Lecture twenty-seven, read by the Master to the Youth Occult Class on the 2 of May 1923, Sofia
- Only the bright way of Wisdom leads to the Truth.
- It constantly cheers us.
The synopses of the lectures thirteen and fourteen from the first year were read.
The synopses of the essays “Distinction between Consciousness and Self-consciousness” and “Distinction between Sub-consciousness and Super-consciousness” were read.
For the next time, write on the theme “The Benefits and the Damages Caused by the Acids”.
Fig. 1 represents a circle. How was the circle formed? The circle was formed as a result of the rotation of the radius OA round the center. What do you call the straight line T, which touches the circumference? A tangent. So, a tangent is every straight line which has a point of contact with the circumference. It is a variant of the catenary. After the pole reaches the circumference, the catenary becomes a tangent. Can the tangent influence the circle?
Let’s assume that the circle represented in Fig.1 is a moving wheel and that its radius OA and its tangent T are in constant movement. Through its point of contact with the circumference, the tangent is constantly influencing it. Consequently, it can increase the movement of the circle if this circle is moving in the same direction, but if the circle is moving in a direction opposite to the direction in which the tangent is moving, its movement will be slowed down.
Fig. 1
In occult geometry, the circle stands for a self-conscious individual. The center of the circle is the center of the consciousness of this individual – the subject. The circle stands for his inner, subjective world; the periphery or the circumference – this is the place where the consciousness comes into contact with the outside, with the objective world. Thus, it is clear, that the tangents stand for separate units of consciousness, or separate groups of consciousness, which influence the individual from the outside and restrain him. Consequently, each change within the human consciousness shows that some tangent has influenced him – through the point of contact, it brings a certain impulse within the human consciousness and it is able to bring some change in his thoughts, in his feelings, or in his actions. If the consciousness submits to this outside impulse and follows the direction in which the tangent is moving, it will have success in the outside matters. But if it opposes this impulse and if it moves in a direction opposite to the direction of the tangent, it will clash with the group of consciousness for which this tangent stands. Besides the outer influences, which the tangents cause on the human consciousness, there also exist other influences, which are inner and subjective. In our figure the circle S, which passes through the center O, stands for a higher consciousness, which touches the very center of the consciousness of the individual and influences his subjective life. Then this individual undergoes deep inner changes, which come from his very center, and the result of these changes is what we call widening, lifting, enlightening of the consciousness, etc. Only in this case the human can free himself from the limiting action of the outer tangents.
Figure 1 represents the circle K with the three tangents – T, T1, T2, as well as the circle S, which passes through the center O of the circle K. The three tangents can be likened to three societies: T – the society of the tradesmen, T1 - the society of the agrarians, T2 – the society of the teachers. Each one of these societies will be occupied and will communicate about things that fall within the range of its interests. The tradesmen will talk about trade, about goods, about buying and selling; the agrarians will talk about fields, vineyards and houses; the teachers will talk about schools, students and books. The circle S and the Life, which manifests itself around its center, will have for their subject of communication other, more abstract concepts – the concepts of Love, Wisdom, and Truth. Whoever does not understand these concepts runs across a series of contradictions. However, these contradictions are imaginary – they are not real. Creatures that lack knowledge provoke each contradiction – they might be from the material world, they might be from the astral world, or they might be from the mental world. These worlds have a material side that influences the human life. Besides these worlds, there also exist other worlds – worlds with a high degree of knowledge, which we accept as streams in Nature. So, each world influences the worlds that stand above as well as the worlds that stand below this world. If man would like a positive change to happen, he should get in contact with the streams of the Nature that come from the higher worlds. The task of the occult science is to show the disciple the laws through which he can connect with the higher streams of the Nature. By so doing, his mind will develop normally. When the living circle S enters the life of the human, he should be ready to cope with the forces, to cope with the laws that control it. A man is not ready before he understands the laws of the environment in which he enters. For instance, if you take the fish out from the sea before its gills could turn into lungs it will certainly die. The environment of the fish is water – not air. If the fish succeeds – as did the amphibians, which are a transition stage of life – to adapt to the terrestrial life, it would be able to leave the water safely, to go from the water to the land and again enter the water. You might say then, that until you are ready for a new life you’d better keep with your old life, that is, if you cannot live on dry land it would be better to remain in the water. What you don’t know is that tomorrow this water will evaporate and – like it or not – you will find yourself on land, but unsuited for the life there. Nature will force you to leave the water. Nowadays all people feel that something strange is going on in the water. Many people already want to leave voluntarily these conditions, to come out of the water to the land. For instance, you meet a materialist, you talk with him and you notice that he is striving for a spiritual life and that he wants to leave the water. As soon as he leaves the water, he will free himself from the frogs within himself, which stand for the materialism. The frog is a symbol of extreme materialism.
So, as soon as you fall under the influence of the living circle you already cannot resist – either you get into the stream of this circle and elevate, or you die. In other words, each person who has started along the way of Truth has to keep following it. There is no going back from the way of the Truth – whoever tries to go back from this way personally sentences himself to death. Man cannot oppose the movements within the living circle. As regards the tangents, this number is undefined – we can additionally draw a fourth, a fifth, and a sixth or more tangents. Each tangent causes some change within the consciousness of the human. The changes of the consciousness can be presented geometrically; then also the center of each tangent, which influences the human consciousness, can be fixed as well, as also the direction of its movement. How many tangents should the human have? Not a single one. But if man already has tangents – what should he do in order to free himself from their influence? The consciousness should retire into its center, so that the tangent can go to infinity. What should a person do with the circle – should it be widened or should it be narrowed? When the circle is being widened the tangents are gradually emerging. When the circle is being narrowed, that is when the energies are gathering around the center of the circle, then the tangents are gradually driven back. Hence, we deduce the following law: when someone wants to free himself from the influence of the world, he focuses on the center, he focuses on God, he focuses on his own self – he focuses his mental activity on God. This denotes the awakening of the Divine consciousness within man. Contemplate over the living circle and over the tangents of the circle.
Exercise: reach forward with your left hand, slowly move your right hand over your left hand – the movement begins from the shoulder and reaches to the fingers of the hand and backwards – from the fingers to the shoulder. Reach forward with your right hand and make the same movement with your left hand until it reaches over your right hand, starting from the shoulders, reaching to the fingers and backwards. You should repeat this exercise several times with your left hand and several times with your right hand.
A secret prayer
- Only the bright way of Wisdom leads to the Truth.
- It constantly cheers us.
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