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entered upon this new century with high aspirations and messages of
goodwill conveying
the sincere desire for peace extended from nation to every
nation. Communications technology made possible—for the first time
in known history—an expression of global unity and shared aspirations.
It informed us that essentially the heart of humanity is sound. We also
entered upon this century with the powerful thrust of the energies of
a Shamballa Impact to empower us upon our way to something entirely new
and hitherto only dreamed of. But then, within barely a few years into
this new century, reactionary conservative and fundamentalist forces
(a minority when compared with humanity as a whole, but who unconsciously
seized upon this potent energy for their own selfish agendas through
their wrong reaction to it), sought to oppose the forward momentum of
the majority of humanity towards an expressed brotherhood and the coming
beauty of the Aquarian Era of universal cooperation, international sharing
and right human relations—the law of the new moral order.
The chaotic situation that has since
erupted has appeared to destabilize the tentative balance that had been so carefully
worked for during the
decades of the previous half-century since the close of the world war.
It takes much longer to build than it does to destroy.
Well might we ask: what has happened
to the determination on the part of world leaders to implement the declarations
of common principles stated
in, for instance, the Four Essential Human Freedoms of President F.D.R.:
1. Freedom of speech and expression. 2. Freedom of every person to worship
God in his own way. 3. Freedom from want. 4. Freedom from fear; or the
Eight Points of the Atlantic Charter, or the United Nations Universal
Declaration of Human Rights.
During those decisive years in the 1940’s in which these stupendous
charters were being formulated, declared and given forth upon which to
build a new era, we were also warned by the Master D.K. that it still remained
to be seen whether or not the psychological victory would be as great as
the physical one. He also warned us that if we do not solve our problems,
or at least if no progress is made and the problems of humanity remain
unsolved, at least in some measure, and if we slip back into a status that
existed prior to the great wars of the previous century, then nothing can
stop the next war. He warned us that “the next two generations” from
that period “will determine the finality of the decision that humanity
will be forced to have to make.” What does He mean by “final”?
He said, in 1944, that “if it [another war] comes, it will bring
the final death blow to the human race. Mankind, as we know it, could
not survive, nor would it be right and good that it should. The death
of a
race might then be decreed and the long process of nurturing a race of
men who would finally express divinity would have to be started all over
again. These are not idle words, but the formulation of a possibility
which can be clearly visioned, but which need never materialise if humanity
learns
the lessons of this war, recognises its mistakes, and sets in deliberately
to take those steps that will make such a happening as this past war
(1914-1945) an impossibility. This will have to be done by the simple
method (simple
to write but difficult to implement) of establishing right human relations
between man and man and between nations.”
The Master D.K. also warned that the conflict of energies that had previously
worked out in the physical carnage of those wars has since transferred
to the mental plane, and that the physical effects of war are far more
easily obliterated than are the mental effects. The great question is:
Will the race of men succeed in renouncing their present material objectives
and so prepare the way for a great revelation?—For “where there
is no vision the people perish.” He said that “for two complete
generations there must be a peace which will be unbroken.” We are
now at the decision time of that period. Such a duration was given for
time to indicate the way the tide will turn, and whether the reactionary,
material and selfish forces (found in every department of human life) will
finally control, or whether humanity could now learn its lesson and turn
thankfully to the “way of righteousness” and to the hitherto
unknown technique of right human relations. “If this program of supervision,
education and spiritual direction is not thus enforced, the war that would
then take place would wipe out humanity—as happened once before
in human history.”
He said that such a war, if it came to pass, would be waged in the field
of the world religions. He warned that if the struggles within the world
religions are not solved, if they are not reorganised to rid themselves
of reactionary, idealistic fanaticism, separative conservatism, narrow-minded
theology and ecclesiasticism, then “humanity is headed towards a
religious war that will make the past wars appear like child’s
play; antagonisms and hatreds will embroil entire populations and the
politicians
of all the nations will take full advantage of the situation to precipitate
a war which may well prove the end of humanity. There are no hatreds
so great or so deep as those fostered by religion.”
We must therefore address serious questions
to ourselves at this current time. Where are we, as a world community, in the
light of these dire warnings?
Are we permitting ourselves to aimlessly drift into such a dangerous
impasse whilst remaining ignorant of the potential disaster awaiting? Or are
things
under sufficient control and supervision internationally to offset such
happenings? Fanaticism, entrenched theological positions, and materialistic
selfishness are to be found actively organised in the religions in all
continents and of all denominations. They can be expected to fight for
their established ecclesiastical order, their material profit and their
temporal rule, and already have been making such preparations for decades.
A religious war is definitely attempting to foment at this time and has
become more apparent since our emergence into this century. Is it containable?
Can it be diffused? If so, how?
FAITH, HOPE AND CHARITY, OR—CLARITY!
While it is important to be realistic about the urgency of the many crises
confronting us, it is well to remember to be wary of pessimism. An optimistic
and positive approach takes note of the discord but it also gives full
weight and attention to the often less obvious integrative forces at work,
for energy follows thought. Crises also promote growth and understanding.
The current situation has also conveyed a greater clarity to the men and
women of goodwill of every faith, the enlightened and thinking men and
women (who, though not essentially irreligious, have—in a spirit
of rebellion—denied orthodox religion and theology), and the spiritually
minded people as to where they stand and where they draw the line. They
have all learned that the spiritual values are the only values that can
salvage humanity. The assumption by orthodox religious people that the
word “spiritual” connotes a profound and effective interest
in orthodox religion is not borne out by the facts of the spiritual life.
The questions of motive, purpose and group usefulness determine the spiritual
nature of an activity. To work for the good of the whole, to be cognizant
of the One Life pulsating through all forms, and to work in the consciousness
that all men are brothers are the initial qualities which a citizen of
the spiritual kingdom must demonstrate. The word “spiritual” relates
to attitudes, to relationships, to the moving forward from one level of
consciousness to the next; everything is spiritual that tends towards understanding,
towards kindness, towards that which is productive of beauty and which
can lead men and women on to a fuller expression of their divine potentialities.
Such people are not necessarily termed “religious” in the ordinary
sense of that word, but they are people in whom the intuition has awakened,
whose minds are subordinated to the group good, and thus free from all
sense of separativeness; they are men and women of goodwill, of high mental
calibre, with minds well-stocked and equipped, but free from personal ambition
and selfishness, animated by love of humanity and by a desire to help the
race. Such a person is a spiritual person. They stand as one in their recognition
that true religion can only come to be interpreted in terms of the will-to-good
and its practical expression—goodwill and right human relations.
RIGHT HUMAN RELATIONS AND GOODWILL
Goodwill is man’s first attempt to express the love of God. Its results
on earth will be peace. It is so simple and practical that we fail to appreciate
its potency or its scientific and dynamic effect. One person sincerely
practicing goodwill in a family can completely change its attitudes. If
goodwill were to be really practiced among groups in any nation, by political
and religious parties in any nation, and among the nations of the world,
it could—in just fifteen years time revolutionize the world. This
is no idle statement. It is a technique that has never yet been tried on
any large scale. Goodwill is the practical technique for implementing right
human relations. There are no problems and conditions that cannot be solved
by the will-to-good, which, in its practical and dynamic character is “the
will to that which is good and ought to be.” The energy of goodwill
is the most potent and abundant spiritual energy available at this time
and it is only by applying it with skill that humanity will be able to
solve the urgent problems with which it is faced. Goodwill nourishes the
spirit of understanding and fosters the manifestation of the principle
of cooperation. This cooperative spirit is the secret of all human relations
and the enemy of competition. The reservoir of goodwill between people
and nations is humanity’s most precious resource. Goodwill is love
in action.
The fate of men and nations is determined
by the values which govern their decisions.
Most determinations and decisions affecting the masses are made primarily
by governments and corporations. The only control on governments and corporations
are the values by which a society chooses to govern itself, which brings
us back to our own responsibility here: It is the values we choose to live
by as individuals which will qualify the values of our civilisation. What
are the values of those who act with goodwill on behalf of the general
welfare of all people, and so who can be numbered among those who are the
builders for the new world?—New because differently oriented.
A love of truth—which is essential
for a just, inclusive and progressive society.
A sense of justice—through a recognition of the rights and needs
of all.
A spirit of cooperation—which is based on an active goodwill and
the principle of right human relations.
A sense of personal responsibility—for
group, community and national affairs.
Serving the common good—through the sacrifice of selfishness. Only
that which is good for all is good for each one—one for all and
all for one!
These are spiritual values, inspiring the conscience and the consciousness
of those who serve to create a better future and way of life.
The key to humanity’s trouble (focusing as it has in the economic
difficulties of the past two hundred years and in the theological impasse
of the orthodox religions) has been to take and not to give, to accept
and not share, to grasp and not to distribute. This has involved the
breaking of a law which places humanity in a position of positive guilt.
War is
the dire penalty that mankind pays for this great sin of separativeness.
Impressions from the spiritual Hierarchy,
the true inner government of the planet, have been received, distorted, misapplied
and misinterpreted,
and the task of the new group of world servers is to offset this evil.
Humanity has never really lived up
to the teachings given to it. Spiritual impression, whether conveyed by the Christ,
by Krishna or by Buddha (and
passed on to the masses by Their disciples) has not yet been expressed
as was hoped. Men do not live up to what they already know; they fail
to make practical their information; they short-circuit the light; they do
not discipline themselves; greedy desire and unlawful ambition control
and not the inner knowledge. To put it scientifically and from the inner
knowledge: Spiritual impression has been interrupted and there has been
interference with the divine circulatory flow. It is the task of the
disciples of the world to restore this flow and to stop this interference. This
is
the major problem facing spiritual people at this time.
Only the voice of a trained public
opinion and the intelligent demand of the masses for right human relations can
save the world from chaos. If
this is so, then the duty of each individual disciple, man and woman
of goodwill of every faith, and every intelligent thinker is also clear .
. .
You are warmly invited to join with us at our conference to embark upon
the quest for a greater clarity pertaining to all the above, and to face
ourselves with serious questions pertaining to our collective and individual
responsibility—within the happy environment of a cultural renaissance.
———
oOo———
