Skip to main content

Study and Commentaries on New Age Discipleship - 5

 On the lesson of divine indifference (and the related impersonality and spiritual detachment) we compile and study few more hints (a continuation of the last post especially for those who had Detachment(D) such as BSD,FCD,DRS,DAO,WDB,DLR,DPR,DHB,DIJ,HSD,O-LRD,SRD,LDO,WDS,PDW in their abbreviated names) given by DK - 


1. I wonder, my brother, if it is possible for me to indicate to you the life of spiritual insulation which is in no way the life of personal isolation? In this state of "insulated being" lies, for you, the solution of many of your problems. This insulation is brought about by emotional indifference to your environment and to people, but it is a spiritual indifference, founded on spiritual detachment and dispassion. When it is present, there comes the fulfilment of obligation and the performance of duty, but no identification with people or circumstance. The soul stands free, unattached, unafraid, and is not controlled by that which exists in the three worlds. This is the true spiritual indifference.


2. The lessons of divine indifference, once mastered, release the soul to union with the One. Surely it might be said that He Whom I and you and all disciples serve, the Christ, demonstrated in Gethsemane His sensitivity to that lesson and also His mastering of it.


3. The cultivation of a divine indifference as to where you are and what you are doing would be of peculiar value to you and you would profit much if each night you meditated for five minutes upon your capacity to demonstrate this needed spiritual detachment. ... It is from this lack that your work suffers. Yet it could so easily all be changed, if you learnt that divine indifference which you need-indifference to yourself and to your personality interests, likes and dislikes, indifference to your cares, anxieties and successes.


4. You are, my brother, upon the path of the Christ, and in preparation for treading this path of aiding and salvaging humanity, you have to learn (through intense feeling) the futility of emotion and feeling as a means of salvaging your brothers. You need to acquire that divine indifference which leaves the soul free to serve—untrammelled by personality reactions, for that is what all solar plexus conditions basically are.


To one of his disciple (D. H. B.), DK suggests taking each of the following questions for two days at a time and giving them concentrated thought each month for a year.


1. What constitutes a review on divine Indifference?

a. Am I confusing it with dispassion, or with a refusal to suffer?

b. Does it signify in my mind separation and consequent pain?


2. Am I capable of seeing myself with indifference, detached emotionally from any event?

a. Can I see mentally, unbiased by any reaction from the emotional personal self?

b. Do I ever do this?


3. If I use this review on indifference as it should be used, what will be the effect in my life?

a. How would this affect the group in which I seek to work?

b. Would this effect be desirable, and do I desire it?


4. Is this review a scientific method of achieving indifference?

a. Have I ever worked in such a scientific way to achieve this quality of discipleship?

b. Do I feel it a desirable thing to try out now?


c. Can I be indifferent in a divine way whilst using it?

5. What are the reasons for any belief that divine indifference is the way for me to tread today?

a. What basis for this do I find in my reading and my studies?

b. Does my soul lie behind this urge or pressure towards indifference which is brought to bear upon

me?


6. Would indifference intensify my capacity for increased usefulness in service?

a. In what way?

b. How does it help my progress on the path?


7. If it is true that the blind must advance by touching, by keeping attached, and by keeping hold; but

that those with sight, by seeing and by keeping free and unattached; why then, having sight, do I close

my eyes and hold on and feel my way instead of seeing it?


8. Is the mind the organ of vision for the spiritual man? If so,

a. Is my mind an organ of vision?

b. Can I hold my mind "steady in the light" and see life truly and free from any blinding attachments?


9. As I review this day, what part has divine indifference played in it?

a. Have I spoken from the angle of a divinely indifferent viewpoint?

b. Have I practised an indifferent attitude to myself when circumstances arose which threatened my

emotional poise?


10. We are told that self-realisation is our immediate goal; in view of this, what do I know about:

a. The indifference of the soul or self to the fragmentary self?

b. The illusion of identification of that self with the little self?


11. Again we are told that there is an archetype, a pattern, a way, a goal, a light upon the Path.

a. Which of these words expresses my personal objective and why?

b. How far is the archetypal pattern reflected in my life?

c. What attachments prevent its full expression?


12. I am the redeemer of my lower nature. Therefore:

a. How much part does divine indifference play in this redemption process?

b. In which of my three aspects—physical, emotional or mental—is it felt the most?

c. Does redeeming force play through me to others?


13. My nature in truth is love.

a. How can this truly manifest and yet with indifference?

b. Through which body do I most easily express this love ?

c. To what am I the most attached and how can I deal with it?


14. What attitude and qualities will have to be developed in me if I am rightly to practise indifference?


15. What is the objective of such a practice? Can I express it formally to myself?

a. In terms of my three bodies or aspects?

b. In terms of discipleship?



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

More on Synthesis

 Again we shall contemplate on a few more words on the wisdom of synthesis (navigating the "narrow razor-edged Path" between duality or the "noble middle path" of Buddha) from our beloved DK. However I wish to emphasize that Djwal Khul and Alice Bailey demonstrated practical (not just theoretically) synthesis. For instance Alice Bailey being born in the west was open enough to acknowledge and bring forth teachings from a far wiser eastern/oriental master Djwal Khul. She could both surrender herself (a difficult quality to develop for the western concrete mind with its overemphasis on freedom) and at the same time was careful enough to guard herself against foolish blind devotion (a vice of oriental masses). Another disciple who demonstrated practical synthesis was Blavatsky (synthesis of religions). She established Theosophical society headquarters in the west and soon shifted it to the east although she worked and died for the cause of theosophy in the west. One mo...
Post a Comment
Read more

Third Initiation : Disciple and Mental Body

 We studied initiations until the second in our ealier posts. Today let us look at the third especially from the perspective of a disciple (rather than the ray as well as the external ceremonial aspect conferred during the wesak full moon which we will cover later). The third initiation marks the culmination of complete mastery of the mental (in the same way that the earlier two initiations resulted into the control of physical and astral planes). It is a distinct initiation, which marks a definite transition out of the form consciousness (lower personality of mental, emotional(astral) and physical planes), and the initiate can function at will on the plane of the intuition though soul (ego). Between the second and third initiation work is struggling with and mastering the energies of the mental world. What kind of work ? DK sums that for us (details found in TWM book) as -  "A. Work on the mental plane produces realisation of duality. The disciple seeks to blend and merge the...
Post a Comment
Read more

Aphorisms as seed-thoughts

 Subsequent to our discussion on seed-thoughts, another great example of seed-thouht I think is an aphorism. The complete agni-yoga series of books by Roerichs are aphorisms of Ethical living (and give Ray 1 flavour of fiery will to the yoga of synthesis). Similarly the temple aphorisms of Francia A. La Due give a Ray 5 flavour of occult science to the works of H.P. Blavatsky and William Q. Judge. We quote those aphorims (as seed-thoughts) from temple teachings of Master H. (with his image):  "Days come and days go, but if thou watchest thou shalt see: THE LOAD thou hast laid on the heart of a friend will God transfer to thine own heart; heavy as it presses on the heart of thy friend, heavier will it press on thine own heart in the days to come. THE STONE thou hast cast from the path of the blind will smite the adder lying in wait for thee. THE WEIGHT thou hast clamped on the feet of another will drag thine own feet into Hadean desolation. THE SHELTER thou hast given the wayfa...
Post a Comment
Read more