I've been contemplating on mind and soul understanding among students
and felt impressed to write a few words.
As far as soul contact goes seekers fit into several categories.
(1) Those who believe they have soul contact and do.
(2) Those who believe they have soul contact and do not, or not as
much as they think.
(3) Those who believe they have it from time to time.
(4) Those who want it and not sure if they have experienced it.
(5) Those who are pretty sure they have never experienced it.
The problem is that these divisions create problems, just as all
situations where separation occurs create problems. Since this is a
natural separation that happens to all of us as we progress upon the
path there is nothing we can do to change the situation. The
solution lies in understanding the situation and seeing the inner
unity behind the outer divisions.
Divisions 1 and 2 are generally the spiritual teachers among us and
there is often a cleavage between these and the other three. A lot
of this comes from the perception that these teachers are being set
apart either by themselves or their students. Categories 3-5 will
often perceive the upper two in the following ways.
(1) They perceive the teacher as thinking he is better than others.
(2) They perceive that some devoted students think they are better than others.
(3) They perceive others think they are always right so if they
disagree their opinion doesn't count for anything.
(4) They think they see more truth from the resources they have than
does the teacher who thinks he sees in the soul.
This problem is complicated by the fact that most teachers who think
they have reliable soul contact are merely in touch with solar plexus
energies and many of these do have an air of superiority and
infallibility. In these cases criticisms like this are often
accurate.
The irony, however, is that these perceptions of superiority and
infallibility are more pronounced in the groups headed by a true
teacher with real soul contact than a false teacher. The reason for
this is the false teacher uses the authority of the Beast and speaks
more strongly to the astral feelings in devotees. Because of fear or
glamour, which is thus created, the students are much less likely to
speak out.
The true teacher attempts to cultivate an atmosphere of maximum
freedom of thought and speech and because there is more feedback he
will often be viewed by outsiders as more worthy of the criticism
than the false teacher with a muffled following.
That said, categories 3-5 often contribute to the problem. The core
reason for this is the ego. The ego tells us that we are as good as
anyone else. Because this is true on the inner planes this thought
is seen internally as true, but the truth is warped by the ego to
produce separation and isolation to the student whereas true equality
produces unity. The ego takes that which is different and says it is
the same, whereas the soul sees eternal equality and unity and
transmits the ideal to the disciple.
Lets use the Spanish example again. If I were to take a Spanish
class from someone who can speak the language it would be silly of me
to assume I am as "good" at it as is the teacher. The ego tends to
twist the meaning of the word "good" into relating to the whole
person. If the student begins accusing the Spanish teacher of
thinking he is better than the students he is warping the use of
good. In a sense of wholeness no one is better than anyone else, but
all of us are better than others in some areas where our talents are
concerned.
The teacher or student with soul contact may indeed have more ability
(for want of a better word) to perceive through the soul, but he will
never desire to present the image of being a better person. His main
concern will be his own ability to communicate, to help and to serve.
This will often not be seen correctly by students. Those who
themselves are struggling with ego will see motivation of the teacher
as being from the ego whether it is there or not. Ego sees ego in
all except authorities of the Beast. The soul sees ego where ego
lives and soul where soul dominates.
Generally speaking it is true that none of us like being wrong, or
having our words or thoughts seen as inferior to the words and
thoughts of others. It is almost a miracle that any of us can be
students and learn from anyone, but we all manage to do it at one
time or another, some of us better than others.
Fortunately, learning is fairly uninhibited if we learn from an
accepted authority. This accepted authority carries even more power
and there is less resistance if he has finished his work or removed
from access to his personality.
For instance easy authorities to accept by many members of this group
are: DK, Jesus, Ayn Rand, Tesla, various scriptures, Buddha and
others.
I, being a living accessible teacher, am much more difficult to
accept. In another hundred years it will be much easier for students
to study my teachings without resistance for I will only represent a
name from the past that seems easy to accept or reject and in no
perceived competition with anyone's ego
Since we cannot avoid living teachers perhaps some tips are in order
to effectively deal with them. Here are a few.
(1) We must realize that living teachers and innovators will always
be necessary. Because of evolution and changes in society we cannot
learn all we need from dead teachers. We must all be mentally
conditioned to be open to learning from others. None of us are
experts in every field and all can learn from others who are living.
(2) The ego must be recognized for what it is and overridden by the
mind when it interferes with learning or cooperating.
(3) Each of us has areas where we excel. We can often placate the
ego by telling it something like this: "So what if Bob is my teacher
in this area. I know more than him in X area." When the ego is
still in play tactics like this can be helpful.
(4) The seeker must realize that living teachers can help him, or
stimulate him to progress. Even the ego likes personal advancement.
(5) The seeker who does not believe he has soul contact should
realize that the energy of soul filters down to us all. Many of us
just do not consciously access it, but all are influenced by it.
Soul energy is equally available to all, but it does take attention,
focus and purity of motive to consciously register it.
The seeker who has not established conscious soul contact has many
perils to face in crossing the bridge between spirit and matter.
Later new perils emerge but he must concentrate on where he is, not
where he is not. If he does not successfully navigate the ego as he
is on the road to mastering the ego many frustrations will occur and
he will be in a constant state of tension with seekers who do have
true soul contact.
For all of us to overcome our next hurdle, the advice is the same:
Follow the highest you know and let not your attention fall below
that level.
This attitude of non-interference and the refusal to criticise, in no
way prevents service to each other or constructive group relations.
It does not negate the expression of love or happy group cooperation.
There is ever much opportunity for the practice of impersonality in
all group relations. In every group there is usually one group member
(and perhaps several) who constitute a problem to themselves and to
their group brothers. Perhaps you yourself are such an one and know
it not. Perhaps you know who, among your co-servers, provides a
testing for his fellows. Perhaps you can see clearly what is the
group weakness and who it is that is keeping the group back from
finer activity. That is well and good, provided that you continue to
love and serve and to refrain from criticism. It is a wrong attitude
to seek assiduously to straighten out your brother, to chide him or
seek to impose your will on him or your point of view, though it is
always legitimate to express ideas and make suggestion. Groups of
disciples are groups of free and independent souls who submerge their
personal interests in service and who seek that inner linking which
will fuse the group into an instrument for the service of humanity
and of the Hierarchy. Continue with your own soul discipline and
leave your brothers to continue theirs.
Discipleship in the New Age, Vol 1, Pages 48-49
--
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