OM sounded forth, with intent thought behind it, acts as a disturber, a loosener of the coarse matter of the body of thought, of emotion, and of the physical body. When sounded forth with intense spiritual aspiration behind it, it acts as an attractive medium, and gathers in particles of pure matter to fill the places of those earlier thrown out. Students should strive to have these two activities in their minds as they use the Word in their meditation. This utilization of the Word is of practical value, and results in the building of good bodies for the use of the soul.

The use of the OM serves also to indicate to the workers on the universal planes, and to those in the outer world who are gifted with spiritual perception that a disciple is available for work and can be utilized actively in the needy places of the earth. This should be borne in mind by all aspirants and should serve as an [141] incentive in making the outer phenomenal life coincide with the spiritual impulse.

Through the cultivated receptivity of the developed and controlled mental body, aspirants become aware of the ideas which the Masters bring through from the plane of the Universal Mind, and hence are in a position to cooperate intelligently. They, in their turn, as this Rule seeks to indicate, create thought forms of those received ideas, and utilize them in their groups for the helping of the world. The main work of a disciple on the mental plane is to train himself to do four things:

1. To be receptive to the mind of the Master.
2. To cultivate a right intuitive understanding of the thoughts sent him by the Master.
3. To embody the ideas received in such form as will be suitable for those he is engaged in helping.
4. Through sound, light and vibration to make his thought form active (embodying as much of the universal thought as is desirable) so that other minds may contact it.

Thus are groups gathered, organized, taught and lifted, and thus the Hierarchy of Adepts can reach the world.

There are many other uses, of course, but if the students will ponder on these three they will make it possible for further uses to be imparted later.

May I add, that the sound is only truly potent when the disciple has learnt to subordinate the lesser sounds. Only as the sounds he sends forth normally into the [142] three worlds are reduced in volume and in activity, as well as in quantity will it be possible for the Sound to be heard, and so to accomplish its purpose. Only as the multitude of spoken words is reduced, and silence in speech is cultivated, will it be possible for the Word to make its power felt on the physical plane. Only when the many voices of the lower nature and of our environment are silenced, will the "Voice that speaketh in the stillness" make its presence felt. Only when the sound of many waters dies away in the adjustment of the emotions will the clear note of the God of the waters be heard.

People seldom realize the potency of a word, yet it is stated, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was God. Without Him was not anything made that was made." When therefore we read those words our minds go back to the dawn of the creative process when, through the medium of sound, God spoke and the worlds were made.

It has been said that, "the chief agency by which Nature's wheel is moved in a phenomenal direction is sound," for the original sound or word sets in vibration the matter of which all forms are made and initiates that activity which characterizes even the atom of substance.

The literature and the scriptures of all the ancient nations and great religions bear testimony to the efficacy of sound in producing all that is tangible and visible. The Hindus say very beautifully that "the Great Singer built the worlds, and the Universe is His Song." This is another way of expressing the same idea. If this is realized and the science of this concept somewhat understood, the significance of our own words and the utterance of sound in speech, becomes almost a momentous happening.

Then will our spoken word create a thought form which will embody the idea we have in our minds. Then too will our words carry no discord, but will add their quota to that great harmonizing chord or unifying word which it is the function of mankind ultimately to utter. Wrong speech separates, and it is interesting to bear in mind that the word, the symbol of unity, is divine, whereas speech in its many diversifications is human.