WE WISH to talk of occult orders and teachings at this time. For the reason that we find some of those who have received all the Impersonal teachings are still occasionally attracted by teachers or teachings that hold out to them alluring opportunities of developing psychic faculties and attaining occult powers which will advance them beyond their fellows.

We shall speak very frankly in this heart to heart talk, for we know that all true disciples of Christ are anxious to have pointed out any and everything that is holding them back from finding the Kingdom—the Christ Consciousness, and from attaining Divine Union. Those whom it affects will understand that if it arouses feelings of resentment or rebellion, it is only because self is trying to protect itself against something it greatly desires and is seeking for self’s glory and use, and it should be a sure sign of the need of these truths being shown them. Therefore watch carefully your mind’s reactions to what is herein stated, as it may indicate to you certain subtle qualities of self that are not yet brought under subjection.

By this time all should know that we are providing food for the soul, food that will purify, strengthen and perfect the soul nature so that the Higher Self—the Divine You—can bring its outer expression, the human mind and its personality, into perfect oneness with your Christ nature. This soul food consists of deep inner truths, intended for the use of the soul only—not the mind, although they must be clearly understood by the mind. But with some, before the mind can understand, it first seemingly has to learn that the intellectual knowledge given out by different occult movements and teachings, while it may satisfy the mortal mind for the time being, yet something within is not satisfied; and it is the hunger of that something that causes the mind to seek without in such movements for what it someday will learn can be found only within. Not until it turns within, listens to and recognizes that hunger as the soul’s cry to be fed the true Bread of Life, the mind will run hither and yon to every teacher, movement and teaching offering what sounds like the real thing, but which always proves to be but husks, having no life-giving grain inside.

Most all of the real ones in this Work have had that experience, have been led into and have been taught the needed intellectual knowledge, have benefitted by the mental training and discipline provided, and have finally learned what these outer movements did not and could not teach or supply; and not until they contacted the Impersonal teachings did they learn what it was their souls were demanding—the pure truth taught by Christ Jesus and made so plain that their minds could now understand. We have many letters testifying to this fact.

But remember, their minds could not understand until they had learned what these occult movements could not supply, and likewise had learned to turn within and to listen to the voice speaking deep within their souls. Those who still listen to the voice of self, and allow it to deceive them into believing these occult movements can lead them by any short cut into the Kingdom or the Christ Consciousness, especially those who have had all of the Impersonal teachings—for these words are of course intended only for such—will experience only disappointment and disillusionment; for the Impersonal teachings will have given them at least a glimpse of the Real—all that they were capable of perceiving at the time—and will have enabled them to learn what these other teachings are not, and will perhaps have awakened in them a hunger for the Real that will no longer be denied.

We can hardly believe, however, that those who have earnestly and faithfully followed with us all the way, have persistently done the meditating and the mental and spiritual work required, can be enticed or even tempted by the alluring offers or claims of such occult movements or teachers; for they have been led straight to the Kingdom, have had pointed out all the seductions that would meet with along the way, have learned unmistakably to distinguish between the voice of self and that of the Christ within, and are now either being lovingly taught and wholly guided by Him, or are abiding in Him and from His Consciousness are directing all the activities and affairs of their outer lives.

But we know there are a few who have not yet found the Loving One within, or are not sure of His Voice, and who still think they need an outer teacher to help them find the Kingdom; forgetting that all outer teachers have and are no more than what they have and are within themselves—the Christ Spirit which lighteth every man. Some have thought they might find such a teacher in one of the movements offering such help, as well as a shorter cut and an easier way to the heights.

Oh how could such Impersonal students, after studying for four years the many times repeated truths about the One and Only True Teacher, and being ever pointed within to Him—their Loving Christ Self,—how could they, why need they any outer teacher to tell them what they must or should do! How often have they been shown them that there is only One Authority, One Teacher, to whom they must always turn for guidance—their own Divine Self? THESE are the final days of the great testing-time, through which all humanity is passing, and especially all professed followers of Christ, the coming Messiah. Who is to rule the world in the New Age, prove their love for Him by their knowledge of and trust in His Spirit, when it speaks within their hearts; prove that no outer voice, whether speaking without in some other man, or within simulating Its Voice, can deceive or entice them for one moment away from the straight and narrow path of selfless love and service to Him Who is their Divine Lord and Saviour.

Jesus, our beloved Master and Teacher, plainly told us:

“If any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not.

“For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and they shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.

“Behold, I have told you before.

“Wherefore, if they shall say unto you, Behold, He is in the wilderness; go not forth; behold He is in the secret chambers; believe it not.

“For as the lightning cometh out of the East, and shineth unto the West; so shall also the presence of the Son of Man be.

“Wherever the dead carcase is, there shall the eagles be gathered together.”—Mat. 24:23-28.

One with seeing eyes needed but to look around these days to find how very true Jesus’ statement. Many are the false Christs and the false prophets—they abound on every side. Therefore, whom are you going to follow these false ones, or the Loving One within ever waiting to tell you the truth—when He can get your mind’s attention away from the claims and promises of these liars and deceivers?

What did He mean when stating, “Wherefore, if they say he is in the wilderness (or in the desert); go not forth”? Only that you should not listen to those who claim He has commanded them to gather together in the mountains or some “safe place,” where He will lead, teach and protect them. Or “behold, He is in the inner (or secret) chambers; believe it not”; for the Son of Man is everywhere—in the East and in the West, and in all places between; everywhere, in the hearts of all men who recognize and wait upon Him there. Where the dead carcase of an earthly imitator is (in whom there is no spiritual life, only the desires of self and by self deceived, no matter how deeply in earnest such may be), there gather together those who likewise are seeking secret and protection for self.

Why, think you, have we taken such pains for four years to help you to find and know Him—you who truly making the finding of the Kingdom FIRST in your hearts and lives? Only that He may lead you into the Kingdom—He, your Divine Self, the Loving Christ you are, Who is continually saying from out your heart,

“I alone am the way, the Truth, and the Life; no man cometh unto the Father except by Me.”—John 14:6. And Who also says:

“I am the door: by me, if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out and find pasture.”—John 10:9.

“He that entereth not by the door, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.”—John 10:1.

What else can this mean but that every disciple of Christ (and we thereby mean those who truly disciples who are not looking solely to Him as their Teacher and Guide; all others are but pupils and followers of other teachers) must find Him, the Christ, within themselves, must know Him and be absolutely following Him and no other teacher; for by His guidance alone can they ever find the Father in His Kingdom. Not until one has actually found the Christ within, and has dedicated his self and all that he is and has to following and obeying Him, is he a real disciple—an Accepted Disciple (called by some an Initiate), and thereby a member of the Great Brotherhood of Christ. Yes, we know there are many teachers who claim to be members of the “Great White Brotherhood.” But we have shown you of what that Brotherhood truly consists—of Christed souls who have been washed pure and clean by their proven love of Christ and their lives of selfless service. That is why we always call the Brotherhood of Christ, the Great White Brotherhood.

Contrary, Christ Jesus is the greatest Being belonging to the place of Earth’s outer Divine Lords and Leaders, the King of Kings, and the Lord of Lords, Who only lately, immortally, dwelling in Light unapproachable, Whom no man hath seen, or can see (I Timothy 6:16). And honor and power eternal. Amen.” 1 Tim. 6:15-16. And in order that there may be no mistake as to what Brotherhood this Work represents, because Christ is its Head we call it the Brotherhood of Christ, which of course includes the true Great White Brotherhood.

BECAUSE this outer phase of its work is to bring the Light of the Christ Love to the minds and hearts of God’s children, our place is here in the midst of men—should and cannot be elsewhere. To draw from those who should and can help. Think you, the Loving One within, Who has been directing your life from the beginning and Who has been preparing you for just these times—so that you can, as the disciples of old, be here to comfort, heal, teach and lead all seeking souls out of the darkness of self into the light of the Christ within, which will prove to be the only way of escape—will allow you to suffer any real hardship, no matter what the outer obstacles may be? And think you He cannot and will not take care of you and lead you to safety, when real danger threatens, just as easily as He can another—any teacher or disciple.But those who prefer to trust others, rather than Him, will have to learn to their sorrow that it is not for such purpose that He has been teaching, disciplining and preparing them all these years.

Some have been seduced into believing that certain teachers can tell them their past incarnations, and therefore such teachers must be very advanced, if not “Masters”; not realizing that such teachers are either self-deluded or are purposely deceiving their followers in order to gain their confidence and money. For in the first place, if your Higher Self wished you to know of a past incarnation, He could easily make you aware of it; but it would be only to remind you of a much needed lesson learned in that life. The life itself and the personality you then were are of no consequence, but the lessons gained were the important purpose of your expressing in that life and personality. Understanding this, what possible good could be accomplished by telling you a string of such incarnations? Would it not only feed the morbid curiosity and desires of self—which such teachers ever seek to do?

Because of some students failing to make the grade attained by their more earnest and faithful fellows, through their not requiring their minds to do the necessary meditating and to practice faithfully the mental discipline suggested, some have been caught by the advertisements and claims of certain occult schools and organizations that they could be taught a “short cut” to initiation or to the Kingdom. The very claim of such schools proves their inability to do what is promised—for there is no short cut!

Spiritual growth is attained only as the flower grows, naturally, and by the gradual unfolding of the Christ Life within. That Life is the Holy Love of God coming ever into fuller expression in one’s outer life, and cannot be hastened save one persistently and continually opens one’s heart and allows Love to possess the personality and to rule in every detail of one’s life. Such a one, of course, has in time, with mind and heart thus fixed on hearing or observing the Voice of Love, to think of or to seek to learn of past incarnations or to gain the occult powers promised when paying the price demanded by an occult school. Witness our Master’s clear teaching in John 14:6; 10:9; 10:1.

Some have been misled by certain teachers into believing that because of their teachings being similar to those of THE IMPERSONAL LIFE, such teachers must be true and helpful, and being still dependent upon outer teachers they grasped this opportunity to follow in order to get the help they thought they needed—only to learn that such were not Impersonal teachers, but were still very personal, and were not true and helpful, because of not living what they taught.

Most of our dear ones realize that in the Impersonal Teachings they have been led to the highest Spiritual truths, but divested of all occult terms, all mystery and all symbolism. But some seemingly think because of this they are not as advanced as and cannot compare with the teachings of certain occult societies, organizations and schools. But the wise ones know that they have been shown the only way that leads direct to the Kingdom and Divine Union—the goal of our humanity, and they need no other teachings—if they faithfully practice and prove the truths in them until they become a part of their daily lives.

Then why dally with other teachings or teachers? You have in the Impersonal books and lessons all the real help anyone can give you, no matter to whom you go. For remember, growth can only come from within—never from without. You must do what your own soul tells you must be done. If you do not do that, what any other soul tells you will get you nowhere. This must be so; it is your own common sense should tell you that.

YES, these are the days of testing, when all earnest seekers are being called upon to prove whom they are serving—Christ, or His great imitator, the anti-christ. In many subtle ways are they being tested, and always through those qualities of mind and heart which self still strongly controls. The anti-christ can only work through self—even as Christ can only work through selflessness; and the can always win self over by feeding those qualities or tendencies which still exist—such as love of power, praise, money, gold; being thought wise or more advanced than their fellows; or interest in psychism, its mystic powers and practices, and the ability to produce phenomena not vouched for to the uninitiated. Anyone promising to free them such powers or to unfold such faculties in them usually finds a ready hearing, and such a promiser usually being much cleverer than his victims, soon has them believing everything he tells them, casting a glamour over their minds that makes them wholly forget for a time all the truth they had previously learned, and prevents their doing any real thinking for themselves or using their former common sense.

Such have a very severe and humiliating lesson to learn, but the lesson will be good for their souls, for it will clearly show them what these teachings and teachers are not, and that they are not what their Christ Selves intended for them.

But this being the great testing-time, everyone—especially those who expect to find and abide in the Kingdom—will be called upon to prove their ability to use the truths they have learned. For think you anyone in whom self rules will be permitted to enter and abide in the Kingdom of God?

Define now that you will be tested to the limit in divers ways, until it is proven that self is wholly subdued and is now lovingly serving the Christ within. Prepare yourselves then and expect to face from now on everything that will show up self to you, everything that will disturb, hurt and make you suffer; for remember it is only self that ever disturbed or hurt or suffers, and so everything that can cause such must and will be brought to you, until there is nothing left in you that can be disturbed, hurt or can suffer anymore.

Therefore, be not stampeded by fear or impatience, or the confident statements of others, into following those who claim they have higher and quicker ways of reaching the goal. There is no higher or quicker way, and we know that everyone who has carefully read and pondered over the truths stated above will be shown that this is so by their own Higher Selves.

We ask our Loving Father to inspire in everyone who has been tempted to seek elsewhere for the help that He within them has ever been waiting to give them through these teachings, to turn back to them with renewed and undeviating determination to find all the great good that they contain for them and to put it to the use intended.

A Letter from one of our Illumined Ones

DEAR FRIENDS:

It is with great rejoicing that I, the Higher Self, am causing My human expression to write to you, for it now realizes the place it therefore occupied in running the affairs of life, and the great injustice it allowed to manifest because of its worldly beliefs and misconceptions, thinking it was apart from the Great Whole, and that it had to work out its own affairs—so considered.

Now, in true and sincere submission to My call from within, every waking moment is dedicated to following the promptings of the Christ, and the last three weeks have been filled with great joy; for the power of the Christ Love grows through its being many times a day. My Presence within is now an actual Presence to it, and it senses a great change taking place in all departments of its life, as it lets go, rejoicing.

What has been given it and which has been written down will be submitted to you. From it you will know if it is from the higher consciousness.

My human self no longer sees faults in others, neither does it criticize or condemn, for in working with consciousness only, the outer means nothing and it realizes that the race consciousness is simply thought-power working out its energy along misdirected paths, and will continue so to work until the power of the Word is recognized and redirected from the Christ Self.

Before man becomes awakened, his consciousness is merely a part of the race consciousness, and the thoughts which come in uninvited, many times do so because of the cells being still active within the body-consciousness, which retains the energy that has not yet expended itself in complete outer manifestation. This acts like a magnet—“like attracts like.” If a man pays attention to these stray thoughts, added energy of like quality speeds around the universe more intensified, and the cells’ consciousness which thus reproducing themselves, becomes more veiled, and while encompassed by such thoughts, although the Light is within—the real consciousness of the cells is of God’s pure Light, there is so much darkness surrounding them that their light cannot be seen or recognized; and the same thing applies to the soul consciousness of everyone in the world.

If man would immediately transmute each thought as it comes in—for it finds a place within his mind if he becomes a part of his consciousness, realizing its nothingness, because of its negative worldly thought-power that produces shadows in inception in the race consciousness; and know that the power inherent in the thought is God’s Power—Creative Love, his consciousness becomes cleansed of any adverse effects, and the truly will’s therefore react correctly.

One learns not to pray for another’s redemption because of errors committed; instead upon entrance of such thoughts of error—the shortcomings of others as perceived by the human mind, one immediately treats his own thoughts and learns to overcome the within him.

Gradually the True Self comes forth and possesses the mind, and the race consciousness formerly filling it is lifted up into its Consciousness. Every thought so raised draws all men into me,” for “I, if I be lifted up, will draw all men unto me.”

Everyone who has thus been lifted up in consciousness feels a change—although he may at the time be unaware of the cause.

One does not have to go mentally to the different ones concerned, does not even have to see “things,” for just to go within consecrates all in one. This is the explanation of the distant healings of Jesus, our Master.

When one asked Him to heal one of his family afar off, the idea of sickness could find no lodgment in Jesus’ Mind; for His Consciousness throughout all His body-cells was perfect, whole, complete, one with the Consciousness, knowing that all is the perfect, loving Consciousness of God. Hence only pure Love could emanate from Him. Vitalizing powerfully His Love knowing, and a thought-act out from His Mind of Love became a mighty agent to bring about the instant recovery or uncovering of the Real Self of his Divine Thought.

All His Mind could see was the perfection that the Father saw, and His Love outworking as perfect Life, the perfect Image seen within, through the operation of that Life, had to form and show itself, even as it was within.

The prayer of a human mind can never bring about a perfect fulfillment, for its nature is to change and un-fold in consciousness; but after one has realized the oneness of his human with his Christ Mind and earnestly obeys the Inner Voice, only thoughts which help the benefit of the whole are entertained, and any desire or prayer when thus lifted in consciousness must and does immediately unmanifest.

THE above is an example of what comes from the Higher Consciousness. It is to encourage all who receive this Paper to retire frequently into that Consciousness for the purpose of seeing what comes, and then writing it.

Anything that you deem helpful to others may be sent to us. Especially in your Group Meetings we would like to have you practice speaking to each other from that Consciousness, as requested in Papers 32 and 33, and in order to prove that you can do this write as from it as you are led, as did our friend in the above letter.

This will prove far more helpful than you realize, for it will enable you to retire into that Consciousness at will, and which, in view of what is stated below, will be of the most vital importance when the things mentioned come to pass.

THERE are strenuous times ahead. Be not deceived by the alluring statements of the newspapers into believing that our country is out of difficulties and that prosperity is preparing to return. There are certain ominous signs that indicate conditions will soon be much worse than they have ever been—unless something very unexpected happens to prevent.

We do not wish to appear pessimistic or to prophesy anything; but we do wish to prepare our dear ones for anything that may come to pass, by helping them to retire consciously, as we will note at the place of peace deep within, where all is safety and the sure knowledge happens to others in the outer.

Can that be possible? You ask. Yes, just as surely as you believe in God and the Brotherhood of Christ, and put all your faith and trust in Them.

We have been to much pains to prove to you in earlier lessons that all that appears without is the creation of mind (see Papers 33, 34 and 35). We have shown that what is seen by mortal eyes is not real, and that the only reality is invisible and exists in that Christ Spirit of consciousness where the Light of the Christ forever shines, and realize it is but waiting for you to dismiss all that appears in the outer, and to forget and outmanifest the fullness of its perfection on earth—its truth, beauty and abundance of all good things—even as it now actually is manifesting in the invisible world of Spirit.

Why think you these tribulations come to men—must come, until “they have learned their lesson”? Because they themselves produced them—by involving the operation of The Law through their selfish, evil thinking, speech and actions. Therefore, remember that these tribulations come to and affect only those who produced them and who are still in the consciousness that produces them. They must come, because it is the law of their being; for only by suffering these results of such wrong actions can men learn their lessons and gain the spiritual understanding and strength that will turn them away from the desires of self to the Light and will of their Father in Heaven.

Every disciple of Christ knows that only through knowing suffering do such turn to God and finally learn to know Him as He is—a Loving Father, the very Life, Light, Strength and Perfection of their Higher, Divine Selves. Therefore, it is plain that the world still needs to suffer—at least those who have found and can retire into the Christed consciousness of Christ. Those still in the consciousness of self and who flee to the mountains to escape the consequences of the actions of self—their own actions in Christ and others—prove that they put no trust in God, and therefore are the very ones who will not escape; for no one can hide from the Christ Law. It will overtake them wherever they are.

Then let those who understand strive daily and persistently to live in their Christ Consciousness, and KNOW that not only are they safe and will surely be taken care of, but that despite what tribulations manifest in the world, all is well; that the Great Law of Love is working unerringly, and that whatever is best for God’s children—for every one of them, according to their trust needs—will be brought to them. That KNOWING must then unhesitatingly call forth the fulfillment of that knowing.