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| The Externalization of the Hierarchy - Section III - Forces behind the Evolutionary Process |
| What this third major Approach will bring to humanity we do
not and cannot know. It will bring about as definite results as did the two earlier
Approaches. For some years now the spiritual Hierarchy has been drawing nearer to mankind,
and this is responsible for the great concepts of freedom which are so close to the hearts
of men everywhere today and for which humanity is now fighting. As the Members of the
Hierarchy approach closer to us, the dream of brotherhood, of fellowship, of world
cooperation and of a peace (based upon right human relations) becomes clearer in our
minds. As They draw nearer we vision a new and vital world religion, a universal faith,
at-one in its basic idealism with the past but different in its mode of expression. I have cited earlier the foundational truths upon which the new world religion will rest. I would suggest that the theme of the coming religion will be that of the great Approaches themselves; that it will emphasize anew God's love for man as evidenced in these divine Approaches, and also man's response to God as the word goes forth: "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you"; that it will - in its rites and ceremonies - be concerned with the invocative and evocative side of spiritual appeal. Man invokes the divine Approach in two ways: by means of the inchoate, voiceless appeal or invocative cry of the masses, and also by the planned, defined invocation of the spiritually oriented aspirants, the intelligently convinced worker, disciple and initiate - by all, in fact, who form the New Group of World Servers. The science of invocation and evocation will take the place of what we now call prayer and worship. Be not disturbed by the use of the word "science." It is not the cold and heartless intellectual thing so oft depicted. It is in reality the intelligent Organization of spiritual energy and of the forces of love, and when effective, will evoke the response of spiritual Beings Who can again walk openly [415] among men and thus establish a close relation and a constant communication between humanity and the spiritual Hierarchy. It will be obvious to you that as humanity, through its most advanced units, prepares for this next great Approach it must accept with faith and conviction (faith for the masses, and conviction for the knowers and the new group of world servers) the premises stated above:
It is here that the churches, if regenerated, can concentrate their efforts, cease perpetuating the outer and visible form, and begin to deal with the reality underlying all dogmas and doctrines. Upon these inner assurances man must take his stand, and a study of them will reveal that the majority of the unthinking masses (an immense majority) do accept them hopefully and with desire, though without any definite understanding, and that a steadily increasing minority also accept them with a full convinced awareness - an awareness that is the result of the transformation of hope into self-proven fact. In between these two extremes is a large group of questioning people; they are not part of the unintelligent mass, nor are they yet either occultists, mystics or even aspirants. They question and seek conviction; they repudiate faith as unintelligent, but long for a substitute; they are constantly emerging out of the mass of men and constantly moving forward in consciousness through the following of spiritual techniques, eventually taking their stand among those who can say with St. Paul: "I know Whom I have believed." It is with these techniques that the true religious teaching should primarily concern itself. |
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