individual. But once these details have been established and proven successful,
the way is found, and in every case one can notice that it is
in absolute harmony with the Inner Self and its deep
aspirations. Also each one knows that visualization is easier at certain
times than at others. It is
particularly easy, and the result obtained is particularly rapid, if the
desire for contact is sincere and intense.
Knowing now that you may represent your Cathedral of the Soulin whatever
way you wish, and reminding you that I have chosen, for my own use,
a
cathedral, whose exterior and interior appearance I have already
described, your personal visualization will be made still easier. You
may decide for yourself whatever will be your Celestial Sanctum. You
may
concentrate more on any of its aspects that you may wish, and this
is how your visualization remains personal, and how you will learn
to define your
own way.
The Cathedral of the Soul awaits you at every moment, and, like
myself, you will build the foundation of your mystical life on it.
If, like
me, you
give it the form of a cathedral, you may have your sanctuary there
as I have mine, which is where I am at this moment.
It is nearly 3 p.m. on Earth, and here the Sun shines into every part
of the cathedral which I visualize. My private sanctuary is inundated
by its
rays, and these, by the miracle of the great stained glass window,
reflect a multitude of colors in which violet predominates. On arriving,
I had the
surprise of finding a Master awaiting me, and doubtless he was the
cause of the intense desire which urged me on this Saturday afternoon
to come to
meditate in the Cathedral of the Soul.
The Master, so different in appearance from what men on Earth picture him
to look like, is one of the most highly regarded among mystics, but I
shall not reveal his name, any more than I shall mention that of the
others whom I have met here. A description? What would it serve, except to
break the rigid law of impersonality which the authentic Masters uphold so
that they can discourage anyone who wishes to worship them? The only
important thing is the message and whatever pertains to it; nothing is
withheld, no limit fixed on what is permitted to be transmitted... I listen
to the Master without interruption:
"I wanted to see you to talk to you about the law of silence so that you
yourself may dwell more on this subject, so important for all those who
search for the Greater Light. You are perfectly aware that the mission
of the Masters - all the Masters - are to help man to discover his Inner
Self, the
divinity of his Soul, the only true master, which is within himself.
Actually there is no other reason for human presence on Earth. Man must
become conscious of what he is. The soul personality must become conscious
of itself. Every circumstance, every emotion, every experience, aim
for this unique goal, and the Masters have the responsibility for guiding man
toward this discovery, toward this approach to the Self, particularly
when his wandering quest in the desert of trials, and unanswerable questions
have led him onto the Path where, at last, he has started a methodical
progression. Now, even on the Path, wrong habits of the past maintain
their hold on the disciple, who then progresses through crises,
alternately going from the most disconcerting materialism to the less
reasonable phases of exasperating mysticism.
"The disciple's first objective must be the search for balance. He must
definitely establish for himself a meeting point between the material and
the mystical, between the physical and the spiritual, such that mysticism
may be controlled by the material, the spiritual by the physical, and vice
versa. There is no other solution for a true and efficient step on
the Path than this point of rest, this point of meeting, where the disciple
ought always to be, because it is only thus that he will arrive at
the goal. The material is one point of the triangle, the spiritual is another,
and the third point is the disciple himself who, consequently, evolves
efficiently and truly only if he rests on the balance of the other two
points.
"In the triangle formed by the material, the spiritual, and the disciple,
the fourth point is the meeting point of the three perpendiculars drawn
from each point on the opposite side, and this fourth point (which
gives to the mystical approach its perfect foundation, where the three others
meet and join), this is the law of silence. It is where power and light
are concentrated, and it is there where inner attunement is produced, the
contact with the Self. This central point is the source of infinite
power,
absolute balance, and perfect knowledge. The Bible recalls the power of
silence in a short but significant phrase—'Be still and know that I
am God', because it is 'in the silence' where one will find 'who one is', the
Divine Presence, the inner being, the Self.
"The practice of the silence is a frequent obligation for the mystic.
Overcoming mental restlessness, putting aside every ‘exterior’ thing,
he enters for some moments into himself to glean direction and Light from the
centre where the essence of all spiritual, mental, and material ideas,
which constitute his existence, converge in a harmonious combination. It
is evident that the practice of the silence is essentially passive. In
order to receive, it is necessary to be quiet, and the mind must be still.
This does not mean that no intuitive idea will manifest, or that the
course of thought will not take a specific direction. What will occur is
directly opposite to this. There is no absolute void. It is enough to
adopt the attitude of a spectator, and to 'watch' without participating.
The mind never interrupts its flow, nor do the senses cease to function;
but one has no consciousness of mental work, and no perception of sensory
impressions. Some say that they are unable to concentrate, that they
suddenly notice that their thoughts continue to wander. That is a mistake.
Actually they suddenly notice that their mind continues to work, and from
this they conclude that they are not concentrating. But they forget that,
before this, 'suddenly' they were 'elsewhere'—precisely 'in the silence of
the soul'. This silence is broken at the 'sudden' moment, that is, when
they realize objectively that the mind is working. Now I must repeat, the
mind has never ceased to function even in the period of silence, but it
does so without consciousness of having done so.
"To enter the silence, then, is to no longer participate, to no longer
have objective consciousness of the mental and physical processes which
continue uninterrupted for the whole of human life. It is important to
remember that if, in a moment, one regains consciousness of these
processes, the period of silence has been completed, and that, preceding
this, one has indeed been 'in the silence'.
