On Occult Obedience

 A few months ago in the molecular group of JJ, I had posted a summary of those traits of the disciples which lead to the failure of the group experiment of DK. Those were careful handling of intensified stimulation, control of the personality faults of pride, temper and an undisciplined nature, dislike of criticism and resentment, non-recognition and non-appreciation of the opportunity, treating obedience as infringement of their freewill, inertia and laziness.

The personality faults of pride, temper can be addressed if we develop the quality of humility while the dislike of criticism and resentment can be tackled through divine indifference as we studied in the earlier posts. Today let us take a look at the "treating obedience as infringement of their freewill". Here are some of Tibetans direct words from DINA I on the theme of occult obedience - 

1. The obedience required is obedience to the Plan. It is not obedience to the Master, no matter what many old-style occult schools may say. The obedience which is asked of you is based on your growing recognition of the Plan for humanity, as it emerges in your consciousness through the processes of meditation and through definite service, based upon a growing love of your fellowmen.

2. The obedience demanded is that of the personality to the soul as soul knowledge, soul light and soul control become increasingly potent in the mind and brain reactions of the disciple. This whole problem of occult obedience would not arise at all if the rapport between soul and personality or between the disciple and the Master was complete and soundly established. The entire question is based upon the blindness and lack of knowledge of the disciple. As the rapport becomes more firmly established, no fundamental divergences of opinion can appear; the aims of the soul and the personality blend and fuse; the objectives before the disciple and the Master become identical, and the group life conditions the service rendered by both of them. It is, therefore, the limitations of the disciple which prompt the question and his fear that too much may be asked of him by the Master and his soul.

3. I would have you remember that suggestion is all that a Master ever makes to a disciple, even though He may make positive statements about human affairs. These statements may be entirely correct; the neophyte, however, is usually too blind or prejudiced by his own individual point of view to accept them. Obedience can only be rendered when there is a developed understanding and an inclusive vision; if that is lacking, the passing of time will adjust the matter.

4. As you well know, theoretically at least, at the centre of the Ashram stands ever the Master, or else an initiate or a world disciple. His task is to blend and fuse the energies, tendered and proffered by the group (under the urge to serve) and to indicate the field of service. The mode of this instinctual activity is called occult obedience and this is voluntarily rendered and unitedly followed. When any group—working in this way under a Master—is moved by one spiritual impulse and functions through one firm organisation (like electrons around the positive nucleus in an atom), the potency of the group will become immediately effective and not before.

5. There is no such thing as occult obedience as usually taught by the current occult schools. In the olden days in the East, the Master exacted from His disciple that implicit obedience which actually made the Master responsible and placed upon His shoulders the destiny or the karma of the disciple. That condition no longer holds good. The intellectual principle in the individual is now too much developed to warrant this type of expectancy. Therefore, this condition no longer holds good. In the coming New Age, the Master is responsible for the offering of opportunity and for the right enunciation of the truth but for no more than that... But, however, if advice and suggestion are accepted and you choose—of your own free will—to follow my instructions, those instructions must be followed accurately. Also, there must be none of that constant looking for results and for phenomena which has deterred the course and the progress of many would-be disciples.

6. The narrow path, which all disciples have to tread, requires obedience to the ancient rules for disciples. This is given willingly and with eyes open, though no rigid adherence to such rules is ever expected. The disciple grows through intelligently adapting his life to these requirements as far as is reasonably possible and not by adapting the requirements to his life. Flexibility within certain limits is always needed but that flexibility must not be set in motion by any personality inertia or mental questioning.

7. It is, however, wise to make the effort and to give me the opportunity by a temporary acquiescence and a voluntary obedience to prove to you that there is a purpose and a planned understanding behind my proposed technique of training. Will you, therefore, be willing to try out my suggestions and to follow my proposals for an adequately long time so as to give proof of their wisdom? It takes time in the spiritual life for adjustments to be made and for needed unfoldments to be brought about. Two or three months do not suffice to offset the tendencies and habits of a lifetime or maybe of several life cycles.

8. The training to be given calls for no enforced obedience but it does entail the submission of the personality to the will of the soul and not to that of the lower desire nature, no matter how fine or aspirational. I seek to indicate to you modes of unfoldment and to give you hints as to capacity. Beyond that I have no function.

9. As I begin my work with you, I seek first of all to make two things clear. I look for no blind obedience from you. Such is not the way of the true disciple, nor is it your way. For this you may be glad. But I do look for evidence of that spiritual experimentation which will be willing to give fair trial for an adequate time to those things which do not run counter to your developing intuition.

10. It is never my intention to be authoritative nor do I ever demand obedience. I but make suggestions and leave it to the student to apply himself or not as he may choose and as his earnestness may dictate. But I do observe his work and its results.

In conclusion: To be a probationary disciple, one can be a devotee; the emphasis can then be laid on purification and the acquiring of an intelligent understanding of brotherhood and human need; to be an accepted disciple, working directly under the Masters and active in world work (with a growing influence) requires a mental polarisation, a heart development and a sense of real values.