Leaves of Morya’s Garden, Book Two, Illumunation

13. Two signs of the authenticity of the Teaching are: first, striving for the Common Good; second, acceptance of all previous Teachings which are congruous with the first sign. It must be noted that the primary form of a Teaching does not contain negative postulates. But superstitious followers begin to fence in the Covenants with negations, obstructing the good. There results the ruinous formula: "Our creed is the best," or, "We are the true believers; all others are infidels." From this point it is a single step to the Crusades, to the Inquisition, and to seas of blood in the name of Those Who condemned killing. There is no worse occupation than forcible imposition of one's creed.

Whoever wishes to follow Us must first of all forget negation and freely bear the renewed life without constraint of others. People are attracted by beauty and by luminous knowledge. Only that Teaching which contains all hope, which makes life beautiful, which manifests action, can promote true evolution. Certainly life is not a market, where one can make a fine bargain for entrance into the Heavenly Kingdom. Certainly life is not a grave, where one trembles before the justice of an Unknown Judge!

In keeping with their opinion, scholars have proposed the ingenious consolation: "Man begins to die from the moment of his birth"--a scanty and funereal comfort. But We say that man is eternally being born, and particularly at the moment of so-called death.

The servitors of distorted religions encourage their wards in the purchase of places in the cemetery, where through their advance arrangements they will lie more advantageously and honorably than others more indigent and hence undeserving of lengthy prayers. The incense for these poor ones will be adulterated and the prayers abominably sung.

Ask people, finally, what authentic Teaching has enjoined this monstrous practice? Verily, we have had enough of graves, cemeteries, and intimidations!

One may know how loftily the Teachers have regarded the transition to future manifestations, and least of all have They been concerned about a cemetery site.

The attitude toward death is a very important indicator of the character of the Teaching, for in it is contained the understanding of reincarnation.

I urge you to consider reincarnation strictly scientifically.

If you can propound any other structure of the universe, We shall reserve for you a chair as professor of theology and promise you a first-class funeral; for indeed in the eyes of the enlightened you will have already decided to die.

Read attentively the writings of the Teachers published by you, and you will be amazed at how unanimously in all ages They speak about the change of life.

The Path of Light will appear when you venture to look scientifically and without prejudices.

The daring ones are with Us--joy to the daring ones!

Signs of Agni Yoga

244. "To those in the grave I give life." This is the clearest affirmation of reincarnation and the continuity of existence.

 Heart

458. Indeed, not long ago the potato was regarded as the devil's apple. Let us not become proud, for these examples of ignorance are innumerable. One may even prefer the ignorance of savages, because they can be enlightened more easily on the possibilities of the distant worlds. Reincarnation itself remains a curiosity or superstition. All the indications regarding nature's laws do not as yet lead to significant conclusions. I do not repeat this for you but for the cowardly ignoramuses who seek to cloak crime with irresponsibility. How afraid they are of death! But at the same time, they fear also to cross to the other shore of the river. Sometimes it is necessary to disturb their ignorance. Those who slumber are often in need of a blow.

Fiery World Vol. 1

624. Even among contemporary forms numerous animal-like men can be found. Such monstrosities are usually ascribed to a fright or shock experienced by the mother. But, notwithstanding many explanations, the principal cause is usually lost sight of. It may be understood that in the Subtle World certain entities are subject to fits of carnal desire. During these obscurations they sink to the level of the animal kingdom. Moreover, Agni declines to such an extent that the animal principles take possession of the fallen ones. Of course, with time, they can again ascend, but the animal contact is so powerful that it may be transformed at reincarnation into animal form. Sometimes heredity contributes to such animal-like rebirths, for base spirits prefer corresponding forms for themselves. And sometimes it is neither atavism nor heredity, but a deplorable lunge into the animal world, which imprints the seal of madness. Again it is instructive to note how the decrease of Agni permits the manifestation of animal propensities.

Agni, the savior, leads to beautiful worlds, but one must cherish it and not forget its existence. Many spirits, while not lowering themselves to an animal state, disgracefully stamp abouton one spot and even fear Agni. During their earthly journeyings these timid ones feared everything existing, and Fire was to them the most terrifying concept. They forgot the Light, which could draw them to the World of Beauty, and fear is a poor counselor.

Fiery World III

23. The World is striving for the crowning perfection. Manifold are the paths of the search. The closest to perfection will be the path of Beauty. Religion has given a striving for Nirvana, but it is distorted by misleading concepts. Many quests were deflected by the misunderstanding of the concepts of Karma and Reincarnation. He who sought perfection could have found through Beauty the powerful laws of Being. Yet if one should take all distorted manifestations of life and line them up with Beauty one would find the law of perfection. If we take the unbalanced conditions of all principles introduced into life and line them up with Beauty, we shall arrive at the law of Being. When we observe the life of the planet with all its prejudices, we see that we must inevitably arrive at the victorious crowning through Beauty. One should become accustomed to the realization of the victorious crowning. Such thinking will bring one to the Fiery World.

AUM

264. In the study of the history of faiths it is possible to observe how humanity has repeatedly grasped subtle conceptions only to forget and later cast aside that which had been cognized. One may see how in ancient times people grasped the law of reincarnation only to reject it again in a spasm of rage. The reason for this ecclesiastic denial is understandable--a caste was protecting its prerogatives, for the law of Existence threatened to equalize the rights of people.

So it has happened in different ages, yet the waves of cognition and of ignorance are everywhere identical. They create an agitation of the waters so needed for the advancement of consciousness. Therefore, each one striving for knowledge achieves tranquility of spirit amid storm and stress.

Let us not remain in ignorance when knowledge is knocking all gates.

491. Frequently you hear absurd tales of how there occur simultaneous incarnations of one and the same person--a conclusion both ignorant and harmful. Deniers of incarnation make use of such fictions to dispute the possibility of reincarnation. Besides, they forget the reason--which somewhat lessens the guilt-namely imaginative invention. Certain people remember the details of a definite epoch; when they dream of being a well-known person, their remembrance of the dream molds the imagining of an incarnation. The resulting error is in the person, but not in the epoch. A child imagines himself a field marshal, and such a representation already sinks into his Chalice.

Many remember their past lives, but through obscuration of consciousness they call forth their own past imaginings. One needs to be careful also not to censure too greatly the mistakes of others. Aside from conceit and ignorance, there may be only partial errors without base motive. Indeed, there may also be different forms of obsession and whispering with evil intention, but enough has already been said about obsession.

573. It is shocking to see the relativeness of people's judgments. Take as an example the definitions of the state of one who has passed into the Subtle World. Of the same person it will be said: he perished, he is annihilated, he suffers, he sleeps, he is resting, he is learning, he ascends, he rejoices--thus each one judges the Subtle World according to his own understanding. But inasmuch as no one has told people about the Subtle World, they have begun to form opinions in accordance with their own imagination; however the imagination is often uncultivated. In this way, the closest sphere still remain within the limits of a phantom world.

When someone weeps at a funeral, there may be found one who deplores such ignorance. Likewise, if someone rejoices at such an occasion, people are indignant at a seeming madman. Thus, people cannot assimilate the relationship of earthly existence to the superearthly state of being. Many cases can be cited when people have seen their near ones of the Subtle World, but even such evidences merely remain listed as phenomena. It is impossible to convince people of the naturalness of the change of existence. They are forbidden to think about reincarnation, and they are agreed that they dwell on the edge of an unknown abyss. Yet each year brings the worlds closer together, and it is possible to increase the number of cases of evidence of memory of former lives. Already each one can cite many examples; all that is needed is an attitude of good will.

Brotherhood

163. Idiosyncrasies are inexplicable attractions or repulsions, and they appear as trustworthy evidences of reincarnation. No one can explain otherwise these irresistible feelings. It is vain to try to show them to be the effects of atavism, because it is possible to trace their independence of ancestral habits. The special force of such attraction shows that they are deeply implanted in a given individual. They are so firmly fixed in the consciousness that even hypnosis cannot overcome them. But if in individual cases the changes of lives were to be examined, then the attraction or repulsion would be found to be a natural effect of what has gone before. Thus, it is especially instructive to observe such inborn symptoms. They reveal both the capacities of the man and the kind of surroundings that are most favorable for him. Let us not forget that each plant needs its own soil; so, too, in the life of man, indispensable are the circumstances which are natural and peculiar to him.

Let those who rule learn how to arrange the human garden.

177. In the simplest examples there can be seen indications regarding forgotten fundamentals. The unaccountable whims of pregnant women will remind us about reincarnation, particularly when the character of the child is traced. Likewise, the latest medicine utilizes the concept of primary energy and points out the nervous origin of many ailments. Immunity is regarded as linked to a condition of the entire nervous system, thus putting forward the significance of the primary energy. How, then, may one not recognize it, when science is paying particular attention to it? Can one deny the basis of immunity? People are especially concerned about their health, yet at the same time they lose sight of the most precious factor. How, then, will thoughts about Brotherhood be created, if the fundamentals of life are left in neglect?