12 Keys of Discipleship,
Key Eight – Set Reachable Goals
In this world we are limited by time and space and such limitations must be recognized and taken into consideration. One of the problems with the aspirant as he moves along the path is that idealistic visions come to his mind and when they do, he wants them to materialize immediately if not sooner.
He often expects the ideal to become reality through some divine interference with little effort to be made on his part.
DK spoke wisely on this subject:
“The visionary dreamer or the well-intentioned but impractical person whose ideas and world plans and suggestions as to the new world order litter the desks of world leaders and of those groups and organizations who are attempting practically to blueprint the future. Their dreams and ideas deal with projects for which the world of today is not ready and will not be ready for several thousand years. It is an easy thing for them to present impossible Utopias which have not the faintest relation to things which are needed today and which could be made possible. The name of these people is legion, and at this time they constitute a definite hindrance. A vision of the impossible is not the type of vision which will keep the people from perishing. Because of an inability to compromise and to face up to things as they are, these people and those whom they influence are landed in despair and disillusionment.” The Externalization of the Hierarchy, Page 459
The aspiring disciple must realize that as it has been in the past as far as struggle and work goes so will it be in the future. As we look at the past we see that progress has been slow and often painstaking. There has never been a giant leap to the ideal but progress has always been in increments. Those souls in our history who have understood this and done what is necessary to make the next step have been the servants of real value.
Those who have dreamed of the kingdom and thought all they would have to do is believe and wait for God to make things happen have been of little use to God or man.
Great events and advances can be made to happen if a small number of people are willing to take the necessary incremental steps.
If you want to climb to the top of a ten-foot ladder, do you try and ascend all in one step? Of course not. Those who try this will never get to the top. The successful one will be he who climbs one step at a time. He is the one who will reach the top.
This Key should be easy, but because of natural impatience, the setting of reachable goals is often the problem that snags the seeker and stops him in his tracks.
It is fine to see the overall vision and the ideal, but then the disciple must realistically calculate the work that must be done and the next step to be taken. He must then work on that next step, not the third, fifth or tenth step down the road.
The problem is that the next step often involves nitty gritty work that is not that much fun while the fun work is several steps down the path. The seeker often thinks he is entitled to do the fun work now and leave the nuts and bolts to others.
The trouble is that his misplaced attention often causes the nuts and bolts work to be undone or long delayed.
The true disciple is willing to do what is necessary to move the work forward into the next step:
* He is willing to get his hands dirty and do work that may be difficult, boring and not fun.
* He is willing to work with or without recognition.
* He is willing to suffer financially, in relationships and prestige to get the job done.
* But he will not make such sacrifices for an impossible dream but is willing to sacrifice much for a practical next step.
* He accepts the fact that the ideal may not be reached in his lifetime.
* Be plans ahead not only for the present life, but for future lives.
* He accepts the weaknesses of his fellow workers and incorporates them into the equation for the next step.
The seeker will find his next step though contemplation of the inner voice of the soul and when he takes it, it will just feel right inside as he moves forward.
Understanding Limitations
Question: Aren’t we supposed to reject limitations and that faith can even move mountains?
We are unlimited except for one thing and that is our Ring-Pass-Not. In other words we are limited by the thought system to which we subscribe.
The only limitation that cannot be removed is that of time and space when we are occupying them. They are not limitations in the higher worlds, but always must be dealt with in this sphere of activity.
How about disease, death and aging? Can Decision overcome these limitations, or can they be overcome at all?
Yes, the limitations of these three can be overcome, but not by Decision alone. Decision, however, is the first step as it opens the door to progress.
Disease is overcome when the seeker learns to live in harmony with his environment in the inner and outer worlds. An important key is to harmonize with the soul and not place oneself in the position of resisting.
Death and aging have the same solution. Aging can be slowed down by overcoming disease, but will only be mastered by overcoming death. Death is overcome through the principle of being born again without having to die.
We die because our progress reaches stagnation in certain areas. Then we physically die and are reborn in a circumstance where we are forced to make progress again.
When the seeker harmonizes with his soul and monad and can see how he needs to die to his old nature and be reborn with goals and desires anew without the force of physical death, he can then extend his life as long as the process is useful.
This is easier said than done as the true spiritual rebirth takes a powerful application of the Will over an extended period of time. This Will forces the lower and higher natures to blend and merge until the power of Spirit regenerates the physical body.
“I am not afraid of storms, for I am learning how to sail my ship.” — Louisa May Alcott (1832 – 1888)
May 23, 2009
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