symbolic and not factual. The number of disciples in an Ashram varies constantly, but always there are thethree who are responsible to the Master for all ashramic activity, who are in His closest councils and whocarry out His plans. The chain of Hierarchy is great and immutable and the sequences unalterable.(DINAII 31) Later, as the initiate-disciple makes progress and as he builds the antahkarana, the energy of the one Life, emanating from the Monad, brings in the fourth type of inspiration. To these spiritual sourcesof inspiration must be added lesser ones, such as mental impression, telepathically registered and coming[Page 31] from a multitude of thinkers and minds. These work both as individuals and as members of agroup. There is also emotional inspiration to which—in its most easily recognisable appearance—we givethe name of aspiration. All these are, esoterically considered, evocative of desire, to be transmuted into willif (and only if) "the energy of the will-to-good is the emanating principle and the actuating result of theinspired impulse; it must constitute the motivating impulse at the centre of the disciple's being." Thus spokeone of the Masters not long ago to a disciple who sought to grasp the synthetic effect of inspiration. It is theWill and its immediate evocation which is the major need of this particular group of my disciples. Thehierarchical Plan is the objective of that will; the
purpose of Sanat Kumara
isthe revelation which comes to those who demonstrate that will, and it is the strength of the divine Power which makes that will possible. Strength is to Power what desire is to aspiration, or what the personality isto the soul. It is the revelation of quality.I have started this communication with this note of Will because the use of that will (under instruction) isthe objective of your next year's work; as we proceed with the various phases of our study which I haveearlier outlined, my use of this theme will emerge clearly in your consciousness.(DINAII 47) The second point I made was the need for you to emphasise and develop the Will.Presumably, you have all been working at the task of building the antahkarana, the channel of communication between the brain and the spiritual will, or the Monad, working through the medium of theSpiritual Triad. If you have been successful, it will be beginning to dawn upon you that there is a greatdistinction between goodwill which the masses can and often do grasp, and the will-to-good which is thegoal of the disciple. Goodwill is relatively simple of expression and all of you know much about it andexpress much of it. For that, no commendation is required, for it is a human attribute lying very near thesurface of expression in all men. But the will-to-good is far more difficult to express, for it involves theability not only to use the spiritual will, but to know somewhat the nature of [Page 47] the "good." Thewill-to-good is the basic quality of divine purpose, involving planned activity and a definite goal to beachieved. It necessitates the ability to think in terms of the whole, an appreciation of the next step whichhumanity must take in the imminent Great Approach (for this must be a reciprocal Approach), anunderstanding of the lessons of the past and a vision, based—not on love or on soul-sight—but on aconviction as to the immediate purpose of
Sanat Kumara
, as He works it out through theChrist and the planetary Hierarchy. This conviction is based, as far as the Hierarchy is concerned, on purereason; it is based, as far as humanity is concerned, through its disciples, on intuitive perception,implemented by love and expressed intelligently. Upon this I would ask you to ponder, and as you ponder,make the needed changes in your personal approach to the problem.(DINAII 60) In this deciding judgment
Sanat Kumara
is being aided by certain Membersof the
Great Council at Shamballa
, by the Christ and by the seven Masters Who areresponsible for the seven groups of Ashrams. He is also reaching certain conclusions as to the groups of disciples who have hitherto been under training during the final stages of the Path of Discipleship. Thisdecision has to take under advisement the rapidity with which the entrance of men and women into theAshrams can take place; it is also dependent upon the members of the Ashram moving forward according totheir degree, and upon the power of the Ashrams to absorb and assimilate the much larger numbers, withoutupsetting ashramic stability. He has also to consider the ability of the neophyte under training to take andhold the far greater tension necessarily incident to true ashramic life in the New Age.
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