anything can disarm you and thus weaken you. This is no longer Love; this is what is referred to as “scene of the crime” in the Holy Scriptures. If you are for instance disarmed by the knowledge of your teacher and love him for nothing but them, then you are committing a crime. Knowledge is not a goal in itself because it is Love that brings Knowledge within. You cannot behold Knowledge until you have Love. You lead yourselves into believing that you can achieve Knowledge before you attain Love. Only the one who has Love in its completeness can have knowledge. Do not think that you can have any Power whatever without Love. All statements to the contrary are false and fictitious. You say you can accomplish something without Love. But look for examples of this throughout history - there is no single reformer, not a single Great Master who took on his mission without Love and had success. He may have had temporary success but then everything necessarily collapsed and went to waste afterwards.
Therefore, I am saying now that all your power, if it is demonstrated without Love, will go to ruin, will be a waste. And then you will say: “Why did we have to take this venture!”. Yes, you cannot succeed without Love. Only with Love! I am telling the truth in a way no one has before: without Love one cannot do anything.
Someone may say: “Once I acquire Knowledge, the road before me will be clear and easy”. No, first you need to have Love and then you will attain true Knowledge. In this respect, there are no exceptions. You may say your hearts are cold. Why? Because you do not have Love. - “But how do I acquire it?” Well, where are you searching for it?...
I shall leave this question unresolved but remember that all in the world is unveiled only through this Love that is hidden within Divine Wisdom and Divine Truth. When you realise this thought you shall have a revelation and will have an impulse which will lead you to see all human souls in a different light. Then you will think of everything as dear to your hearts; even the most ghastly creatures like frogs and snakes: after you look at them through the enlightened eyes of this Love, you will say of them: “Poor creatures, how sorry I feel for them! What could the reason be for this plight of theirs?” When you come across a tortoise, you will stop and exclaim: “How sorry I am for you! I understand why you are wearing this carapace.” When you happen to see a snake you will not be afraid but shall say: “Poor thing, now I understand you, I know the reason why you are crawling and squirming”. And you shall feel solely compassion. Now, when you meet someone you tend to say: “What a hypocrite you are! I know all about you - you want to lie to me, to lie to your God and think I do not know. I am not lied to easily!” If you reason like this, then you have surely already been deceived. If you know the Truth, you will think: “I understand where this brother of mine has tripped and this situation is familiar to me.” You will then see through the reasons that he behaves in this particular way – he is solving a difficult task.
I want to give such examples with the disciples who formed communes; I need examples and I reckon they will not be offended if I use them to demonstrate my point. So a disciple comes to me and says: “We have found the true Path, we founded a commune and as we are secured with a home, I can now leave work. We will start a commune in this city and will thus serve as examples and enlighten people”. I tell him: “Do not demolish your house before you build the new one, or in other words - do not leave your old position. “ Another brother then comes from Sofia to give a lecture on communes. A sister who hears the talk tells him: “This brother from the commune has found the solution and knows how many acres of his field he needs to work in order to feed forty to fifty people.” However, no later than four or five months afterwards, the brother refuses to feed these people. Why? The work was not well considered - it is not as easy as that to feed so many people. For this you need Love, Love! This way some disagreements occurred, the people in the commune had a row and then separated. And afterwards they come to ask the Master to fix the situation. This is what I can say: I will fix this when you can no longer make amends. Later these same brothers established another commune but it is not successful, either. While the idea is an excellent one, these brothers are lacking in Love - they wish to secure themselves before the others, so they take extra.
Now, many of you wish to be my disciples in order to be well provided for. But with me, there is nothing secure. You will work just as I do. I have not provided for myself. Some will ask: “When you grow old, what shall you do and who will be there to look after you?” When I grow old I could stay hungry forty to fifty days – I will suffer a bit, will resist. – “But you could die this way.” We die when we eat and when we do not, so then what is the difference? If this is meant to happen to me, I find it irrelevant if it will be in abundance or in penury. This is an unimportant issue in which I take no interest.
Therefore, the first condition for the establishment of communes is the presence of strong conscientiousness. Disciples join together and act in mutual assistance. However, in the communes which you are now entering, you do not allow others to take initiative and ordain in the Lord’s Name. I often notice that people seek to impose their views about things. For instance, in the country those who follow me say that they do so because the Spirit told them. Others, in order to facilitate my work, persuade the rest that it is necessary to fast and that was the order of the Master. These people go on telling stories on behalf of their Master. And those who listen to them wonder how come the Master tells them one thing and then a completely different thing to the others. Do not be fooled and ask me when you are confused. I am here with you so why not come and verify the truthfulness of all you have heard. I speak with the spirits as well. If I were in Paul’s shoes, I would say “If someone were to say I was a Jew I would say I was twice the Jew he is.” Thus, if someone claimed I had sessions and communicated with spirits, then I would reply I had twice as many sessions as he imagined. And in my communication I do not need mediums but talk to them directly. Some accept all the spirits say as the unshakable truth. No, on the other side there are just as many lies and impurity as there are here. There is evil there as well, and fermentation even more than here but it is all so subtle that you cannot see it. In order to grasp the far -fetched deceit and traps which haunt you, you need to have a sharp and perspicacious mind. When you enter the spiritual world the spirits will welcome you and hand you clothes to put on, will treat you to some food and will take you to their woods and meadows. But there are flowers there which intoxicate and induce sleep. So, when you wake up you will no longer know where you are. They start well in that world but end badly. So, when you find yourself surrounded by such flowers, do not fall asleep but keep your minds alert. Some will say: “If there are lies involved, then, it is better not to take an interest in the Spiritual world.” No, you need to know about it, but be smart and remember that spirits behave as we do, the difference is that they have finer bodies. They are bored sometimes and take an interest in earthly matters; sometimes they make up false stories like we do. Someone told me how a spirit in the town of Pleven called a person and told him: “You will conduct this experiment: take a candle, then look in the mirror and exactly at twelve o’clock you will see me as never before.” The man then takes the candle and at twelve he gazes at the mirror but sees nothing. At last he hears a voice: “Do you not see this donkey in the mirror?” Then he understands it is all about himself and it is all a mockery… Now, this should not cause you to lose heart in the least. If you know the rules, you will not go and look for the spirit’s reflection in the mirror but will awake within yourselves these spiritual senses. You cannot see a spirit with your physical eyes or understand it with your physical feelings. You need to awaken within yourselves spiritual senses and use them to acquire knowledge of the Spiritual world!
Now, a disciple has to know his Master. The Master is not on Earth. He might have a physical body but he always remains in the Heavens above. In form he is down upon Earth through his body but in substance he is up in the Heavens. Therefore, wherever you are and whatever you do this year you need to acquire the Love of your Teacher! Years ago a young lady, one of the most intelligent women I have ever met, told me: “I have this rule: I interact with all people very well but when I meet someone, I aim to find her one best quality and as I focus my mind on it I cause her to manifest it and then, no matter how rude or bad she is, a reaction occurs.” A laic has come in her spiritual growth to this revelation and these results and I recommend her behaviour to you, it serves as a good example. When you meet someone, you should both try to find a good trait in each of your characters. Do not concentrate on the bad qualities of the other; they are temporary things which lead you away from the Truth. Only this practical experience can lead to success. Do not do it out of obligation or because it is imposed upon you, but endeavour to try it. Just as the young lady discovered this art, so can you.
Christ says: “I am the true vine”. Imagine that you are on this vine, that you yourselves are a twig engrafted in Christ. Do not seek Him anywhere but do believe that you are a branch and aim to understand the language of the vine. You will learn Christ’s language! It is not Jesus who should learn a disciple’s language but the disciple who has to learn His language. And when you learn it and start speaking it, then nothing you shall request will be denied to you. If you wish to learn His lessons you need to learn His language and how to speak it. If you do not speak His language you will see that you can address your words to Him for days and yet fail to receive His attention. On the other hand, if you only say one word in His language, He will notice you and listen. During this one year I want you to learn the language of Christ. The beginning of this language is Love. So, start with this first word - to love. It is not the first one but you need to begin with it. In the Bulgarian language, the word to love has a higher moral content than the meaning to fall in love. To love expresses a stronger feeling. Thus, you need to ask yourselves if you love Christ. But do not reply “I love Christ”; reply that you have “come to love the Christ”. When you use this expression, you change the meaning you put in this word. And it is a more powerful expression. This is why you need to remember it and make it a part of yourselves. Sing it! If you had Love you could now write a song about this expression and it would be the best song you have ever heard. You will say: “Master, sing us the melody of this song!” I will answer sincerely: one who has come to love only sings to his beloved. But if this one does not love Him back, He is silent. Thus, the Christ is silent and cannot sing for you.
Now, as far as a song is concerned: yesterday I sang to you “Bless and forget not”, I also sang “Fir-fur-fen” 28. You can sing of things unknown but not of things familiar to you.
In the future, your hearts have to become so delicate as to allow you to sense the different shades of things. There is spiritual sorrow hidden within your soul. If you only knew how big and deep it is! There is sorrow which cannot be expressed through a sigh - so deep are these feelings that only the soul which contains and lives them knows what grief is. Whoever experiences deep and overwhelming grief that exists in Nature, has his clothes whitened and he is purified and cleansed from within as well. But do not think whiteness is the key to everything; it needs to evolve into Light, go through Life again and bear fruit in the Divine world, fruit which will improve Life and find their realization in this manner. Therefore, this white colour has to be transformed into Light, the latter has to turn into action and thus be used in the conscious Life and then produce the fruit on the Tree of Life. And when we eat them, when the soul feels the presence of our Lord in His completeness and magnificence, when we taste the great splendour in the Word of the Great Master of the world, then we shall comprehend the deep meaning of His Word.
This year, all of you shall have the necessary conditions and an opportunity to become familiar with the language of your Master and learn it. Many of you tell me you saw Christ in your sleep. I ask them if He spoke to them. - “No, he only passed quickly.” How do you expect Christ to talk to you when you do not understand His language? Once you have learned it, Christ will talk to you and say: “If you only have Love for one another.”
Now many of you will go into the world. There you will experience hardship, misunderstandings, obstacles, doubt, but anything can be overcome with this inner Completeness achieved through the knowledge and use of Christ’s language. This is why instructions will be given to you and we will thus understand each other. What would happen if I could not put myself in your shoes? Why does the doctor understand the plight of his ill patient? If the latter took the medic’s hand and said: “Doctor, you are the only one who can cure me; to me you are God, my mother and father - I have no one else; only you can relieve me of my pains!” Then the soul of the doctor would awaken and he would say” I will help this patient.” But if the patient were to say: “You are a doctor and it is your duty to cure me, this is what I am paying you for!”, then he would remain silent and ignore him. If you want and ask, the Divine will awaken within this doctor and he will say: “I will help this man” Now many say: “If He shall so desire, God will cure me.” What do you mean - if God so desires – you are the one who has to desire recovery! Then start and pray according to all rules, cry if you must and say: “Beat me, crush me, but only You will help me!” Then God would say “This ill man deserves (to be healed) but I want to make him turn to me”. Some of you say: “We had better not go to the Master, it is better not to disturb him.” Others speak to me: “Master, I wanted to ask you something important but I am noble and do not want to disturb you like the others do.” I am telling you - you have now disturbed me more than the others. You, who had to solve this issue at that given time, failed to do so and you now wish to lie to me. The lie has entered your soul. I would prefer it for anyone to disturb me but to solve their problem expediently and in compliance with all rules and principles of Divine art, to solve it according to the principle of Love. There is one issue for the solution of which I have never refused advice. I have never refused to receive anyone whose heart was under extreme pressure. I have never let anyone down. If someone’s will power was very strong, I would tell him: “You have will power as strong as steel or granite, you do not need my help” Now I speak to you in the name of Christ, in the name of God: since Creation I have never failed to help a sufferer. I shall state this more simply - as they are written in God’s book: never since the beginning of the world’s existence or since the creation of Cosmos has a soul in plight knocked on the Lord’s door and failed to receive help; in spite of his constant engagement with His affairs, He is always ready to assist. Never has a troubled mind knocked on God’s door and failed to have a ray of Light sent to it. And there is no exception to this. So, when we approach God with all our mind and heart and when our souls are in hardship, He shall speak to our minds and hearts.
Now, you wish to be disciples and this is a commendable aspiration. There is no more beautiful desire than to be a disciple! Whoever was once a disciple remembers these days with admiration. It is the same in an esoteric school. There is no more beautiful wish than to be its disciple. Now, as disciples I wish you all success on the way to Truth. I wish you to become familiar with the language of Love, its grammar - to know where to put the noun - in the beginning or in the end, the same with a verb or an adjective, a connector or an interjection. I wish you to learn the language of Wisdom and that of Truth. And next year when I say: “Tell me Truth”, then you will start talking about it in the appropriate language. How beautiful and how excellent this language is!
Yesterday evening a disciple, whom I commend, came to me and said:
“Master, I shall tell you a bitter truth about myself: I failed to resist love as I should have, I failed to preserve my purity.” So I told her: ”I congratulate you on your courage!” She had started to speak the language of Truth. This sister then went on: “I should have done this earlier but my will power was too weak; from now on I wish to speak the Truth like never before. I want to be pure - pure like I have never been before.” The story I have just told you is a perfect example, I commend this disciple and wish for everyone to follow suit. There are many disciples who are not better than her but are considered better. We have to be brave and decisive in the Lord’s eyes, to confess every sin and all uncleanliness. We need to open our hearts and let go of all impurity. Confession is what we all need! What confession? Perfect confession: you shall face your Master and tell Christ within your souls: “Master, I have not kept to Your Love until now, did not abide in Your Purity, but from now on I will apply Your Love in all its completeness!” Then the devil will come and say: “Wait, do not give a promise, are you certain that you will manage to keep it?” You will then say “I will keep it! I will keep Purity!” Then another temptation will come along and you will ask yourself if you can walk with this Purity. Where there is Love, there is Purity as well. Finally, one last temptation remains - you shall think: “This Master of ours wants to make us saints, to deprive us of all the goods in the world.” If I love the world, what does it matter that I renounce it? You think that if you give up the world or something else nothing will remain of you or what used to characterise your personality. Do you know what this sort of reasoning makes you look like? You resemble the frog that says: “If I were to leave the marsh, what would my life turn into?” Better life exists. Is not the life of a musician better than the quacking of the frog? Does not an artist who paints beautifully stand higher than the frog? Does not the one who reads David’s psalms and the Holy books stand higher than the frog that only quacks and makes noise? I am telling you - when you leave this life the perspectives before you will be a thousand times grander and more glorious than the present life.
As you are formed today, when a mother and daughter meet and kiss, the former shakes off and says: “Your lips are cold.” Why is she discontent? Because in this kiss there have to be vibrations - your soul should vibrate as if it were to become this kiss itself. A mother considers this requirement as entirely natural. The daughter kisses her but the mother is not contented, she feels that the daughter loves someone else more strongly and gave them a warmer kiss. The mother sighs and wonders: “Is this why I gave birth to her? She gave someone a warmer kiss and neglected me.” Similarly, do not think you could lie to me with some last kisses. I do not kiss for last or accept leftover kisses. I speak in the Name of the Lord. He does not give or receive last kisses. When the Lord kisses you, you will rise, will liven up, will be resurrected, will become virgin and as pure as an Angel. Virgin signifies the kiss of God, the kiss of Christ. I wish for all of you one day to receive this kiss, to rise, fill with life, be resurrected and say: “Now I know this infinite Divine Love, the Love of Christ, our Master of whom many have talked for so long.” You have sought and seek Him still. This is the one and only Path! Live in the world, work but always keep these three things in your minds: first, all in the world receives its meaning and makes sense through Love, second, all in the world is only created through Wisdom and, third, all in the world is only protected through Truth. Whatever work you take up, put into it Love, Wisdom and Truth. May all be conscientious and then work will go smoothly.
Whatever these Teachings are applied to, they have no exception. There are no exceptions to the principle of Love. Christ says:
Jhn 15:5 “I am the vine, ye [are] the branches”
So, if you start a commune, call upon Christ and say to him: “Lord, we want you to have a share in this commune and be with us; we begin in Your Wisdom, we begin in Your Love, we begin in Your Truth.” Do not venture upon setting up a commune for ten people only but open it to the whole Divine world - let it serve as an example to the world, this expression of Truth!
Now we are setting up a School 29. Some consider that its members will only be chosen ones. No - it is open to all with no distinction! Anyone who can love, anyone who can think for themselves, anyone who can speak the Truth is welcome to become a disciple. It is irrelevant whether she is big or small.
Next year, we shall meet again and talk. Then you will bring those ten topics. Let the most capable student write something on the topic of Love - in prose or poetry – as she chooses. But may she express her ideas so that each word has its meaning and weight and at the same time remain natural - express Love as she understands it. On the second subject may the most capable student write something on Wisdom - what exactly it represents. On the third subject, may the most capable student write something about Truth. Each of your works should be no longer than twenty small pages. Do not write too finely to trick me. Only write on the lines and not between them; only on the front side of the page and leave the back side blank. Only ten pages - no more! Write less if you will but not more. You can say something about Love with ten words, ten sentences or ten pages at most.
Now, let us have a release/relax a little bit. Do you realise your own situations? You are like the rings of a barrel which is tightened by the cooper. He tightens all the rings so that no gaps remain. Then he pours water and again makes sure there are no leaks. Finally he turns the barrel around, takes out the rings and uses a big trying plane… The barrel wonders how long the process will be. Until there are no more leaks. Now that the barrel is ready, the rush can be put but if a ring breaks, there will be work again next year.
Now you will set yourselves free and say: “We are now free and under no obligation to abide by the rules!” But after we set you free do not think of walking away. No, you can stay tomorrow and the day after tomorrow - according to your work and circumstances. Do not think I am signing your passports; a day, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine or ten - you can stay. I decide for up to ten days, the residents of Veliko Turnovo decide for any longer periods. For they can say: “How long do these people intend to stay here and keep our Master occupied?” But I do not believe they will say such a thing since they have already experienced this last year. Out of Love you can stay for as long as you like, you are welcome. Eat and drink as much as you wish, but once you leave, go and pay your debts. Receive and treat others like we treated you!
27th August 1922, Veliko Turnovo 30
28 “Bless and forget not” and “Fir-fur-fen” – music exercises given by Master Beinsa Douno at the annual reunion of the White Brotherhood in Veliko Turnovo, 1922.
29 Setting up a school – Master Beinsa Douno inaugurates the School of the White Brotherhood on February 24th 1922 in Sofia.
30 The lecture “I am the vine of truth” was first published in the literary miscellany “I am the vine of truth”, Varna 1992.
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