334. Thy joy is Our joy.
When the enchanted flower of a caress blossoms on earth,
a new star is born in the Infinite.
Numberless the stars.
The milky way of happiness binds all the worlds.
Lord, the bird of happiness would sing at my window.
I shall not understand its words but I will dare.
In the morning hour one word will come to me,
And my heart will sing:
Acquitted, acquitted, acquitted.
Is it possible that for one word, for one caress,
I could be acquitted by Thee?
By Thee, Who has spun the web of eternal Universe and Glory?
My son, the caress is part of Truth.
And Truth is in Beauty and Love.
Comprehend this. My son, in the hour of midnight.
I shall knock upon thy door at dawn.
One day more, and thy flower is growing.
And simply thou art pronouncing the words of the building of the Temple.
I see a smile; I hear even laughter.
Blessed art thou it thou, laying the stones,
canst cement them with laughter.
Joy to the worlds! I said it.
335. Travelers, why do you hasten on your way?
Whence your destiny?
Whither your goal?
Our way is where the watery way merges into cloudy
way, where the forest fades into horizon line.
Will you not rest upon your path?
Will you not taste the waters from the pure spring?
Nay, we must reach our destination.
Twilight already has enveloped the farthest mountain
And the nightingale has sung its song in the nearest forest.
We must press on.
The travelers advance. Nearer is the goal.
The clouds transform themselves into temples.
But the way is long and twilight deepens.
Solitary pilgrims — look forward.
Along the way a Stranger walked.
May the Lord be merciful to you.
I said it.
336. Waterfalls and green grass, birds and the winds are singing to me.
And in my motion is born a song.
I ascend with ease.
But when the wind is still and the birds are flown
and the green grass droops, what shall I do, My Lord?
Regard then Me.
As the mountains give rise to new heights,
And abysses crossed but confront me
with new mountains,
When I have traversed all deserts
and have scaled all summits —
What shall I see, O Lord?
Thou shalt see Me.
Chains of happiness and chains of bondage.
The slave drags heavily his fetters;
The chains of joy resound with mirth.
How shall I know the chains, O Lord?
Attune thine ear.
337. He who is with Us has oft an hour of battle.
But he knows that he is ever victor.
Regard those who call.
What beauty! Not only do they behold beauty
but they would share it with thee.
To share is the pledge of victory.
And the words which unlock are clear.
But few know how to apply them to the portals.
We perceive the festival of labor.
Into the flames of purification thou cast prejudices
and obstacles.
What a great pyre upon the mountain lights thy way!
Striving opens new ways.
338. Whose knocking do I hear?
Is it thou, fugitive?
Now I shall tell thee:
Thou hast been fleeing from Me as steadily
as before thou didst erect My Dwellings.
Thou didst attempt to hide thyself within the
sanctuaries of My Temples.
Behind the steps of thrones didst thou conceal thyself.
Changing thine image, thou didst veil thyself
beneath the folds of tents.
Thou didst seek delivery in sound of flute and strings.
Whither didst thou flee?
Now thou art standing before Me, but I say:
Thou hast returned to Me. Thou hast found again
My doors.
Thou hast beheld how pallid became thy mind,
how dispersed thy joy.
And thou hast understood that the knocking one
will be admitted.
And the accepted one will be acquitted.
And thou hast found better doors and came,
seeing the endlessness of thy flight.
And I will admit the knocking one and will say to him:
I have preserved for thee thy joy. Take thy chalice
and work.
And thou, called Avirach,
Thou knowest already that the flight is vain.
Thou art standing now, approaching the doors,
And thy chalice is awaiting thee.
339. Joy! There is no hour of present glory.
There is a past hour of happiness.
And there is a future hour of joy.
The past hour retards,
The future hour draws thee nearer.
And I have ordained for thee hours of future bliss.
Joy!
Naught that can retard thee is wise.
Live in the hour of future happiness.
Joy!
340. Learn to protect the Shield.
Try to attain resourcefully.
The new is difficult, the old unsuitable.
The clouds must not conceal the mountains.
Neither self-acquittal nor evasion will help.
Only creative labor leads to conquest.
Comprehend labor broadly.
The blizzard blinds the sight but the spirit is not blinded.
341. Guard the spirit.
Devotion is proved by action.
342. Where is the prayer?
Where is the mantram?
Where is the conjuration?
Where is the invocation?
I will say my prayer and I will say it facing the sun.
If my eyes cannot endure the Light of the Universe,
I will close them.
And, filled with the sparks of Its radiance,
I will nevertheless say:
Here I behold my path, and along it I strive
with all my inmost being.
And, repelling the enemies and renouncing all
possessions, I am coming to Thee.
My word to Thee is my prayer.
By day and by night do I repeat it,
at work and during the night vigil,
When the eyes no longer discern the bounds of earth and heaven.
How many preparations and how much thought
and effort —
To say to Thee my one word, "I love Thee, My Lord."
It is my only prayer.
So long a time did I prepare.
So long did I wait for my mantram.
Still, it is short.
Turn not from me, O Lord!
Naught can I add to this word.
And now my conjuration:
O Lord, Thou shalt not forsake me.
I will find Thee. I know all Thy Abodes.
Thou art in all!
Be merciful. My Lord. My prayer is simple.
Short is my mantram and froward is my conjuration.
But if I cannot leave Thee, Thou canst not hide Thee
from my sight.
My ear is aware of Thy Step. My mouth is sweet
with Thy Divine Savor.
Thou art my nurture.
Shall I have time to conjure Thee, O Lord?
I fear lest my prayer displease Thee,
And my mantram be not acceptable.
But I will retain in my hands Thy Garment.
O My Lord, I will be daring,
And by audacity will win the ocean of happiness.
Because I wish it.
Thus I said: Create, comprehend and open thy doors.
They can press on, but you can pass through smilingly.
You who know, go and attain.
343. They boast to receive messages from Us,
Yet have not renounced a single habit.
Their steps are lagging in doubt,
And their words are bitter with treason.
They bathe in a pool and mistake it for an ocean.
Beware of treason.
344. New ones will manifest themselves in action.
They will reveal the shield of Beauty,
And, full of love, will open the doors to those who knock.
The earth will sink beneath the feet of the blind,
And the deaf will be destroyed.
I am sending a living spring,
To bathe thine eyes and ears.
And the Miracle will be manifested,
And a Bridge of Beauty will lead on to a new way.
I said it.
345. In ancient cults there always remained
vestiges of spiritual teachings.
Even the old choral ring dance
retained the principle of spirituality.
In the center of the ring was placed the chosen one-most often a woman.
Around her circled the ritualistic figures of the chorus.
The chosen one in the center remained as it inert.
But all the movements and invocations
were as if directed toward her.
And she took upon herself the significance
of expression of all aspirations.
Just so is it 'in the teaching of the Spirit.
The disciple acquires the illumination of joy.
He assumes countless quests.
He accepts the ice of solitude.
And then he must undergo the burden of the focus.
As if alone, as it mute,
As if without any help,
He bears upon himself the burden of all.
And thus in quietude, in the icy solitude,
He awaits and readily accepts the burden of all appeals.
Like the foundation of a building,
he silently lets himself be surrounded.
He multiplies his hands by ten;
He magnifies his heart;
His spiritual growth must be such that he can respond
to all those turning to him;
Yet he is not afraid.
He knows that his time draws near.
The knocking ones, the menacing
and the oppressive ones,
They must come; and he must meet them.
And for a time he is surrounded by them,
his exit barred.
But the ordeal is not without end.
For nearby is the possibility of the closest path.
Such is the burden of the focal point.
And good it is it friendly hands stretch out to one,
If the chorus is imbued with good will.
346. Search not for evening at noon.
Behind the plow, husbandman, utter not a prayer for repose.
347. About love I can say that in pure souls it rushes ever upward.
But compassion flows downward.
One may love God,
One may picture Him as a wondrous Martyr
for creative thoughts for the Good of the World
One may trustingly and even daringly knock
at the door of His Temple.
And if the knock is consciously delivered,
Then in response one receives new strength,
though it may not at once be recognized.
348. Much misunderstanding is in the ocean of humanity.
The spirit knows,
But it is necessary to manifest these signs above the fire.
The fire of life-action causes the wings of the spirit to grow.
In the depths of the sea is salt,
But only the work of the currents makes it known.
The egg of the nightingale bears the embryo of the singer;
But the song begins to ring out
only after the action of the life process.
Happy singers, sing out
for the Glory of the Creator's Smile!
There are neither small ones nor great ones;
A feeling cast into space returns like a boomerang to its starting point.
349. Have faith in the new ones!
The Teacher has strength to hold the shield
until the point of happiness is reached.
The Teacher understands when a helping hand is asked.
The Teacher is ready to assist.
The Teacher can send new ones.
The Teacher can send forth the Teaching.
The Teacher considers daring an achievement.
The Teacher reveals strength to the faithful.
350. People have been taught about the heroes of antiquity.
Why at the change of races does not achievement shine forth anew?
The Shield of Our Brotherhood is ready to protect the search for light.
Thy best endeavors are nurtured by Us like seeds.
Blessed are the paths of beauty;
The need of the world must be satisfied.
The miracle of New Life is screened by tatters, yet it lives.
Fear not the scum of lives;
When the pot is boiling, dust circles upward.
On the path of achievement there is no fear,
Yet the fire of the heart illumines the way of truth.
The truth of Eternity is in beauty of the spirit.
The spirit knows where beauty is.
351. Sorrow will shun the new round of humanity.
With a smile the child will unsheath the sword of battle.
The people will uplift the ikon.
I am going through the desert.
I am carrying the chalice covered with a shield.
Why is there dust in the place of sacrifice?
Neither sport nor play can there be
where the Temple is being built.
Nor rivalry, nor self-seeking is there
where the power of beauty is transmitted.
Remove the dust.
I hold that the harm must not be hidden in crevices.
Screen the chalice.
352. Thou canst remove the dust easily if thou hasten.
Nothing must be left neglected.
BOOK OF SACRIFICE
353. By what power wilt thou be affirmed?
How with thou attain the fulfillment of Our Work?
By the Power given by Us.
Shall I speak of power when all folly,
all ignorance, all vanity, strives for power?
But I say, and attest, Our Power is different.
Our Power is sacrifice.
I will explain briefly.
When Kurnovoo, the ruler, erected the Golden Gate
He was striving to enter the Temple.
Nevertheless He bore to the end His sacrifice.
When Solomon sought the power of Beauty,
When, by the symbol of Sulamith, was revealed
the symbol of superhuman Truth,
Yet He remained king and carried to the end His sacrifice.
When Tibet's spiritual teacher, Alal Ming,
was striving towards the mountains
where first the Lord appeared to Him,
He still remained in the valley and accepted the chalice.
When Sheik Rossul Ibn Rahim was striving
to hand His power unto His son,
He nevertheless heard the Voice
and renounced all to attain.
When the Teacher, Origen, committed body and spirit,
Only to teach them the last words of Christ,
He still retained the burden of teaching.
When Sergius of Radonega declined the throne of the Metropolite,
When He was learning to commune with animals,
He still remained to build monasteries,
And kept around Him His pupils.
When Akbar, called Great, laid the stones
of unity of the church,
His soul longed to be under the Tree of Wisdom,
Where He received enlightenment.
Nevertheless, He remained upon the steps of the throne.
Knowing wherein is achievement,
Knowing that power is sacrifice,
Whilst affirming the victory thou wilt say,
"Lord, let this cup pass from me."
Then hast thou attained the power to create,
And thy spirit is already unconquerable.
Remember this Book of Sacrifice.
For it reveals the Gates of Fulfillment and Readiness.
And being prepared, thou knowest all.
Because all will be opened and given
and told unto thee.
But only listen and remember.
And chiefly read and repeat.
Because oft the physical form obscures
the knowledge of the spirit.
And when thou beholdest the prophesied conflagration
thou wilt say,
"This is why yesterday I safeguarded my possessions."
And, beholding the lightning, thou wilt bend thy head
in reverence to the Will of the Lord.
I said it, I command it — cherish it.
354. Kindle with love the light of beauty,
And with action manifest to the world the salvation of the spirit.
355. Thus it is, when the spirit comes to realize service.
New wings grow, and the surrounding air sings at night.
The pathway of light is revealed to the amazed sight.
And the mind's resolution erects the steps
of the temple of the One Truth.
Improve the brain, cleanse the ears, bathe the lips.
Thyselves will be the witnesses of thine own madness.
356. Teach My Path.
Let people acquire an understanding of man's nature.
They will apprehend the nature of Service.
They will grasp the joy of the Beautiful.
They will acquire that simple truth which transforms life into a miracle.
Our Shield is invisible,
Yet by night canst thou sense the affirmation of the day's whispers.
For Us there has not been a more complex time than
this, at the changing of races.
It is necessary to apportion forces;
He is a poor chemist who instead of a drop empties the bucket.
Yes, the invisible conflict was never before so great.
Now the whole earthly orbit has become involved in it.
Regard not lightly the disturbance of the world.
Forces are so tense that a torrent of indications
is flowing onto the earth.
When tomorrow I shall narrate the book about Joy,
do not forget about the calls of the battle!
BOOK OF JOY
357. Can the tree stand firmly?
Yea, yea, yea —
If the roots are deep buried
and unseen beneath the ground.
I told you of beauty, I told you of love,
I told you of action.
I told you of devotion, I told you of readiness and compassion.
I pointed out to you the window of the battle.
I explained the meaning of courage,
And finally I summoned you to the Great Service.
And where is the garment in which to ascend
the steps of the Temple?
Where is the worthy vestment to cover the nakedness
and shadow of our bodies?
Throughout the Universe pulsates the raiment
of Life's Beginning.
Throughout the Universe is found the worthy Garment.
And quivers, and vibrates, and rings out the joy of it.
In this garment shalt thou ascend the steps.
This garment will cover thy body.
They are rending the Raiment of the Lord.
They scoff at its tatters.
But the daughter of the world and the Mother of the
Universe will join the pieces of this Raiment.
And thou wilt come ready to receive thy vestment.
For, wherefore the power and wherefore the sacrifice,
if there be no joy?
And where is compassion,
And where is devotion,
And where is the love of creation,
If thy shoulders are not bedecked with the Raiment
of the Mother of the World?
And when you erect the Temple of Beauty,
And on its approaches you lay out My Garden of Joy,
Then name this Garden in My Name,
For I told you:
Children, rejoice!
And while crossing the border of power and sacrifice,
Attired in the radiance of joy,
We shall tell the following day about the prayer.
The Book of Prayer and Achievement will conclude
the first trilogy.
Rejoice, rejoice, rejoice!
And thou wilt say to them, "We know the battle,
And therefore joy is within us;
And we know the Service —
Therefore, radiant with joy are our faces."
I am sending Joy and Benevolence and Truth.
For in this is everything.
358. It is necessary to oppose the destroyers
with the power of construction.
Learn how to summon new ones to the building.
Perform thus your labor for unification.
The Days of Darkness have approached.
I charge you: guard the shield and display trust,
For already My Sign has shown forth.
Happiness has come; do not deal with it roughly.
And wings are bearing across the world
the happiness of the manifestation of Our Revelations.
Discern the manifestations; My Shield is strong.
359. We bear affirmation of the covenants of the prophets.
With pure steps do We lead, and no one feels regret
at having drawn near to the new race.
The first requirement of the race is to carry the spirit into life.
And the fragments, accumulated through the ages,
will fall into place.
The ray of understanding of the beautiful life
will flash out in simplicity.
In new flight will the spirit encircle the world.
The time, though difficult, is unprecedented.
Clouds are around you, but My Ray is with you.
BOOK OF PRAYER
360. Warrior, is it possible to enter the Holy of Holies
of the Temple with spear and sword?
Friend, I am on the way to achievement —
how can I leave my armor?
Warrior, I shall keep for thee thine armor
upon the steps of the portal.
Friend, I have come to consecrate all my possessions-how can I leave them?
Father, wither my hand
if it be raised for an unworthy deed!
Father, turn to ashes my brain
if it recoil in treacherous thought!
Father, demolish my being
if it be turned to evil!
My son, I shall not touch thy hand.
My son, I shall not harm thy brain
if thou art on the way to an achievement.
But amidst attainment devote a time to silence of the spirit.
Then shall I approach thy inner being.
The seed of the Great Silence
leads to the knowledge of the Great Service.
Father, henceforth I will shorten my psalms,
And I will limit the length of my hymns.
And achievement shall be my prayer,
And I will start it with silence.
Brothers, in all thy beginnings, remember the time of silence.
Then art thou approached by the Messenger of Command.
And thus, understanding prayer and achievement,
Glorified by beauty, strongly embracing power in sacrifice,
Thou wilt attain the Temple.
End of the trilogy.
361. I will transmit into life your sensitiveness;
Therefore, observe all happenings around you.
One must know how to distinguish the chance
from the indication.
New possibilities will grow in understanding
of that which is made manifest. Thus is the building erected —
by not losing the given stones.
Not hope but work leads the builders.
And the consonance of the tuning-fork
conquers the hoarseness of human infirmity.
362. At dawn We shall unfurl Our Banners.
The Shields of the East We illumine
with the light of the Sacred Union.
We shall display the Banners covered by Our Shield.
And the Voice will cover the affairs of each day.
We wish to speak of matters of great import.
Do not immerse yourself in a cloud of everyday dust.
363. The pure spirit brings on the hour of worship,
And gathers the scattered spiritual particles.
The eye senses Our Help; the ear hears it;
the mind comprehends it.
Not quickly does a fallen spirit arise from the dust.
It is necessary to extend a hand to all who are sinking;
And the flaming smile does not wither, because its warmth is Divine.