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  • Wisdom for practice
  • Wisdom is applied knowledge
  • Wisdom spreads itself

Wisdom for practice

Wisdom is for practice, not for continuous speaking. If we keep on speaking about the Masters, the Rays, and the Hierarchies, we are only missing our duties for the present.

Wisdom is applied knowledge

Knowledge, when applied becomes wisdom. We gain a lot of knowledge, but it has to be applied in daily life, then it transforms itself into wisdom. Through wisdom we will experience the existence.

Wisdom spreads itself

We need not be anxious to spread the wisdom without working it with ourselves. It is a wrong understanding if one thinks that he can spread wisdom. Wisdom knows how to spread itself. It only needs channels.

The Teacher-Student Principle

The One and the Many Teachers

The Teacher - N. Roerich According to Eastern wisdom, the teaching principle exists on all planes of creation. The student and teacher relationship was born with the appearance of living beings and has existed from the very beginning of the world. The teachers of ancient times are accomplished beings from a former cycle of creation, who shape the path of light for humanity. They support those who, instead of falling into illusion, want to realise the truth. It is a group, a hierarchy of teachers, whose leader it the Lord himself. The One Teacher radiates through all these accomplished beings. The science of yoga teaches: “The Lord who exists in the hearts of all, is the Teacher of the teachers. He is the seed of all wisdom and every realisation.” In this way, the Lord-consciousness in man is the one teacher who is called guru in Sanskrit. “Guru” is a principle, rather than a person. The inner teacher exists prior to all human beings and has already served those who came before us. He works like magnetism, having existed prior to any magnet, magnetizing an iron bar: “The concept of The Teacher is sacred to Us. Each one of Us has had His Teacher, and the steps of this ladder are countless. Even standing at the head of a planet is not a consummation, for there can never be a final consummation. In this lies the joy.” (Supermundane I, 29)

The bridge between teacher and student is the teaching. Teacher and student come together in order to share and live the joy of wisdom. To grow into Light is the mutual purpose, for which they work together. Whoever walks into the Light to a greater extent has a larger responsibility to set an example through good works and service. In this way, others are also inspired to embark on the journey to the soul and to dedicate themselves to the One Work.

The teacher-principle works through the form of a teacher. For many people, the form, rather than the principle working through the form, takes precedence. They create a cult and religion around the personality of a teacher and become its jealous followers. Supporters assert the importance of their teacher, while rejecting all others. In this way, they limit the unlimited principle. However, every teacher is in truth a representation of the universal principle, an exemplification of THE TEACHER and MASTER. This one principle working through many teachers is also referred to as the World Teacher. The World Teacher leads the teachers of this planet. Being the centre of Love, he is personified as “Maitreya” in the East and “Christ” in the West. The individual heart centre is an extension of the energy of the planetary heart centre. Every impulse toward an act of good will originates with this centre of Love.

On earth, the coming of the World Teacher transpires in recurring cycles. “Whenever the Law is ignored and lawlessness reigns, I descend to re-establish the Law, and this is done through my Maya,” says the Great Lord in the Bhagavad Gita. From time to time, the teachings of the World Teacher emanate through the Hierarchy and their disciples to inspire the few who are sincerely looking for Truth. Searching for the Truth does not mean chasing after teachings or teachers. By chasing, which is a symptom of over-activity, we are liable to fall into the wrong hands or to miss the right thing.

Recognizing the True Teacher

A true teacher is known by the path he emphasises, the simplicity he demonstrates, and the transformation that people experience through his presence. Selflessness in service is the touchstone of a realised person. If a teacher is overactive, simplicity is lost. Self-aggrandizement, advertising, pomp and moneymaking take its place. If someone calls him- or herself a spiritual teacher, or expects something from us in exchange for knowledge, they are not someone who knows. They may even be seeking to control other people through manipulation.

The Sanskrit word “guru” points to the holy tradition of the teacher-student relationship. Today, however, the meaning of the term has been totally distorted. If we refer to someone as a guru, we often mean to say that they are a pseudo-teacher and a fraud. Many people therefore won’t accept a teacher, preferring to experiment on their own. Out of ignorance, they then make many detours. On the other hand, constantly switching amongst many teachers also means that we are not willing to act.

The existence of fake teachers is a proof that there are also true teachers. The appropriate teachings and the appropriate teacher will come to us when the time is right, and according to our level of seriousness. We don’t have to look for a teacher, for he knows us better than we know him. If we were able to recognize the teacher, we would be as great as he is. We don’t decide who will be our teacher, instead he chooses us. Many people read books and then say: “Master Morya is my teacher.” How do we know? Instead of getting stuck in concepts, we should, without giving him a name, look for the teacher inside. If we study intensely and perform acts of good will, the teacher will feel obliged to come to us. To pray for the right teacher and right understanding is the best way.

Deciding Oneself

The training of the Western student doesn’t demand blind obedience. The teacher makes suggestions, which we can choose to work with or not. Today, disciples are freer than ever before. The teacher only provides guidance; he doesn’t make decisions for others. He sheds light on problems while asking the student to think and to decide for himself. He wants us to learn critical discrimination, to live with free will and to attune it to the Divine Will. If the teacher were to decide everything for us, we would remain children. Without taking the spoon into our hands ourselves, we would have to be fed.

The Presence of the Teacher

The Hierarchy needs people who are givers instead of takers. We cannot be givers if we don’t govern ourselves and fulfil our responsibilities with care. We fulfil our duties best, when we begin to live in the presence of the teacher. The presence of the teacher transforms the student, as a piece of iron is magnetised in the proximity of a magnet. By doing what the teacher proposes we maintain the connection and thus progress. By thinking of him prior to meditation or study, we conduct the meditation in his presence. Simply considering the presence of the master is enough. His presence enables us to raise our consciousness and to improve the quality of our work. If we are open enough, we can recognize the teaching manifesting from every direction, through our surroundings, family, and work, and how the one teacher works through them all.

Through the work we accomplish over the years, we become a channel for the energies of Love and Wisdom. In this way, the Master E.K. made himself an outpost for the teachings of the Hierarchy and of the World Teacher. He remained as impersonal as possible to ensure the flow of energies, being conscious of their source. Thus, dedicated to the work that arose out of the spiritual impulse that he experienced, he allowed an organisation to be formed in 1971, naming it after the World Teacher: “The World Teacher Trust”. The W.T.T. offers a foundation for individuals to transform themselves, to embark on the path of initiation, to realise their own spiritual goals, and to enter into the service to the surrounding life. Every true teacher has only one mission to accomplish, which is to remind all that gather around him of their true state of being and to guide them to realise and express themselves as immortal, divine beings of Light. In this way, students are prepared to become the teachers of future generations themselves.

Sources used: K.P. Kumar: Dattatreya. The Symbol and the Significance / Hercules / The Aquarian Cross / seminar notes. The World Teacher Trust - Dhanishta, Visakhapatnam, India). Supermundane I. Agni Yoga Society, New York (www.agniyoga.org )