THE GURU AND THE CHELA

CHELA: Beloved Master: As the requirements of service are so great in this present world hour, how shall we sustain our spiritual and physical vitalities and yet not neglect our opportunity to serve?

GURU: Blessed chela: This is the age-old question, asked by every sincere, devoted member of the human race who has placed his feet upon the Path. The balance between drawing the vital currents of inspiration, wisdom, enthusiasm, radiating light and utilizing the benefits of such magnetized energies is the goal toward which the wise chela works.

CHELA: Beloved Master: We see on every hand opportunities to help and sometimes our zeal for service "eats us up". On the other hand, many seem indifferent to service, enjoying personal pleasure in Godly contemplation.

GURU: Blessed chela: These are the two extremes that manifest in the soul's return to God. They are symbolized in the consciousness of the Orient (worship without sufficient works) and in the consciousness of the Occident (works without sufficient worship). It is the drawing together of the powers of magnetizing the gifts of God and the powers of radiating those gifts to mankind - which forms our present instruction to the chelas.

Be it known that the efficacy of the individual's capacity to serve God and his fellowman is dependent upon that individual's attunement with his own Presence. Wise is he who fills his cup at the Source. Be it known that gifts, powers, inspiration and strength received from that personal communion become the responsibility of the individual to utilize to help mankind, elemental life and nature. The activity of the group endeavors allows the outlet for ever increasing, balanced, qualified energies which have been magnetized and built into the inner and physical bodies of the chela, through personal communion with the Presence of God.

Man's vehicles (mental, emotional, etheric and physical) through which the soul and Spirit find expression are constantly in the process of change. Each vehicle is made up of the substance and atoms of the strata in which it functions (i.e. the physical body is made up of the substance of this physical world, the etheric body is composed of etheric substance, etc.). The thoughts and feelings of the individual determine what elemental life is drawn into these bodies and what elemental life is discarded. As the vibratory action of the individual increases, the coarser substance is thrown off and the finer elements of each Realm are invited into the vehicles in question. As the process of refinement of the vehicles takes place, greater sensitivity to the Presence of God is developed and the daily communion becomes a more and more holy, sacred and truly enjoyable activity. When the vehicles of a man are made up of the coarser elements of each Sphere, they do not respond to the Spirit of Harmony, which is God. As these vehicles are refined (in themselves becoming harmonious, pure and tranquil), they are open to the subtle energies of the, Godhead which find ready access into soul, mind, body and world. Coming into tune with the Infinite is a practical process of the refinement of the inner vehicles. I practiced this with some success at Crotona and many of my pupils were enabled to consciously change the elemental substance of their inner vehicles through the "tuning up" of each body by purity of thought, feeling and action, to a point where individual and collective communion with God was a joy.