PURIFICATION OF HUMANITY

EXH 691-694

“A great part of the work to be done by the disciples who are emerging from the ashrams, and will continue thus to emerge, is of a purificatory nature at this time, and increasingly so for the rest of this century. On the Path of Probation, the aspirant is taught to purify himself and his three vehicles of contact; upon acceptance into an ashram, a large measure of the needed purification has been achieved. From then on, no emphasis should be laid by the disciple on the purification of his own nature, for this would produce too close and intimate a self-focus and tend to an over-stimulation of the personality vehicles. But the lessons learnt upon the [Page 692] Probationary Path will be found by him to be simply the foundation for the Science of Purification or—if I may use a word made familiar to you through the war experience—of De-contamination. This will be brought into full expression by the working disciples who will be responsible for the preparation of the world for the reappearance. This purificatory process falls into the following stages:

1. The stage wherein the tainted area, the hidden evil, or the diseased factors are recognised and duly contacted in order to ascertain the extent of the purificatory measures required. This is a point of danger for the disciple.

2. The process of discovering the magnetic areas, magnetised in past centuries, and even aeons, by Members of the Hierarchy. This is done so as to make available the transmission of energies there stored. In the cycle which is now close at hand, these magnetic centres will be largely tapped or utilised by the world disciples responsible for the purificatory work.

3. The stage wherein the disciple withdraws his attention from the source of difficulty and concentrates upon certain mantric usages and certain hierarchical formulas, thus setting loose the energies needed to destroy the germs of evil, latent or active, thus eliminating certain materialistic tendencies, and strengthening the soul of all that is to be purified and the life to be found within every form. It is wise to remember that, for instance, as the Master works with His disciples and strengthens the life within them and evokes their soul into potency from latency, every form and every atom within their various bodies is equally energised and aided. It is this fundamental process which will guide the disciples and the initiates in the coming work of world purification.

4. The stage of withdrawing of the purifying energies; this is to be followed by a period of stabilising the purified form and starting the life and soul within it on a new cycle of spiritual growth.

[Page 693]

I have worded all this in such a manner that it will be evident that the work to be done is not confined only to humanity, but also to the forms of life in the other kingdoms in nature.

The study of this Science of Applied Purification is one which is engrossing the attention of all the ashrams at this time; disciples in the first ray ashram, in the second ray ashram and in the seventh ray ashram are peculiarly active along these lines, for the destruction of evil is the work of the first ray, and in so destroying its effects purity is achieved; the fostering of good then becomes possible and is the work of the second ray, of the Builders; and the bringing of spiritual energy into contact with substance, and consequently with matter, is the unique work of the seventh ray because it is now in manifestation. The rays which are active and in manifestation at this time and in this cycle are there in conformity to the Plan and in preparation for the externalisation of the Hierarchy and the reappearance of the Christ. These rays are particularly involved, and therefore the initiates and the disciples in the ashrams of the Masters are also particularly implicated.

The science of Applied Purification is also the Science of Applied Energy, with the specific objective in view of "eliminating the undesirable and that which hinders the entrance of the light, and thus providing space and entry for the desired, for the good, the beautiful and the true". In the application of this science there is of course no infringement of the human prerogative of free will. This ancient science is concerned primarily with the purification and with the redemption of matter, and it is entirely in the hands of human beings, under the direction of the Hierarchy. This direction may be consciously or unconsciously registered. The Science of Redemption (to which I have several times earlier referred) is in reality the applied art of esotericism and of spiritual living which is already being taught to mankind; they are steadily learning to redeem the bodies through which they function. It is in reality the art or science of relationship [Page 694] between the Life and the lives, as H.P.B. expresses it.

As far as the other kingdoms in nature are concerned, the purification is applied by the Hierarchy, through the medium of human beings, and this can be seen in process at this time. This present activity, carried on now largely unconsciously, will be redoubled and carried forward consciously by trained initiates and disciples, working through and with aspirants. It is this that is now being studied in the various hierarchical ashrams, and when applied—after 1975—will bring about great and important changes in world living.

 

The 47th Yoga Sutra of Patanjali is about Purity:

It gives us some idea of what the Hierarchical stimulation might be seeking to assist us in achieving.

47. “When this super-contemplative state is reached, the Yogi acquires pure spiritual realisation through the balanced quiet of the Chitta (or mind stuff).

The Sanskrit words employed in this sutra can only be adequately translated into clear terms by the use of certain phrases which make the English version clearer.  Literally, the sutra might be stated to run as follows "Clear perspicuity follows through the quiet chitta."  It should be remembered here that the idea involved is that of purity in its true sense, meaning "freedom from limitation," and therefore signifying the attainment of pure spiritual realization.  Contact by the soul with the monad or spirit is the result, and knowledge of this contact is transmitted to the physical brain.

This is only possible at a very advanced stage of yoga practice, and when the mind stuff is utterly still.  The Father in Heaven is known, as revealed by the Son to the Mother.  Sattva (or rhythm) alone becomes manifest, rajas (activity) and tamas (inertia) being dominated and controlled.  We should remember here that sattva has reference to the rhythm of the forms in which the yogi is functioning, and only as they express [Page 103] the highest of the three gunas (or qualities of matter) is the highest or spiritual aspect known.  Only as rajas controls is the second aspect known; only as tamas holds sway is the lowest aspect known.  There is an interesting analogy between the inertia (or tamas) aspect of matter and the condition of the bodies of the yogi when in the highest samadhi.  Then the sattvic or rhythmic motion is so complete that to the eye of the average man a condition of quiescence is achieved which is the sublimation of the tamasic or inert condition of the densest substance.

The following words from the commentary dealt with in Woods' translation of the sutras will be found helpful:

"When freed from obscuration by impurity, the sattva of the thinking-substance, the essence of which is light, has pellucid steady flow not overwhelmed by the rajas and the tamas.  This is the clearness.  When this clearness arises in the super reflective balanced-state then the yogin gains the internal undisturbed calm (that is to say), the vision of the flash (sputa) of insight which does not pass successively through the serial order (of the usual processes of experience) and which has as its intended object the thing as it really is  .  .  . 

Impurity is an accretion of rajas and tamas.  And it is the defilement which has the distinguishing characteristic of obscuration.  Clearness is freed from this."  (P. 93.)

The man has succeeded (through discipline, through following the means of yoga, and through perseverance in meditation) in dissociating himself [Page 104] from all forms, and in identifying himself with the formless.

He has arrived at the point at the heart of his being.  From that point of pure spiritual realisation, he can increasingly work in the future.  Through practice, he strengthens that realisation, and all life, work and circumstances are viewed as a passing pageant with which he is not concerned.  Upon them, however, he can turn the searchlight of pure spirit; he himself is light and knows himself as part of the "Light of the World," and "in that light shall he see light."  He knows things as they are and realizes that all which he has hitherto regarded as reality is but illusion.  He has pierced the great Maya and passed behind it into the light which produces it and for him mistake is in the future impossible; his sense of values is correct; his sense of proportion is exact.  He no longer is subject to deception but stands freed from delusion.  When this point is realized, pain and pleasure no longer affect him; he is lost in the bliss of Self-Realization.”