Spiritual teachings will often speak about the importance of service, or the path of service. This could mean doing very special work in the world, but it could also mean doing quite ordinary work. The term is used to emphasize the importance of working for a greater purpose, beyond narrow self-ego purposes or desires. So service means serving something greater than one’s little self; serving a greater purpose, serving humanity or the planet, or serving God. The meaning of service originated with the idea of serving God, God’s Purpose or God’s Will. Yet to serve God, we serve the creation, the world of God, which is this world of humanity and ecology. Service always involves helping to fulfill greater life purposes or ideals; such as goodness, love, beauty and truth. So, service is any activity or expression that helps to further these ideals. Any positive, good influence or effect we can bring to the world is service.
Remember though that ‘service’ is just a word; for some people the word is appealing but others find it off-putting. We use it in these teachings in a very general meaning, which can include a whole lot. So many kinds of self-expression and behavior are included as being service; such as givingness, generosity, kindness, charity, and care. Service is any form of expressing love or doing good. Service is loving others. It is making another person feel they are loved. Service includes any form of helping others, or helping make the planet a nicer, cleaner and more beautiful place. Helping to heal someone or helping to teach someone are forms of service. Creative art and even entertainment can be forms of service, by providing enjoyment or other kinds of aesthetic experience. Sometimes, the simple act of sharing quality time with others is service. In general, service includes any behavior, expression or action that is positive and beneficial to others or the environment. It is making some positive or beneficial effect in the world. Most often this means doing whatever needs to be done, fulfilling the needs of the moment and the place at hand. So serving life might be a simple act of cleaning the bathroom or bringing order to a room. On the other hand, one might be working on a larger and complex project, requiring a larger span of time and various stages of work.
Service and givingness often means helping others, or being generous with love and help. Yet a caveat of caution should be remembered, because we should not feel spiritually (or morally) obligated to fulfill every single request asked for by others. We don’t want to become mere servants of ‘people users’, nor mere servants of dictators. We must always be cautious of people (or groups) who are too often requesting our time and energy, to the point where we become over-exhausted and over-used. Also to remember is that spiritual service is about fulfilling real needs, rather than every little desire of other people’s egos.
Also to remember is that oneself is worthy of being served, just as much as others. So one needs to take care of oneself as well by also serving and fulfilling one’s own needs. This requires a delicate sense of balance between taking care of oneself and giving of oneself, between fulfilling our own self needs and fulfilling other’s needs. Sometimes mutual fulfillment is possible and thus there is no conflict of interest between the needs of oneself and the needs outside of oneself. Win-win situations are always ideal. But sometimes there are real conflicts of interest, or feelings of conflict, in which case we should apply the moral principle of balance.
Service, though, does ‘demand’ some degree of stretch, a kind of extra effort in giving or in helping, involving a ‘stretching’ of self-sacrifice (or ego-desire sacrifice), which is not always spontaneously forthcoming, or not always what we might ‘feel’ like doing. Remember that the ego-desire wants to be served, rather than serve others or serve what appears to be outside of its self-interests. And so there needs to be caution about this ego tendency of service-avoidance, or its tendency to demand being served rather than the other way around, or its tendency to want others to give to its wishes rather than be giving to others. So considering this situation of the ego, which we are all in to some degree, the higher rational part of oneself might see that service and givingness to that which is outside of our usual ego-wishes is a useful spiritual practice for transmuting the mechanical ego-energies of oneself –- or breaking the chains of ego-bondage.
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[Nonetheless], every self has real needs, including our self. The meaning of self in this context is the self which is on the spiritual path, rather than the limited self-ego which is being transcended on the spiritual path. As already mentioned, one side of the Path is to do with deeper spiritual realization, which is the inner side, while the other side of the Path is to do with outer service or spiritual expression. This outer purpose of service, which is expressing love and doing good, is like the outbreath of God, the outbreath of Divine Compassion. Remember that we are the hands and minds of God. So this outbreath of giving is really a channeling of Divine Giving; the outbreath of service is really the outbreath of Divine Compassion.
Yet in order to breathe-out givingness, love or service; we first need to have this energy and love. We need to first be full (or fulfilled) with the energy, the love and Compassion of God. First be filled with Divine Love, breathe it in. Then from this fullness (this fulfilled-ness), breathe out love and givingness. Receive and take in all of the energy and love that you need. Indulge yourself with energy and love. There is no reason to hold it back, nor any reason to hold yourself back from receiving it. Take it all in, whatever you need. The Divine Reservoir of energy and love is ever full. Let yourself be loved. Let yourself receive all of the love, all of the energy, and all of the healing that you need. Breathe it in, then breathe it in more, until you are just completely full of love and good energy. And store it up, as well. This is the receiving side of spiritual loving. So always reserve enough time receiving, allowing oneself to receive. This is just as important as the giving side of spiritual loving. Because balance of the breath, balancing the in-breath and the out-breath, is the key to overall spiritual harmony.
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The whole purpose for being here, the whole purpose of the soul incarnating into physical existence is to serve, to give, to somehow make the world a better place, by enlightening humanity, by helping to educate and evolve others and society, by healing the wounded and the suffering, or by some other way to give to life and project love and goodness into the world. Every soul, which is each and every one of us, is here on a mission, here for a purpose. Some spiritual teachings say that each soul has a particular purpose, or even a particular plan. This is probably not true exactly, but it is true that some people feel or intuit that they are here for some particular thing to do. We can fully accept, though, that we are each here to serve or give in some way, and that we need to figure out how to do this. Generally, it is an open question for the soul as to how it will serve life, and so we are here working out the answer to this question, then hopefully doing something to fulfill that purpose. What I am suggesting is that we need to take a first step in this 'purpose of service' by meditating on how we can help serve the world, or how to at least help some of the world.
One aspect of this search is to discover our soul within, and by meditating within our soul (or wisdom-heart) we can realize this essential feeling of having a purpose, a purpose to serve or give to life. It is as though we (the soul) have come from another world, a divine-lighted world, and we have come to this world of earth to serve and give to it in some way. We feel this impulse, this deep desire and caring, within us, and this is strong when we meditate in the heart of our soul. The next aspect of the soul-search is meditate on how we might express this serving, or how we might specifically give to humanity and planet. This usually requires some thought or intelligent use of the mind, in conjunction with the essential heart/soul desire to serve. From here we come to a vision of how to serve, and then maybe a plan, and then a commitment, then finally we take the steps to do what we can to fulfill this goal. In other words, we need to first realize our essential purpose, then see how we can fulfill the purpose, then make the commitment and embark on the steps to actually fulfill it.
Throughout our meditation on this, and throughout the manifesting steps, there are two important themes. One theme is a linking relationship with others who are also on this conscious path of service. We need to link up with all of our brothers and sisters who have the same essential soul-impulse or soul-purpose to serve. We can do this inwardly in feeling, and we can do this outwardly as well. In this way, we are strengthened by the whole group of world servers, and we also strengthen the group of servers (on the inner level). And on the outward level we can work we others. The other important theme is sacrifice. Sacrifice is a difficult theme to digest. But we will have to see and accept that sacrifice is necessary along this path. Sacrifice is difficult because the personality ego is out to get whatever it can for itself. And so there is often a struggle between the soul which is unselfishly wanting to serve, and personality ego which is wanting to serve just itself. Thus, we need to keep in mind the need for sacrifice of the personality ego, or selfishness. And we need to keep returning to the soul purpose and commitment.
Along this Way, there is both an upward movement and a downward movement. The personality mind needs to look upward, to soul or divine purpose, and also connect with others who are in line with the greater purpose of life. Then, once in soul-consciousness, the soul needs to work in the world below, to bring love and goodness into the world. Along the Way, though, we might fall from the soul to the personality ego. We get caught in the ego, and in the struggles and distractions of the world. The soul is forgotten. The purpose is forgotten. Somehow we need to remember the purpose, and re-connect in the soul. Then, from the soul, we can again work outwardly to serve and give, with love, to the world around us. Indeed, it is beautiful to be in the soul and live from the soul, serving and giving to the world at hand.
Yet being of service is not to discount the enjoyment of life. We all want to enjoy life. The soul itself wants to enjoy life. But the soul seeks to enjoy life while also serving life. The personality ego just wants to enjoy, but cares not for serving life. It wants everything and everyone to serve its own enjoyment, yet it cares little for other's enjoyment. But the soul seeks enjoyment through service. The soul seeks to merge service with enjoyment, so that they are not opposing or contradicting. Thus, the soul's purpose is both service and enjoyment, but without contradiction.
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In prayer or meditation we can make an intention and practice to help the world in general, to help bring spiritual enlightenment (Light) and Love into the world. There are two possible modes for doing this [esoteric] work. One mode is to be an intentional source for Light and Love; that is, it comes from oneself. You send it out. You send out your own degree of Light and Love to the world. This is called self-radiance. It is to be a responsible centre of radiance for the Divine.
The other mode is to become an empty meditational channel for the Light and Love. This is called the channeling mode, and the way to do this is to become like an empty channel for the Light and Love to flow through. In this flow, consciousness must remain, but the consciousness is empty of all thought and it is simply allowing the higher Power of Love and Light to flow through it into the world. This is a remarkable practice, which brings great benefit to the world. One must still hold intention and consciousness. The intention is to serve life by being a channel for Love and Light to enter into the world, through one’s empty and allowing consciousness. The key in this is allowing, allowing the Divine Compassion to flow through our pure-intentional channel. Another key is agreement, giving our agreement to this Work. This practice of service is especially effective when done in a group. The other mode of self-radiance is also significantly effective, and also especially effective in a group. Both modes are significant in the greater Work, and they compliment one another, though each is a distinct practice on its own.
note that many healers report that their own role in healing is to simply be an empty channel for God, or Jesus, or a spirit-healer to do the healing.
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The first step is to dissolve into the One Light, or at least become an empty channel for the Light to come through. The second step is to be the Light radiance. Put out your arms and let the palms of your hands face outward. Then visualize light and healing coming out of your hands and radiate into the world. We each can be healers in this way. Anyone can be a channel for light and healing. Now in meditation we can do the same thing, but instead of using our hands we use only our mind and heart. Mind must first enter into the heart, and the two become one, and then our mind/heart can radiate light and love into the world. The essential experience here is to be a radiant self, a radiant being, radiating light and love into the world.
In the deepest and most profound experience of this, one is the radiance of light and love. For when one is light and love, there is only the radiance of light and love. Radiance is simply a natural attribute of light and love. And one can feel this light and love radiate out everywhere. One becomes a spiritual sun, and esoterically one is now an Initiate. In the science of this, light emerges from the mind aspect of being as conscious light, while love emerges from the heart aspect as embracing love. However, in the deepest experience the two aspects are one, and light and love are also one. Light reaches out into space like consciousness seeing through space, and everything is embraced in love. There is no more to say; one has to experience this to know it, becoming light and love in radiance.
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In the esoteric meditation practice of conscious service to the world, I (the individual self) meditate [into the world] the quality of my being. This is, of course, after the self has dissolved into the Divine Being, the Essence of God. Then this light of awakening, this love, and this good-will (or will to serve the Good) vibrates out into the world and helps transform humanity. This vibrational radiance comes from the individual self-centre, from the I-self, though it might be better said that it comes through the self-centre, for the original source of this radiance is the Divine Being. This is an esoteric, secret work done by initiates, those who take on a responsibility for the spiritual transformation of humanity. It is work done on the mental and emotional planes, transforming minds and emotions of people all around the world, for a Greater Good. But this is not a simple task like talking into a microphone. It is not simply a recitation of some magical mantra, great invocation, or words of power. Rather, it is a meditation to spiritually transform humanity, in the mental and emotional realm, by the conscious and intentional radiance of one’s own Light of Self-Knowing, Inclusive Love, and Good-Will. Though of course it must be remembered that this radiance is coming through oneself, the pure ‘I’ of self, from the Divine Source, the Divine Radiance Itself. The esoteric secret is that God, or Divine Being, cannot accomplish this without the intermediate centres of conscious self will. In other words, the Divine Being of God needs to work through the instrument of self consciousness and will, and self-radiance,
in order to accomplish this work. Though this self must be in alignment and in attunement with Divine Being.
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Meditation practice:
This practice has two complimenting polar facets, two phases in the greater rhythm of the spiritual dance. One phase is called Discovery, while the other phase is called Sharing. The Discovery phase is discovering (or un-covering) the Incarnated Spirit - within us and within all of life. It is discovering spiritual Presence that is already here. This could also be called spiritual discernment, which is perceiving the spiritual light within people and things. We could also call this spiritual Recognition. Important to point out is that the Incarnate Spirit awakens and blossoms from within us, as it is recognized. As well, as we recognize the Incarnate Spirit within others, it awakens and blossoms in them. So; discovery and recognition are great keys to the blossoming of the Incarnate Spirit.
Now the other phase, called Sharing, is giving or sending out the blessings of spiritual love and light. It is sharing whatever one has to give. It is giving out all of the love one has to everyone. This could also be called spiritual Radiance, complimenting spiritual Recognition. It is the radiance of spiritual love, which is healing. It is also the radiance of spiritual light, which helps to awaken the higher mind-consciousness of humanity. The love and light that is shared is the same as that discovered and awakened within oneself. It is the love and light of the Incarnate Spirit. It is essentially the Love and Light of God; yet one could also say that it is our own love and light, or the portion of God’s Love and Light that has been awakened in us.
So there are these two phases of spiritual practice, Discovery and Sharing, which actually compliment one another. The degree to which the love and light of the Incarnate Spirit is discovered or recognized, is the degree to which we are capable of sharing or radiating. The spiritual light that is discovered within us (and all around us as well) can then be radiantly shared outward to others. But we can only share what we have already discovered within ourselves. Then we have something real to give. As well, when we share and give, a flow is created and a greater capacity for spiritual discovery opens in us. Note that both of these phases of practice require ‘intentional will and effort’, like any work or practice. Thus it is called ‘work’ or ‘practice’.
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Esoteric meditation practice is divided into two phases. One is upward and the other is downward. One is the spiritual ascent to God, the One, through self-surrender. The other is the spiritual descent to earth, through service. The ascent is into the One Light, while the descent is bringing down that Light into humanity. Let us consider more about the descending phase through the mode of service, though we will speak here of an esoteric service rather than physical service, which is an intentional activity of spiritual transmission involving the mind and heart, whereby the person serving channels higher spiritual energies into the world.
Picture the world as a receptacle for spiritual Light, the place where transformation and spiritual evolution occur. Light descends upon earth to spiritually awaken and spiritually energize the minds of men and women, humanity in general. This occurs through the mental vehicle of transmitting-channeling servers. In other words, we are the serving transmitters. We are the medium-channels for the descent of Light from God, The One, to the many of the world. This is our esoteric role of service. To some extent it can happen naturally, but it is more intensified and efficacious if performed consciously with intention. The metaphysical structure of this can be pictured as an inverted tree hierarchy, with the One Source Light at the top spreading out downward through numerous levels of channeling beings. We can picture our own place in this great scheme as somewhere in the middle of the hierarchy, with those above us and those below us. There are always fewer above than below, and those above can be regarded as our higher Guides or Teachers. Though they might also be regarded as higher/deeper centres of our own True Self, for there is really only One True Being. Below us are those of humanity who are less spiritually awake, who are in need of help and awakening. These are the people we can serve by consciously transmitting the degree of Light that we have received from those above us – which ultimately comes from the one spiritual Source of Light. So in this picture we might see how Light descends through levels of beings within the whole great hierarchy. At each level in the hierarchy are a group of soul-conscious beings who share the same general level of spiritual Light, though their personality expressions and physical service expressions in the world may be quite different. These can be regarded as our spiritual group brothers and sisters, or co-workers at our own level. Those at the level below us can be regarded as our immediate students, or those we first help esoterically. Those with no (as yet) soul-consciousness or no soul-awakening, are at the bottom. They could be called the spiritually unconscious, or generally the world in need of the awakening light.
So now that we see the overall metaphysical picture, we can begin the meditational practice of esoteric service. First, enter into your highest soul-consciousness. Next, make a feeling and mental contact with your spiritual group, at the highest level possible. Then, The ascend through self-surrender towards God, or the One Light/Being. This is spiritual attunement. Or one could come into attunement with the Light/Being of one’s higher Guide or Teacher. This is all part of the upward phase, and at some point one should pause and contemplatively remain in this higher Light and Love (Love should now be included). Then, from here the intentional phase of descending service can begin. This is when one begins to transmit-channel the Light and Love that is now conscious in one’s being, and this is sent out to the world-in-need. It is shared outwardly and downwardly, into the world, into humanity. This is done through visualization and feeling. What is important is that you are giving of the Light and Love that is within you, of which you are. This sharing is called conscious radiance, and it has transformational effects upon humanity. This is also channeling the Will of God upon the world – through our own conscious loving will (which is of the One Great Will). So this is a spiritual practice we can do at any time and sustain for however long we can. We can also share this Light and Love with everyone around us, and throughout our immediate space.
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Become and assume the virtuous quality of goodwill. This is the way of Christ. This is our divine purpose and who we are meant to be. Practice this quality of good will, firstly by imagining oneself to be this quality. For instance, say to yourself "I am goodwill." In a similar manner, practice the quality of being love. Say to yourself, "I am love." Then feel what this is like. Feel how it is to be love and goodwill. Feel how it is to be an outpouring of goodwill to everyone, to all humanity, and to all to all sentient beings. This is one of the highest spiritual practices, this outpouring radiance of love and goodwill. But even more importantly than radiating goodwill is to actually be goodwill. For to be the quality goodwill is to be a microcosm of the Divine Good-Will. Furthermore, this active quality of goodwill is the quality of Christ. In fact, the return of Christ is the return of love and goodwill into the hearts of men and women on earth. Jesus is not going to descend from the sky to save us from our stupidity or take over as a world king. The return of Christ is not like this at all. Instead, the return of Christ is happening right now and will continue to happen over many more years. The return of Christ is an individual awakening and transformation. It is the awakening of love and goodwill within us. Remember that the return of Christ means the re-awakening of love and goodwill. May Christ return to earth! Even the final battle between good and evil, as some evangelical Christians anticipate, is really more subtle battle than is usually imagined. For the battle is between those with goodwill towards others vs. those who merely try to get whatever they can from others. The battle is between those with a truly compassionate heart of goodwill vs. those who continually work to economically exploit others for their own benefit and rob others of their freedom and opportunities.
Anyway, the way of Christ is to be love radiant. So be the radiant light of love, in synergy with other initiates and people of goodwill working together in the purpose of love.
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Drop the lower personality self, and resurrect as the soul Christ.
The Divine will has three primary qualities.
The power of liberation, which is the freedom of being.
The power of love, which is to embrace, to heal, to give.
The power of light, which is to enlighten and to know oneself.
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There are spiritual practices we can do to bring about experiences and transformations that involve complete self surrender, emptiness, and ecstatic union with Divine Being. Such practices should not be done in concurrence with practical life actions, such as driving the car, because such practices make us oblivious of the world. Nonetheless, these practices have positive related effects for our practical lives, because they transform our being and our energies, so that later on we deal with practical life and social relationships with a higher character of being. That is, the Divine can come through more in how we deal with the world and how we relate with others. We become more Divine in our world living. So our spiritual state of being, improved by certain intensities of spiritual practice (when not focused on practical life), makes better our expression in the world. We have become a higher spiritual being in the world, and this is certainly an essence of the Divine Purpose. Thus, the high spiritual state of being has significant relation with the world. For example, the high spiritual state of being is giving, loving and serving to the real needs of others and the world in general. This being brings Love more into the world and awakens Love in others.
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There is no one certain way of expressing love. There is no one certain way to worship or love God. There are many ways to express love and worship God. There are many ways to express beauty. Yet not all is beautiful. Not all expressions are beautiful. This is because not all expressions come from love. Only expressions that come from love can be beautiful. Love is the ultimate defining essence, the necessary criterion for beauty, virtue and goodness. For without love, a form of expression cannot have beauty. Love is the necessary essence for any form to have beauty, virtue and goodness. There are many possible styles of worship and many possible forms of beauty, but there cannot be worship or beauty without love. Thus, not everything in the world is beautiful, virtuous and good, because not all actions in the world are motivated by true love. Much is motivated by mere self-love and self-desire, but only that which is motivated by real love can ever be spiritually beautiful and good. There is no beauty when the rivers of life are polluted by mere self love and greed. There is no beauty when the earth is trashed upon. There is no beauty in economic exploitation, in the harming of innocent lives, or in genocide.
In summary, there are many possible forms of beauty and goodness, IF love is present. But since love is not always present in people’s intention, all is NOT good and beautiful.
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In terms of spiritual experience and practice, love ebbs and flows in two alternating phases. These phases can be called receiving and giving. They can also be called the phase of ‘being in Love’ and the phase of ‘radiantly emitting love’. In the receiving phase one opens up the Divine Love (or God’s Love), and maybe also calls in the Divine Love, then one allows this Love to enfold oneself, and finally one is immersed in Love. This is being immersed in the ecstatic unity of Love. It is the immediate and absolute experience of the Divine Essence and Reality, or God/Being. In this absolute oneness of Love, one has become absorbed in the very Centre of Love’s Radiance. And from here the other phase begins.
Now there is the experience of being the Centre and Source of Love’s Radiance, and this Radiance flows out everywhere and to everyone. The experience of receiving has transformed into the experience of radiant giving. This is the Divine Radiance, which moves through oneself as an instrument. Yet the experience of being the Centre and Source of Love’s Radiance also has a sense of ‘I am radiating Love’. This is not the same ‘I’ that comes with the lower ego-self or the ego-will. Instead, this is the Divine ‘I’, the Divine Self, radiating Its Essence of Love into the world. Nonetheless, there is this sense of ‘I’ as the Centre and Source of the Radiance. We can call this spiritual identification. The experience here is ‘I am radiating My Love everywhere and to everyone’. And if we carry this into our regular life, there is transformation of both oneself and the world. For then we become a centre and source in existence of the Divine Centre and Source of Love. We become a walking, conscious, source of Love. And through our meditation, from this highest state, we are radiant channels of Divine Love. This is the potential of our true destiny.
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There is no spiritual gluttony for love and beauty. Take and receive all that you can. The resource is unlimited, and you do not get sick by taking more and more. In fact, the more you take the better you are ands the more healing you have. And everyone else will also gain from this. For the more you receive of divine love and beauty, the more you will naturally share. In the physical world, it is not good to take too much, but in the spiritual world one can take everything that is available. In the physical world, fasting and moderation is good, but in the spiritual world receive excessively.
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I love the world. This is the practice of service, the work.
This is God loving… and transforming the world.
Love is one the supreme Qualities of Divine Being. God is loving, for Love is one of God’s most essential Qualities. Divine Love has two essential complimentary aspects. One is radiatory and the other is inclusive. One aspect of Love is effluent and radiatory, while the other aspect is inclusive and accepting. The radiatory aspect is like an outpouring, a sharing or giving of love. We pour out love to the world, or we radiate the light of love outward to all life. Our world is being blessed with an outpouring of love that is coming from the invisible higher dimension of Divine Source. From the Divine Source, Love is emanating into our world. But unless one is sensitive enough to be conscious of this emanating Love, it merely passes through this world without any real effect. It is like a potential energy, inherent in the universe, but ineffective unless tapped. It is like music through the world – potentially powerful to move one to tears or to dance, but ineffective and unmoving unless it is actually heard. So unless the Divine Love is heard, felt or received; it makes no actually effect in our world. It just passes through, or passes by. Yet if one can feel it and receive it, or recognize it, then it is transformative to oneself. But even besides the effect on oneself, this conscious recognition of Divine Love and the receiving of it, moves through oneself and out again to the world around oneself. In other words, we become a channel for this Love.
The Love energy actually becomes stepped down a notch, in its pathway through us, so that it then moves outward in a vibration that is more easily received by others. This is part of an esoteric science, which will only be hinted at here, but the final thing to say about it is that energies from the Source first emerge quite subtly and so are only realized by the more sensitive instruments, and yet these instruments then bring the energies down a notch, as it were, which makes them more receivable to the next level of instruments, and this is the principle of hierarchical intermediacy. That is, there are various levels of intermediacy, between the Divine Source and the general expressive world of humanity. Human consciousness and life eventually evolves over time, in a process of Divine Energy (of Love and Light) penetrating and effluence-ing through consciousness and life, and by way of the levels of intermediacy, as each level steps down the energy so that a greater field of humanity can then realize it (albeit in forms lesser than universal). This gets into the esoteric science of hierarchy, which we will not delve anymore into, but only to finally say that at any level and in any person there is a potential responsibility for the distribution and outpouring of love, at whatever level of vibration it is and in whatever way it is possible to share.
But let us go on. We have briefly considered the radiatory-emanation aspect of Divine Love, which is healing and also transformative in the process of spiritual evolution. This Love emerges from the Divine Source, the Universal Essence, and it radiates through and into our world, but it is only efficacious when recognized and received, and in doing so one becomes a subsidiary channel for the Love. Now here it is important to remember that, in being potential channels for this Love, we are potential generators and light-beams for this Love. That is, we are each centres (though subsidiary centres in relation to the Great Divine Source) of Love, and so we become as radiating sources of love. In other terms, we become individual regents or emissaries or instruments for the emanation of Divine Love. This would also be true on a group level. So this becomes one of the finer spiritual practices, to be done consciously and intentionally. {It also becomes a responsibility. It may also involve the giving of healing and blessing to the world.}
I love the world. This is the practice of service, the work.
This is God loving… and transforming the world.
Now let us consider the other great aspect of Love, which is inclusiveness. This is the aspect of Love that is embracing and including. The experience is like allowing others into our love. A mystical saying states that only the heart can contain God. And it could also be said that God’s Love contains all beings, embracing and including all in one great Love. Thus we can know that God embraces and includes us in His/Her Love. Realizing this, knowing it and feeling it, is a profound liberating and healing experience. God embraces us and draws us into Him/Her. So we are included in all of the healing and wisdom Qualities of God. Actually, according to esoteric theosophy, this inclusive and embracing aspect of God’s Love is the motherly aspect, while the radiatory and emanating aspect is the fatherly. But what is important is that we are embraced and loved by Divine Being, and we are being drawn into Love. The physical representation of this aspect of Love is gravity. Remember that the sun is always pulling the earth to it, which keeps the earth orbiting around it. This gravity force of the sun is like the embracing aspect of Love; while the light and energy that is streaming out from the sun is representative of the radiatory-emanating aspect of Love.
Now of course it is of profound significance to realize our relationship to the Divine Source, or to God, which is somewhat analogous to the earth’s relationship to the sun. So may one ponder on this, and hopefully experience it all directly. But let us now turn our mind and heart to the world around us, and ponder on how we might relate to others and the world in general. To know that God loves us, that God is embracing and also emanating, is extremely profound and healing, but it is not the end of the story. For we are the potential regents of God. We are in the embracing and emanating process of Love, and we can consciously participate in it. We can become ‘emanators’ of Love, and we can also become ‘embracing’ regents of Love. This becomes part of our spiritual practice and service. This is not a directly visible outward service, though it can unfold into visible, physical action. What we are speaking about here is quite subtle, though it is also profoundly efficacious. For the practice here is to embrace others in love, either specifically or the whole world in general. Include others in your love, and then include everyone in your love. This also means allowing in others, with love’s acceptance and inclusiveness. It also means receiving others and welcoming them into Love. And this produces spiritual healing for others. Allow others into your love, and they will come closer into God’s Love. We are bringing others into the Divine Love, by the portal of our own love. This is a great secret. Remember that we are [potentially] the regents of Divine Love. So if, in any moment, we can consciously embrace, include, accept, receive, welcome, and bring others into our own heart; then, amazingly, we are bringing them into God’s Love. Amazingly also, by this conscious acceptance and receiving of others into love, the divine qualities in them are allowed to emerge. Because as we are in the state of receptivity and acceptance, the spiritual creativity in them is then able to actively flow forth – due to there being a receiving end to the potential flow of divine creative energies. Thus, the receiving and embracing quality of love makes it possible for the divine to naturally emerge from the other. The receiving quality of one person helps to bring forth the active-creative spiritual quality in the other. This receiving quality is also related to recognizing the divine emerging through others. First of all, one needs faith in the essential divinity of others. Next, one needs to be a nurturer for the emergence of that divinity. And finally, we must be open to recognizing and receiving the divinity at the very moment of its emergence.
So the divine is calling us back to Unity – back to Itself - calling us back into Love. This is one of the divine principles at work, and it produces transmutation and refinement of energies – through assimilation of the lesser into the greater. We are part of this, for we are each being drawn back into Love. Though it is possible for our ego to resist this for a time. But generally speaking, we are being drawn into the Divine Love, further and further embraced by this Love; just as we are also part of the emanating process of Divine Being. Yet also remember that we are each [potential] conscious participators in these two complimentary processes of Love. Remember that our love can include more and more, embracing more and more of the All, and in doing so we are ourselves come further into the Divine Unity of Being. The Masters, Saints and Great Ones ‘above us’ (so to speak), are those who’s being is more inclusive and encompassing of the Infinite All.
So first, spiral dance into God, into Love, into Love’s Union. Next, Turn and radiate love to the whole world, being the sunlight of love, sharing love everywhere. And next, Turn fully around and embrace the whole world, allowing and including everyone into the receiving heart. Welcome everyone into Love, saying come into Love.
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