1999-6-19 08:57:00
Subject under discussion: The qualities of the disciple.
Here is what we have so far:
(1) Soul contact
(2) Holding the mind steady in the light
(3) Detachment when necessary.
(4) The ability to either send or receive
(5) Reflection - contemplation
(6) Talent.
(7) The power to initiate
(8) The ability to create and sense a point of tension.
I'll just say a few more things about the point of tension. A synonymous term could be "the ability to keep your attention focused on a goal."
This quality is different than keeping the mind steady in the light.
Keeping the mind in the light gives one the power to select goals that bring spiritual progress. Creating the point of tension through focused attention gives the disciple power to achieve a goal.
The disciple can have all the good intentions in the world, but until he develops a power to achieve, all his goodness is of little direct use to the Brotherhood of Light.
Nevertheless, keep in mind that basic good characteristics are never wasted, for we all go through a long period of being more of a liability to the Brotherhood than an asset and, during this period, many good acts of service can be performed in cooperation with other brothers and sisters on the physical plane and sometimes discarnate entities.
The Brotherhood of Light are still subject to time and space as far as their work on the physical plane is concerned and, because of this, must be careful with whom they work, for one premature choice can cost them work with two other disciples who are prepared.
On the other hand, we are entering a period where the number who enter the ranks of Masters will greatly increase and thus the number of working disciples will also increase.
Many worry about a lack of opportunity, but to those who are prepared to work with the abilities they have (compared to those who want to work with imagined abilities) there is more opportunity than can be filled.
The trouble is that many seekers sit around and wait for some call to come which is worthy of their greatness. This is why the power to initiate is so important. No major call will come until the disciple first calls himself to step forward and do good works of service with or without recognition.
If there seems to be no great work to do, the disciple will create one and press forward with great attention even if he is ignored by the Brotherhood, friends, God and NATO. The one higher power that will never ignore the aspiring disciple is his own soul, which is a Master on it's own plane. When soul contact is established the disciple is able to move forward with the idea that contact with the Brotherhood of Light would be fine but, if it does not come, that would be fine too.
The most important ability for the true disciple is the freedom to decide and carry out those decisions on the path of unselfish service. This freedom to serve according to one's free will brings the disciple more reward than all the material things in the world and any recognition from the inhabitants of the Kingdom of God is seen as a bonus.
There are points of tension on the material level and the spiritual. Those who create such points in the material usually have material success, but the disciple shifts his attention to the spiritual so the tension can manifest revelation and spiritual knowledge which descends from the "rain cloud of knowable things."
There are points of tension created and directed by the disciple and there are also points of tension that exist in many spheres outside of us.
There are points of tension in time, for instance, which is created by cycles. The disciple must learn to recognize these points through the use of intuition. Thus, if he pays attention to cycles of time, he will sense an approaching tension in time itself and work within that tension to assist in the creation of a work of service. If he senses a lack of tension in time, he may use this period as preparation for a tension to come.
There are points of tension in space. The sacred sites of the earth are created by such tension producing an elevated energy.
There are also major points of tension in overlapping tensions of time and space and these produce powerful opportunities that draw attention from even the Masters.
There are also points of tension created through the focused contemplation of higher lives such as Christ and the Brotherhood of Light, and the Ancient of Days and His associates. Those mortals who are attuned to these points of tension are likely to receive some type of contact, provided they have adequately prepared themselves. Attunement to a point of tension from the aura of a Master shows a certain degree of readiness to serve.
Number four, the ability to both send and receive deserves some more comment. Several of you have made some good postings on this one. The basic point several made was that when you are teaching you are also doing some learning in that same period, and when you are learning you are also doing some teaching. This is true to a degree, but it is also true that we are always polarized in either the sending or receiving mode.
He who fails to reach discipleship will be too attached to his polarization. If he is too attached to the sending polarization then when learning or receiving opportunities come, the seeker will be unable to adapt and miss the receiving of knowledge important to success.
If he is too attached to receiving, he will be captivated by unearned authority (the Beast) and miss sending opportunities because he is waiting for approval before he moves forward. The disciple does not need a "call", approval or authority, but uses his ability to send when opportunity presents itself.
Very few disciples can switch back and forth between sending and receiving polarization with comfort. Remember, this is different than learning a few things while teaching. Switching actual polarization at will is very awkward at first, but eventually becomes joyful.
This quality goes hand in hand with detachment for it requires a certain degree of detachment to switch polarization
Here are two additional qualities needed by a disciple that goes beyond general love and goodness that most recognize as desirable qualities.
(9) A willingness to not only serve but to sacrifice when necessary, to the giving of time, talents, personal desires, possessions and even the physical life if the need is there.
We did point out earlier that sacrifice was the keynote of the Age of Pisces and service is that of Aquarius. Even so, the benefits of sacrifice are not left behind but will be used with wisdom. In the coming age, service will be the top priority and sacrifice secondary. Nevertheless, there will always be times when service will reach a dead end without sacrifice and, when this happens, the right use of this quality comes into play. Sacrifice is indeed a quality that the disciple must be willing to produce if called upon.
Disciples need to avoid, like the plague, the sacrifice mode that creates the atmosphere of a victim. The disciple never sees himself as a victim no matter what the outward circumstances.
(10) Discernment.
Question:
Why do you suppose this is an important quality for the working disciple? How could it spell disaster if he or she does not possess it?
Copyright 1999 by J.J. Dewey, All Rights Reserved