Lecture Fourteen by the Master, delivered to the Youth Esoteric Class on January 17, 1923, Sofia
Fir-fur-fen Tau-bi-aumen
Contemplation
Reading: a summary of the subject: “Distinguishable features of the physical body”.
In Geometry, they speak about straight, broken and curved lines; about acute, right and obtuse angles; about circles, triangles, quadrangles, etc. All these lines, angles and figures have their meaning, yet they are dead, inert and unconscious. Still, within the living Geometry, i.e. in the Geometry of Life, they are alive, moving and conscious. Consequently, standard Geometry interprets all lines and figures in one way, and the living Geometry – in another.
Figure 1
Let us assume that lines CA and CB (Figure 1) are alive and move consciously. Then, for what reason do they start to go astray from point C and form an acute angle? Had the straight line AC stood for a positive force and the straight line CB – for a negative, they would never have parted; they would have merged into a single straight line. Therefore, these two straight lines stand for either two positive or two negative forces, and that is why they drive each other back, forming an angle. What is valid for the forces of Nature is also valid for men - some people repel each other, and others attract each other. Repulsion between people is due to the uniform, homogeneous forces working between them.
Imagine that you see a dunghill C (Figure 1) and two cocks heading to this dunghill; whereas the two cocks perceive each other as two uniform; two positive forces. The moment they come within reach of each other, they will immediately assume a defensive position. They will start a callous fight: one of the cocks will step back; the other will step forward; then both will in turn step backward and forward, thus forming an angle BCA. After the fight, one of the cocks will mount the dunghill and crow; then the second will mount and crow. Thus, they will form a triangle, representing a battleground. The more acute the angle BCA becomes the more callous and ruthless the fight gets. Those who study physiology encounter this angle in the human face, mainly in the human nose. The more acute this angle is at the base of the nose the more energetic and irritable the person becomes. We would describe such a person as active; one in whom the forces are more intensive. The narrower the nose is at its base, the more impulsive and impatient its owner is. How can we influence the forces acting in men? - By broadening the nose at its base. If someone’s angle at the tip of the nose is 5-10 degrees while at the same time the width at the nose base is 15-20 mm, we say that this person is running out of nervous energy. So, let this person, before going to bed every night; focus his thought on his nose to develop width. If unable to broaden his nose, the same person will find himself in a difficult situation in the way of wearing out his organism.
Figure 2
Therefore, the length of sides AC and CB (Figure 2) of triangle ACB, representing the size of the human nose, determine the intelligence of the person according to its breadth and depth. Triangle ACB is dependent on triangle ADC. Point D represents the human ear, while lines AD and DC are sides of triangle ADC. Sides AC and CB illustrate the intensity of thinking while sides AD and DC of triangle ADC illustrate the global intelligence of the person. Hence, we can draw the following conclusion: the thinner the nose is the greater the intensity, the agility of the nervous and mental energies and the weaker the physical energy. Or, in other words, the more acute the angle C, the greater the mental agility and the weaker the physical are. And when there is no balance between one’s mental and physical activity, he will go bankrupt, i.e. his activity is discontinued. The longer the line m is, the greater the intensity, the agility of the person. The length of line n indicates poor intelligence. From the size of the two triangles, we can draw two conclusions: the wider triangle ACB is, the weaker the intelligence. Or, the wider angle C is, the poorer the intelligence.
The nose is a projection of forces, which descend from the Divine to the physical world. The nose is a projection of these forces precisely because at the top it is thin and the more it descends, the more it gradually broadens. The same analogy we see in the rivers of Nature: each river at its rise is narrow and the further it goes forward, the wider it becomes. About angle ADC of the same triangle, we can say the following: arm CD of angle ADC is a projection of forces coming from the physical and mental worlds; and arm AD is a projection of forces coming from the Divine and Angel Worlds. These two lines originate from one centre, but follow two different directions; this is why the forces, too, follow two opposite directions. These forces intersect at the centre D; therefore D is a focal point where a number of intelligent forces first come together and then refract. Hence, each centre is a focus where one or more intelligent forces come together; and these are forces that guide the behaviour of man in the physical and Mental Worlds. Point C of triangle ACB is just as well a centre, a focal point of forces. It is situated almost on the boundary between man’s forehead and nose. Some scientists say that behind this centre there is a small opening, which they call the silent post of the Spirit. Many phrenologists deceive themselves by assuming that behind that centre a specific brain centre is to be found. Sometimes this cavity, this opening is smaller; sometimes it is larger. When we speak about projections of forces, we have to bear in mind that they are not projections of the consciousness but of the mind, of the human thought. The width of this angle is determined by the physical forces working on the human mind. The width of the human face is also determined by physical forces: the more the face narrows, the more powerfully the mental forces work. The physical forces widen, while mental forces narrow and lengthen the face.
Being aware of this, you can apply it in your life, in times when you have to consciously jolt yourself. Imagine you are indisposed, irritable and nervous; you can’t get a wink of sleep all night. What are you supposed to do then? Concentrate your thought, your mind towards the tip of your nose and imagine that your nose is gradually widening. The moment you concentrate your thought on the nose you will relax and fall asleep. In the very beginning, when man was created, he used to have a regular, well-balanced face and his spiritual life was straight, too. To regain what you have lost, you have to work rigorously on yourself from the outside. For that purpose, for several years on end, you have to keep trying until you achieve certain results. By persisting trying and practicing you’ll see in the end that you have broadened your nose, if it used to be very short. Some people have noses as wide as 30, 31, 32, 33 mm and very rarely – 35 mm, the measure which is normal.
The nose plays an important part in human life. From the shape of the nose we ascertain the living forces, manifesting through this organ. Through the nose, through the living forces that manifest and act within the nose, a person directs all other forces within him to wherever he chooses. Some people in their youth have had a regular, beautiful nose but later, having lived an irregular life, have completely distorted it. In some people, the nose is bent more to the right – which is a sign of asymmetry of the forces within them; it means that the forces within them work asymmetrically, i.e. are not in harmony with each other. Therefore, every man should balance the forces working within him. When the forces in the human brain manifest correctly, the nose is regular, too. The angle formed by the line of the forehead and the base of the nose should not be very acute, or too concaved, just the opposite – this angle should be obtuse. As a rule, the angles formed within the human organism have a great impact on men. They determine the forces, working on him. Nature has regulated everything wisely. For example, when bent, the legs form certain angles and these angles, these curves are necessary for the forces in the organism to be distributed regularly. The weight of the very organism is distributed regularly using these angles, by way of contracting and straightening of the legs. If the weight of the body fell square to the legs, without them bending they would break. Under that condition people jump a lot, but the one jumping from a high place should be a skilled athlete and obey the strict rules for jumping. Man also jumps like that in the Mental World; that is why he should take good care.
You may say that Nature has created man the way we perceive him. No, the modern man has himself wandered off the right way and, in consequence, lost a bit of his original form and constitution. Hence, according to the esoteric science, you have to return to the right course, to give in to Nature – to act upon you, to restore your original condition. If as soon as today you realize the truth about how exactly you have wandered off the right course, you will be so discouraged that all of you will leave this Spiritual School. Thus you will feel as if you have stepped in the shoes of one outstanding Russian virtuoso: he, on hearing the playing of an even more outstanding virtuoso got so disheartened, that he committed suicide. If that is the way things go, it’s better for you not to know the reasons for wandering off the right course. There are numbers of reasons for this wandering off, and none that you should be aware of. What is important for you is to return to the Divine Way. The reformation of the world depends entirely on the returning of man to Original Life, to work according to the Divine Laws.
Figure 3
Imagine that you have three forces: AB is the physical, AC is the mental and CB is the emotional, i.e. the force of emotions (Figure 3). The relation between these three forces can be expressed as AB: AC: CB. If CB, the line of emotions, grows, line AC diminishes; if line AC grows, line CB diminishes. Hence, we can derive the following law: when the world of emotions within a man grows, simultaneously within him the Mental World diminishes and vice versa – when the Mental World within a man grows, the world of emotions within him diminishes. In other words, when emotions gain dominance, man thinks less; when mind gains dominance, man feels less. That is why people say that the learned will reform the world. And what they mean by saying so is that in the way of thinking more the learned men will be set free from the impact of those emotions they have within. From the above we can conclude that, being learned, these men will be more sophisticated in their thought and more gauche in their emotions. However, the question is: how can mind and heart reconcile? According to triangle ACB when mental force lines grow, emotional diminishes; when emotional force lines grow, mental diminishes. What is the reason for this relation between heart and mind? Reflect on this question and see what conclusion you will reach. The three sides of the triangle represent projections of forces, coming from three different worlds: physical, Mental and Heart. What is the sum total of the inner angles in a triangle? (It equals 180 degrees or two right angles).
Figure 4
Here, on Figure 4, you have a square BCDA. What will happen to this square if two of its sides are shortened and the other two lengthened? (- It will turn into a rectangle). The diagonals in this square represent two resultant forces, which we compare to the will of a man. The diagonal AD divides the square into two triangles – BDA and ADC. If we assume that side DB represents the force lines of the mind and BA – the force lines of the heart, these force lines can be balanced by the lines of the will, by the will AD. The same can be said about the force lines of triangle ADC. To cut a long story short – the will is able to balance the forces of the mind and the heart within a man. Being aware of this, we can read from the face of a man what forces play a part in it, which of these forces prevail and what direction they take – upward or downward. All this information is written and can be computed mathematically, according to a strict scientific method. Observing the angles, the lines of the nose, ear, lips of the man, you can measure which of the lines grow longer, which grow shorter and thus draw conclusions about the forces in a man. This is the living Geometry, drawn on the human face. When mental forces prevail in a man, line BD lengthens and line AB shortens. This shows in the example given that the will of the man has not participated and some outer forces have had an impact on the individual. For instance, a man and a woman get married – the man has a long nose; the woman has a short nose. A daughter and a son are born – the daughter has a long nose, the son has a short nose. This shows that the father has exerted influence on the mental forces of his daughter and that is why she has taken after him; and the mother has exercised influence on the emotions of her son, and that is why he has taken after her. In the above cases the lengthening and shortening of the lines do not depend on the will of the individuals descending to the Earth; it depends on outer influences, on the influence of the mother and the father on their children. When the son and the daughter initiate conscious work on themselves, only then they will be able to freely exercise their will; and the will shall have an impact on the heart and mind to balance their forces. When an awakened, highly advanced soul comes to this world; by using its will, it will acquire the nose it wants; it will accomplish the lines of the face it wants. This soul will not be influenced by its father’s nose or its mother’s nose. If the nose of its mother is short and broad, through his/her will this individual will accomplish for himself a nose just as broad or short, as he wants.
Figure 5
As to your noses, they are an accomplished fact. You are under the influence of your father and mother. On behalf of your father is the concealed influence of thousands of generations charged with positive forces; on behalf of your mother is the concealed influence of thousands of generations charged with negative forces. You are already under the influence of these forces. To break free from their influence, you should have never, even before your birth time, coupled with them; you should have joined the wise natural forces instead. Having once coupled with your forefathers and ancestors, you have no other choice but to work consciously on your own; to harness your mind, heart and will for hard work. By working this way you will not notice how your feelings and thoughts are going to gradually change and you will start to neither think nor feel the way your grandparents did – and the lines of your face will change, and your nose will lengthen. It is enough to add to your nose one millimetre only to ascertain that your will has been working. If you can broaden your nose by one millimetre only, it will ascertain that the efforts of your will have not been in vain or fruitless.
And now, if we describe a circle around square ACBD, then diagonal AB of the square will at the same time be the diameter of the circle. What does that show? It shows that we can convert or transform the forces, the energies in Nature. It means that we can transform the diagonal of a square into a diameter of a circle. However, it is not enough to only transform the energies, we have to also measure them and express them mathematically. The diameter is a resultant force that places all the points of the circle at an equal distance from one internal point called the centre of the circle. Or, the diameter is a resultant force that sets into balance all mental, heart and will forces. On its part, the diagonal is a resultant force that shows that a man can keep balance within himself at only 4 points. These four points are the four bodies through which a man passes in his present evolution. Hence, when we say square we mean a process of development. Each of the square sides represents one of its bodies – physical, Astral, Mental and Causative. Each body represents a separate world, a separate field of active forces. The diagonal of the square is a resultant force, descending from the Divine World to balance the other forces of the square. So, the diagonal’s direction is from B to A, and not vice versa.
Now I will let you take your time and contemplate on the square without getting disheartened. If you come to something that is unclear, do not be confused. All unclear, misapprehended issues will gradually be understood. Coming across some discrepancies, many would say: ‘That’s what God has said, this is the Will of God”, etc. How do you know that this is God’s Will? No, it’s better to reason, to reflect in depth on the issues, to visualize them in their original form, and only after to give your opinion on what the Will of God is, what God has said, etc.
Imagine yourself articulating the word ishvara, which is a sacred Turkish word. One can pronounce the word ishvara correctly; another omits the first letter and only the word shvara remains; still other obliterates the letters sh and the word vara remains. In Turkish vara means wandering – i.e. this person has walked, has wandered to and fro. And what did he find wandering thus? He found the lost ish, which means work. The word ishvara means someone who gives work to people. When these people lose their work, i.e. the ish, this someone leaves them. Those who do not want to work, who do not love to work, leave out the syllable ish and set off wandering. You say: “What God gives, what God says, let it be.” And so be it, God says ishvara, i.e. you shall work. Ishvara is the sacred name of God in Sanskrit. It means that work is the essence of everything. By the word work, I mean everything that the mind, the heart and the will do. When only the heart feels, when only the mind thinks or when only the will acts independently, as a physical act, it is not work. While, when all the three act together in harmony with the Great Divine Law, it is work. Hence, by saying work in the fullest sense of this word, we mean the harmony of action between the mind, the heart and the will for the purpose of giving meaning to Life. To work implies also to bestow form, substance and meaning into Life.
For the next time I want all of you to study this lecture carefully. It contains a revelation of practical methods you will have to understand in order to make use of them. You can make sense of any science only after you have applied it in practice. If a science is not applied in practice at all, then it is deposited in the sub-conscious mind; i.e. it is stored there and remains ineffective for a long time.
So, when looking at your nose, do not be disheartened nor accuse your forefathers and ancestors. Give thanks for everything you have been given because it is a present that you cannot deny. An Old Bulgarian proverb says: “Never look a gift horse in the mouth.” If you are not satisfied with what you have been given, then work on yourselves. If you work consciously on yourselves, you will receive instructions on how to work on the various parts of your brain in order to activate the functioning of your mental forces. Thus, you will bring about balance in your being. The world you live in is very harsh and can easily run you off the rails of your life. Don’t fall prey to the illusion that a will of granite or iron shall suffice when you want to achieve something. What you need, what everyone needs, is a will of diamond. The Bulgarian has such a will, but only when he turns obstinate. He is capable of doing wonders, if his will is spent on work, rather than on obstinacy. The Bulgarian has will in the negative sense of this word; like the Jew he tends to destroy more than he creates. However, in the last two thousand years the Jews have gone through severe trials and as a result they have softened a little, gained intelligence and started to create. Being aware of this, work hard to straighten what generations before you have distorted! The face you have is a plane on which not only the deeds of your forefathers and ancestors are projected; but also the work of whole generations, whole races and ages before you.
The explanations I am giving to you, you shall use properly. To embrace the new learning does not mean to dispose of the old. The old learning will remain within you as the ground, as the foundation you build on. That is what Nature does. The wise learned man gains his learning from the old knowledge and using it as a foundation, builds on the new wisdom. Thus, he creates something good from the old.
Therefore, work consciously on your nose – if it is short and thin, lengthen and broaden it with at least one millimetre. If you succeed to accomplish this result for two years, you have a strong will. As a measure for the nose width I take 35 mm. During the following two years you will measure your nose to see whether you have accomplished the set measure. In addition, you are given another number – 37 cm – the distance from the middle of the ears to the crown of the head; this number is a set measure. The person who has these two numbers is a firm man, someone you can count on. By studying these force lines you will observe what the results are when these two numbers decrease or increase simultaneously; or when one of the numbers increases and the other decreases. By doing various calculations you will see how complex the formulae you obtain is. From this point of view, I define man as a complex Mathematical formula. And, if man is a formula, then this formula has three types of solutions: mental, emotional and physical or volitional. You would say that man is the most rational being in the world. Well, I would say, that man is the most complex mathematical formula in the world. That is why I think that man’s eyes, ears, mouth, chin and eyebrows represent Mathematical and Geometrical formulae. These formulae are represented by signs, brackets, and relations.
Only the one who knows these elements can solve any mathematical problem. These mathematical problems are a complicated matter. To solve such problems you need a sophisticated mind. For this purpose you will also need a number of measurements and a number of calculations. The one who wants to do accurate calculations and measurements has to use a pair of compasses and be able to detect even the minutest departure from the norm. If the measures are inaccurately taken, one can be mislead. At first sight a nose might seem a long one; after having been measured it may come out that it’s not long at all. For everything man should use a set measure and know the very essence of everything. He should know the role of every organ in his organism. Every man has an essential problem to solve – to establish the role of each of his organs. The nose, for example, has one purpose; the eyes –another, the ears – still other and etc. At this stage of man’s development this problem is difficult to solve, but he has to work in order to solve it.
Contemplate on the diagonal of the square and the diameter of the circle to make all these issues clear. For the next time write a summary of this lecture, to induce more Light into your mind.
All of you should know the following: Mathematics does not tolerate too much philosophizing; too much verbalization. For Mathematics everything is strictly set. If you decide to give a geometrician an account of the fact that there exists a certain relation between the nose and the eyebrows, you will need hours on end of talking to convince him. But, if you start proving the same with the language of Mathematics, he will understand everything immediately and will agree with your statement. No matter how long you keep talking to him about the lines of the face and the relation between them, he will not understand anything at all until you prove this fact mathematically. Otherwise he will listen to you but in the end will say that it is not a fact but only some sort of coincidence.
What do the crooked nails of the hawk reveal? - Its greed, its predatory nature. The hawk has crooked its nails to hold its prey tightly. When the hawk catches its prey, no one can release it from its nails. When man clenches his hand into a fist, this gesture comes to show that no one can take from his hand what he has already got hold of. On relaxing his fist, man is ready to give everything - thus he says, that he does not want to hold anything with his nails, i.e. does not want to clutch a prey in his fist. None of the movements that a man does are arbitrary. Their origin is hidden in the distant past of men. A long time ago these movements were rational and natural but today when their origin is forgotten they do not have the meaning they used to have in the past. Today we see that someone is bending his hand, but why is he bending it, we do not know. In the movement, in the bending of the hand there are some parts missing and, as a result, this bending is distorted. Some movements are very natural. For example, when you are calling somebody, you move your arms inward, towards yourselves; when you are chasing away somebody, you move your hands forward. When hiding something, the child puts his/her hands behind his/her back.
Now we are talking about the fist, but for the next time write on the topic: “The Origin of the Fist”. As no author has written on this subject, you can present your respected opinion of the fist. Or, if you happen to know what old people say about the fist, write down their opinion. When you speak or write about the fist you have to know that it represents manifestation of the will in the physical world. The first men who clenched their hand in a fist are the smiths, the ploughman, the diggers, the farmers. Contemplate on the subject about the fist and you will see where and how the need emerged for the man to clench his hand into a fist. While kneading bread or washing clothes the woman clenches her hand in a fist – she holds the piece of clothing, wrings it out, yet her hand is clenched in a fist. You will think and will refer to all authorities, what were the reasons for clenching the hand into a fist. Then, you will go ahead to the animals and there you will find similar clenching. From your observations you will conclude that greed is the reason for clenching the hand into a fist. When defending something, man clenches his hand into a fist; he moves it forward and is ready to fight. For him the fist means power and he believes in that power. When he loses faith in his fist; then he relaxes his hand and says: “This issue will not be solved in this way.” Then he clenches his fist again and relaxes it again, and so on, and so forth.
It is a good thing sometimes for the man to clench his hand into a fist, to encourage himself. When? When he has yielded to despair, has become disheartened. Let him then clench his hand into a fist, place the thumb on top and say: “This undertaking is going to work out well!” The thumb represents the Divine World and the laws acting in this world. The hand clenched in a fist means: “I have faith that this piece of work will turn out right according to the laws of the Divine World. It means that with Love I can accomplish everything”. Then, man looks at his index finger and says: “I believe in my virtue.” Next, he looks at his middle finger and says: “I have faith in my honesty and justice.” When looking at his ring finger, which is connected with the Sun, man says: “I believe in the Sun, which gives warmth to the Earth and sends light.” On looking at his small finger, the secretary of God, he says: “With my small finger I join all other fingers, so that we can together do a good work.” These are formulae you can easily work with. All the planets are to be found on the human hand – each of the fingers is connected with the influence of one of the planets. Looking at the palm of his hand man sees other planets as well – Mars, the Moon, and Venus. Once he has all the planets on his palm, man clenches his hand into a fist and says: “Now I can accomplish everything.” In that way men can polarize himself.
Many are those who say about themselves that they think right. A right thought we call the one that is connected with the rational forces of Nature. Only on that condition can man believe that his index finger, for example, is connected with the Divine World. This means, that the forces of his mind head for the Divine World.
Now, being students, you will study these subjects and apply them in your lives as methods of work.
The Secret Prayer
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