Important Quotes

Here are some extracts from the Master D. K. (presented in the Alice A. Bailey books) that give a focus for the esoteric school, its purpose and development. They are potently relevant today and deserve careful attention. Many other quotes can offer guidelines, but these may serve as an initiatory source of inspiration and recollection.

Preconditions for new revelations
The remainder of this century, as I told you elsewhere (Destiny of the Nations, Page 106), must be dedicated to rebuilding the shrine of man's living, to reconstructing the form of humanity's life, to reconstituting the new civilization upon the foundations of the old, and to the reorganizing of the structures of world thought, world politics, plus the redistribution of the world's resources in conformity to divine purpose. Then and only then will it be possible to carry the revelation further.
(A.A.B.: The Rays and the Initiations, p. 255, Destiny of Nations, p. 106 & Esoteric Astrology, p. 532)

Be of good cheer
All this is dependent upon the triumph of the Forces of Light and the consequent victory of those who stand for human freedom. If the forces of materialism and cruelty triumph and selfish and wicked national interests and ambitions had prevailed, the revelation would still come but very much later. The issue is not in the balance and there is no need to despair. The courage of those fighting for freedom remains unimpaired. The Hierarchy stands. Light is breaking in the world as the realities of the situation emerge more clearly. Be of good cheer for there is no true defeat of the human spirit; there is no final extinction of the divine in man, for divinity ever rises triumphant from the darkest pit of hell. There is need however to overcome the inertia of the material nature in response to human need, individually and by the nations not engrossed with the essentials of the situation. This shows signs of happening. There is no power on Earth which can prevent the advance of man towards his destined goal and no combination of powers can hold him back.
(Esoteric Astrology, p. 532-533)

Becoming a sacred planet
Our Earth, being a non-sacred planet, is in process of becoming a sacred planet. This means an interim of upheaval, chaos and of difficulty. This transference out of the lower states of consciousness, expressed through the lower centers, into a higher state, can and will take place in this world period and in this century if humanity so wills it, if the Forces of Light eventually triumph and if the new world order comes into being. This it will do if the lessons of the war are learnt and right action follows as a result... the evil which is now being spread abroad by the opponents of the Forces of Light will be neutralized by the fixed intention of the men and women of goodwill to work for the good of the whole and not for any one part. It might, therefore, be said that what is truly taking place in the world today is the transference of the energy of the planetary solar plexus to the planetary heart center. The forces of cupidity, aggression, glamor and greed will be transmuted in the present furnace of pain and fiery agony and will be raised into the heart center. There they will be changed into the power of sacrifice, of inclusive surrender, of clear vision of the whole, and into cooperation; this is an aspect of the principle of sharing. When I say these words, I am not speaking idealistically or mystically. I am pointing out the immediate goal; I am indicating a problem of our planetary Deity; I am giving you the clue to a scientific process which is going on under our eyes and which is today at a point of crisis.
(A.A.B.: Esoteric Astrology, p. 520-521)

The Ten Seed Groups
The gradual, outer manifestation of ten seed groups covering these areas:
1. Telepathic Communication
2. Trained Observation
3. Healing and Healthcare
4. Education
5. Politics
6. Religion
7. Science
8. Psychology
9. Finance and Economics
10. Creativity and Synthesis
(A.A.B.: The Externalization of the Hierarchy)

The Work of the Externalised Ashrams
1. Creating and vitalizing the new world religion.
2. The gradual reorganizing of the social order - an order free from oppression, the persecution of minorities, materialism and pride.
3. The public inauguration of the system of initiation. This will involve the growth and comprehension of symbolism.
4. The exoteric training of disciples and of humanity in this new cycle.
(A.A.B.: The Externalization of the Hierarchy, p. 700)

The appearance of the Kingdom of God can take place because of
1. The growth of that Kingdom on Earth, and the thousands of people who recognize its laws and endeavor to live in accordance with its rules and spirit.
2. The fact that the signs of the time and the widespread need of humanity have evoked the Christ, and that He has decided to reappear.
3. The invocative cry of humanity is ascending hourly to "the secret place of the Most High" and the Hierarchy plans to emerge when Christ appears and restores the rule of the Spirit on Earth. The hour for the restoration of the ancient Mysteries has arrived...
The Masters will walk openly among men; the Christ will reappear in physical Presence... the ancient Mysteries will be restored.
(A.A.B.: The Reappearance of the Christ - Chapter V, p. 120-121)

The manifestation of the Kingdom of God on Earth, the preparing of the way for its great Inaugurator, the Christ, the making possible the externalization of the Hierarchy upon Earth give us each and all a fully adequate task and something for which to live and work, to dream and to aspire.
(A.A.B.: The Rays and the Initiations, p. 738.)

The Aquarian Age
The vision in men's minds today is that of the Aquarian Age, even if they recognize it not. The future will see right relationships, true communion, a sharing of all things (wine, the blood, the life and bread, economic satisfaction) and goodwill; we have also a picture of the future of humanity when all nations are united in complete understanding and the diversity of languages - symbolic of differing traditions, cultures, civilizations and points of view - will provide no barrier to right human relations. At the center of each of these pictures is to be found the Christ. Thus the expressed aims and efforts of the United Nations will be eventually brought to fruition and a new church of God, gathered out of all religions and spiritual groups, will untidily bring to an end the great heresy of separateness. Love, unity, and the Risen Christ will be present, and He will demonstrate to us the perfect life.
(A.A.B.: The Destiny of the Nations, p. 152.)

Discipleship

• The time has come when the first and major principle governing true esotericism must be grasped as conditioning all hierarchical workers: Right Motive.
• The time has come when the quality of ashramic work is recognized, first of all, as being: Selfless Service.
• The time has come when men everywhere must realize that entry into a Master's Ashram is dependent upon Intelligence, plus right motive and service.

When these three factors are present in any human being, the Masters know that good material is presented to Them for training. Today the world is full of such men and women, and in them lies the dominant hope of the future.
(A.A.B.: The Externalization of the Hierarchy, p. 666)

Free, intelligent assistance is what we are asking from all our disciples today, and we leave them free to render it or not as they like and in the manner which may seem best to them.
(A.A.B.: Discipleship in the New Age, 1, p. 45)

I assure you that groups of students, working in unison and with deep and unfaltering love for each other, can achieve significant results.
(A.A.B.: A Treatise on White Magic, p. 639-640)

True service is the spontaneous outflow of a loving heart and an intelligent mind.
(A.A.B.: A Treatise on White Magic, p. 188)

The True Server
What are the Characteristics of the true Server?  These characteristics can be easily and briefly noted. They are not exactly what one may have been led to believe. I am not here speaking of the qualifications required for the treading of the Path of Discipleship or the Probationary Path. These are well known. They are the platitudes of the spiritual life, and constitute the battleground, or the Kurukshetra of most aspirants. We are here concerned with those qualities which will emerge when a man is working under the impulse of the Law of Service. They will appear when he is a real channel for the life of the soul. His major characteristics will then be three in number:

1. He will be distinguished, as might be expected, by the quality of harmlessness, and by an active refraining from those acts and that speech which might hurt or cause any misunderstanding. By no word, suggestion, implication, innuendo or voiced dissatisfaction will he hurt his group. You will note that I do not say "will not hurt any individual." Those working under the Law of Service need no reminder not to hurt any individual. They often need, under the exuberance of spiritual stimulation and the intensity of their aspiration, to be reminded to demonstrate group harmlessness.

2. The second characteristic is a willingness to let others serve as seems best to them, knowing that the life flowing through the individual server must find its own channels and outlets, and that direction of these currents can be dangerous and prevent the rendering of the intended service. The server's efforts will be turned in two directions:

a. To the task of helping others to "stand in spiritual being", as he himself is learning to stand.
b. To aiding the individual to express his service in his chosen field as he desires to express it, and not as the on-looking helper deems that he should do it.

One point might here be made clear. The task of those who are working under the Law of Service is not exerted primarily with that group in the world today which is working under the effect of that general response to which we earlier referred. These effects are easily shepherded into those activities which, en masse, work out as philanthropic endeavor, as educational experiments, or social efforts in the life of the community. The name of those who thus respond is legion, and the will to serve in this particular way needs no impetus. The remarkable response to the many recent campaigns to good will definitely evidenced this. But the work of the new type of server is directed towards those who are establishing soul contact and who can therefore work under the new incoming Aquarian Law. This centers around the capacity to stand, not only in spiritual being, but together with others, working with them subjectively, telepathically, and synthetically. This distinction merits attention for one can easily waste effort by entering fields already well handled from the point of view of the attainment of the units in that field.

3. The third characteristic of the new server is joyfulness. This takes the place of criticism (that dire creator of misery) and is the silence that sounds. It would be well to ponder on these last words, for their true meaning cannot be conveyed in words, but only through a life dedicated to the newer rhythms and to the service of the whole. Then that "sounding joy" and that "joyful sounding" can make its true meaning felt.
(A.A.B.: Esoteric Psychology II, p. 131-133)

Discrimination
You will bear in mind that I, your teacher, am not constantly aware of your physical condition or daily doings. I concern not myself with the affairs of the personality and those misguided aspirants who claim that the Masters are forever telling them what to do and are guiding them in their personal affairs are still far from the grade of accepted discipleship. (A.A.B.: DINA-II, p.8)

Many well-meaning occultists would lead one to believe that the Masters of the Wisdom take a personal interest in them, that the overburdened Guides of the Race have no better occupation than to tell them personally how to live, how to solve their problems and how, in detail, to guide their undertakings... the individual aspirant is of no personal interest to the Master until he has achieved the point in his evolution where he is so closely in touch with his soul that he becomes a magnetic server in the world. Then, and then only, will it profit the Master to throw him a thought, and to give him a hint. Then, as those hints are followed, he may give him more, but, and this is the point that must be emphasized, only in connection with the work that he has to do in the field of world service.
(A.A.B.: The Labors of Hercules, p. 71-72)

The days of personality contact, of personality attention and of personal messages are over, and have been over for quite a while, save in the vale of illusion, on the astral plane. This is a hard message, but no true disciple will misunderstand... The satisfying of individual aspiration, the meeting of the desire of the probationers and the feeding of spiritual ambition appeal to us not at all. The times are too serious, and the crisis too acute.
(A.A.B.: Esoteric Psychology, vol.1, p. 112-113)

Disciples everywhere will present increasingly the hierarchical plan of brotherhood, spiritual living and inclusiveness to the world. This will be done not in terms (so prevalent among the foolish) of "The Master has chosen me," or "the Master stands behind my effort" or "I am the representative of the Hierarchy" but by a life of service by indicating that the Masters exist and are known to many men everywhere, that the Plan is one of evolutionary development and educational progress towards an intelligent spiritual goal; that humanity is not alone but that the Hierarchy stands, that Christ is with His people, that the world is full of disciples unrecognized because silently working; that the New Group of World Servers exists and that the men and women of goodwill are everywhere;  that the Masters are not interested in the least in personalities but will use men and women of all attitudes, faiths, and nationalities, provided that love motivates them, that they are intelligent and have trained minds and that they have also magnetic and radiant influence which will attract people to truth and goodness but not to the individual - be he a Master or a disciple. They care nothing for personal loyalties but are dedicated solely to the relief of distress and the promotion of the evolution of humanity and the indication of spiritual goals.
(A.A.B.: Autobiography, p. 257)

But it is important to remember that the attitude of the training initiate or teacher is one of complete detachment and impersonality; he is aware of the soul light and condition, and of the mental state, but he does not turn his attention to the handling of the affairs of the aspirant on the physical plane, nor to the training of his emotional nature and his astral development... Again I say, we are not interested in personalities and their small affairs. We have neither the time nor the inclination to interfere with the way and method of a man's daily life. Why should we, when enough has been printed and taught to occupy the attention of the aspiring man for many a day? When a man is beginning to live as a soul, and when his consciousness has shifted away from the world of illusion, then he can be useful. The first lesson he has to learn is a sense of values in time and space, and to know that we work with souls and do not nurse the personality.
(A.A.B.: Esoteric Psychology, vol.1, p. 115-116)

Again, schools of esotericists, theosophists and rosicrucians (particularly in their inner schools) have also their own forms of this illusion of guidance. It is of a different nature to the two dealt with above, but the results are nevertheless of much the same quality and reduce the student to a condition of being guided, often of being directed, by illusionary voices. Frequently the heads of the organisation claim to be in direct communication with a Master or the entire Hierarchy of Masters... The guidance to which the adherents of many esoteric schools so often respond is not that of the Hierarchy but that of the astral reflection of the Hierarchy; they respond therefore to an illusory, distorted, man-made presentation of a great spiritual fact. They could, if they so chose, respond to the reality.
(A.A.B: Esoteric Psychology, vol. 2., p. 484-485.)

... when the aspirant can at will concentrate his consciousness in the head, when the light in the head shines forth, and the centres are active, then the Master will take the man in hand. In the meantime he may have a vision of the Master, or he may see a thought-form of the Master, and may get much real good and inspiration from the contact with the reflected reality, but it is not the Master, and does not indicate the stage of accepted discipleship... When soul contact is established, your own soul will, if I may so express it, introduce you to your Master. With all due reverence, again may I add, that the Master waits not with eagerness to make your acquaintance. In the world of souls, your soul and His soul are allied, and know essential unity. But in the world of human affairs and in the process of the great work it should be remembered that when a Master takes an aspirant into His group of disciples, that aspirant is, for a long time, a liability and oft a hindrance. Students over-estimate themselves quite often, even when repudiating such an idea...
(A.A.B.: A Treatise on White Magic, p. 594-595)