ACTIVATING LIFE PURPOSE
There is a "plan" for everyone's life. This life plan was created by YOU, the soul, before entering the physical dimension. When "on target" with one's life plan a sense of purpose and well being vitalizes and regenerates. Energy and inspiration are abundant. Many opportunities are presented to get the knowledge (and the experiences) to activate this inner knowledge. Even though we may not yet realize that we have the capacity to lift and aid others in some way, once we ask for the vision to see more clearly, a larger part of the great Plan of God, of which our plan is a part, more is revealed.
ONLY YOU AND YOUR MASTER KNOW YOUR LIFE PURPOSE
You and your Master are the only ones who know your life plan. Others' contribution of light and love may be similar to yours. Still others may be learning simply to balance basic physical requirements, or to relate with others from the heart. For those of you who choose to pursue a spiritual path (regardless of chosen religious or philosophical beliefs) these skills are only part of your life plan. They enable you to set aside the time to work in a spiritual group — often in addition to your family.
TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE WISDOM TEACHINGS
We are spiritually stimulated when studying the ancient wisdom teachings that is free from dogma and provides an overview of humanity's evolution and its present needs. When the mind is engaged in spiritual knowledge through study and meditation, ideas stream in concerning the areas where each one will be most effective.
RECOGNIZING NEW OPPORTUNITIES
Many times a great opportunity is missed because an important choice was made by the little self, the personality instead of the mind illumined by the soul. In that case our choice would have been to feel comfortable and secure. Or it may have enabled us to stay within old familiar ways of thinking. Possibly our personality wanted to avoid a challenge or conflict. The challenge presented may be to sit down and organize our time, to set up deeper meditation periods, to respond to and use the ideas that come to mind. Every so often we are challenged to discriminate between the essentials and non-essentials in accomplishing our life plan. Our environment rarely supports the true purpose of our life. The temptation is to take the easy way out, to be and do what others expect of us. This may be especially true in families.
LIVING IN THE JOY OF THE SOUL
When you begin to work in a spiritual group in service to others, the joy of the soul descends into your daily life. This joy is different than happiness. This usually depends upon outside circumstances fitting our desires. Joy is like an aroma with such a fine and rare fragrance that you deeply inhale its energy and beauty. This joy is the elixir of life, and it is available to anyone who makes the decision to live as the soul and upgrade the personality until it can merge with the soul. This upgrade has several levels and your attention is required every minute of every day.
STEP 1 UPGRADING THE PHYSICAL BODY
The first step is eating fresh produce from nature, getting the sleep and exercise and sunlight to purify the etheric body and vitalize the physical body. Frequently certain supplements are necessary. This knowledge today is widespread. Those who ignore it will learn later through illness and pain. We are each required to create during our life a finer body than the one we were born with. We are using borrowed material to get this body; it is for the purpose of carrying out our life plan, giving us a voice, hands and feet to fill the needs and purpose of the soul (our true self).
STEP 2 FROM EMOTIONAL ILLUSIONS AND REACTIONS TO CLEAR MENTAL RESPONSES
The second step is to transform the emotional body from reacting to situations and overpowering the intelligence of the mind illumined by the soul. Using the mind to explore choices each morning assures a wise selection of first priority work each day. Most of humanity lives today in the foggy realms of emotional illusions rather than in the mind. In this astral fog truth is veiled, shared illusions compose the fog. The truth is rarely seen due to the cultural beliefs and superstitions that create more layers separating the mind from the larger whole.
When society agrees with us, we are certain that see the truth in a situation rather than realize the illusion behind a strong emotion. For example, "fear" seems natural — considering the way the world is. We are so accustomed to living in fear that we blandly accept the media's pessimism with a sense of helplessness to change things. Every time we are anxious about the world or our personal life, we add to the density of fear. We become cooperators with that which obstructs the truth of the universe and rejects its laws. Fortunately, today countless groups are quietly working to dissolve the destructive substance of fears.
STEP 3 ILLUMINATING THE MIND
The third step in meeting the challenges of fulfilling one's life plan is to illumine the mind with the light of the soul. Many beliefs held for generations in one's family or associates are shown to be only a tiny part of the larger truth of the universe. These beliefs virtually set a box for one's life experiences. The boundaries of our beliefs are so tiny next to the apparent open space of the higher mind that we may be challenged to step through the door that appears through meditation. Spiritual courage is essential. This is done through realizing that you are the soul; you are not your body. You are not your emotions. And you are not your mind. These are the instruments to be used by the soul.
When you can act upon the inner assurance that you are the soul you can begin to face the illusions that have limited your path for so long. With frequent soul contact and doing all that you know to do towards accomplishing your life purpose, you can then learn how to reach the divine Self where you are linked with higher intuition. With this higher connection you realize the urgent need of the world for what you know. How you express this knowledge and understanding is up to you — the spoken word, the written word, art, music, drama, all are effective means of conveying truth. They are excellent avenues to express ideas gained through study and spiritual intuition along with world experience. This third stage signals your Master who has been watching and guiding you for many years that you are prepared to be useful, truly useful in the world.
THE LIFE YOU ARE MEANT TO LIVE
After working continuously on these steps, you will gain the capacity to aid a group of souls in the world. With instant communication worldwide, through internet, and phone, your spiritual group can live in different countries and yet collaborate closely in meditation and activities. The global network of those in our online Triangles of Light (one unit in this world service activity) is represented by forty-six countries. Members use the Great Invocation daily in one of seventy languages. The power is intensified through the groups of three invoking light, love, and power for humanity because each of the triangles interlaces with the whole pyramid of triangles.
With so many focused and illumined minds taking a few minutes each day for human needs, hope, encouragement, inspiration, and right action opens to millions of receptive minds. Millions are searching for a better life, a better way, and the freedom to live the life they were meant to live; they are receptive to this light and will distribute it to others in their environment. There are many other global groups working solely for the benefit of humanity. In contrast to the selfish purpose that society extols, thousands are fulfilling their life plan. They are living the life they were meant to live in response to the love that fills their heart for the human, the animal, the vegetable, and the mineral kingdoms.
ESTABLISH A NEW AND HIGHER RHYTHM
Those of you on a spiritual path are aware of the need to establish a new, higher rhythm in the physical plane life, to organize your time in obedience to the higher self, and to produce, consciously and scientifically, those effects which—in your highest moments—are presented to you as desirable. You have some knowledge about the equipment available for this task. The pairs of opposites are clearly seen, even if you are still influenced by some of them; you are probably aware of a basic disagreement between your vision of goodness and your expression of that goodness.
Once you realize that you are a a triple reflection of a higher triangle and that this triangle is the reality for you, you understand that the mind, emotions and physical being are intended to and eventually will manifest that Reality. You know that if the etheric body can be controlled and correctly directed, then vision and the expression of that vision will finally coincide. You also become aware that the dense physical body is only an automaton, obedient to whatever forces and energies are the controlling factors in your mind and emotions conditioning the etheric body.
Is it to be responsive to the mind and work largely under the impulse of projected thought? . . . Is it to be swept into action under the impulse of sentient reactions, ideas and thoughts, emanating from other human beings or is it to be motivated and spurred into activity under the direction of the spiritual Hierarchy? Such are some of the questions to which answers must be found.
The stage of aspiring, dreaming, of wishful thinking must now be superseded by direct action and by the carefully planned use of the available forces swept into activity by the breath, under the direction of the inner eye and controlled by the spiritual man. Which energies can and must be used? Look within your life to see what forces must be brought under direction. How can they be controlled? Should they be ignored and made futile by that ignoring, or are they forces that are needed in the great creative work?
The first step the spiritual investigator has to take is to discern — truly and in the light of his soul—the place of his identification. Is his major use of energy on the mental plane? Is he predominantly emotional and using force from the astral plane the greater part of the time? Can he contact the soul and bring in soul energy so that it offsets his personality force? Can he live like a soul upon the physical plane, via the etheric body, the subtle substance that forms the framework for his physical body? If he earnestly studies this problem, he will in time discover which forces are dominant in the etheric body and will become aware consciously of the times and experiences that call for soul energy. This will take patience; it is the result of prolonged observation and a close analysis of acts and reactions, of words and thoughts. This is an intensely practical problem which is at the same time an intrinsic part of our study. (Adapted from Glamour: A World Problem, by A. A. Bailey)
REWARDS OF INVOKING AND ACTING UPON HIGHER PURPOSE
The old beliefs of our culture say that a spiritual life is one of sacrifice. Yet surrendering to the light, wisdom, and love of the soul, is a great reward, not a sacrifice. The part of the personality that clings to outgrown beliefs likes to follow the direction of others. It wants the comfort of the familiar, even though it means stifling the lifeline to higher spiritual dimensions. The effects of soul inspiration and of divine self intelligence and love and will are tremendously rewarding. They bring to life expanded visions, understanding, and usefulness.
We are somewhat like children who resist giving up old toys. They prefer the tricycle to a bicycle; it is familiar and safe with no risks, even though they can only circle the same old paths around their house. Yet they are driven by the desire to explore the world. The freedom of the bike comes when they build a one-pointed intention to master it. Everything we hold onto past its true usefulness to us or to anyone else must drop out of our consciousness for the revelation of a larger vision of the Self. in this way we become receptive to increasingly finer spiritual energies. New opportunities are presented to us along with new challenges to transmute every density that veils the glory of the life and light within.
INCREASED VISION AND KNOWLEDGE MEANS INCREASED ABILITY TO RESPOND
Even though the challenge is great, once we realize the underlying potential we have to add knowledge, hope, skills of many levels to help humanity live a happy life, a peaceful life, we have this responsibility to do so. We learn to use the power of the soul, not just in idividual invocations, but in group work. Groups can invoke aid from the Hierarchy of Masters. Individuals do not. Groups receive inspiration; they frequently take initiation together. Individuals are no longer being taught or given initiations as in the past. Group invocations for humanity have a significant impact upon the consciousness of others, bringing encouragement, hope, and regeneration.