1. The moment of conception - i.e. individualization.
2. Nine months gestation - i.e. the wheel of life.
3. First initiation - i.e. the birth hour.

The path is, therefore, a path on which steady expansion of consciousness is undergone with increasing sensitivity to the higher vibrations. This works out at first as sensitiveness to the inner voice and this is one of the most necessary faculties in a disciple. The Great Ones are looking for those who can rapidly obey the inner voice of their soul. The times are critical and all aspirants are urged also to render themselves sensitive to the voice of their Master as well. His time is fully occupied and disciples must train themselves to be sensitive to His impression. A slight hint, a pointed finger, a hurried suggestion, may be all that He has time to give, and each disciple must be upon the watch. The pressure upon Them is great now that They are moving closer to the physical plane. More souls are conscious of Them than when They worked on mental levels only and They also, working on denser planes, are finding conditions more difficult. The devas and disciples, aspirants and those upon the probationary path are being gathered around Them now and are being organized into groups with special work assigned. Some souls can work only in mass [354] formation, banded together and unified by a common aspiration. Such are the majority of Christians, for instance, in the churches. These, knowing not the laws of occultism, and only sensing the inner truth, work on broad lines of preparation. They are aided by bands of lesser devas or angels who suggest, guide and control.

Others more advanced work in smaller groups. They idealize more and in them you see the thinkers and leaders of social reform, of humanitarian regeneration and of church leadership, either Christian or Oriental. The higher devas guide them, the blue and yellow devas, as the former group are guided by the blue and rose.

Back of them stand the still more advanced - the aspirants, probationers and disciples of the world. They work singly or in twos or threes and never in groups exceeding nine - the occult significance of these numbers being necessary to the success of their work. Great white and gold devas attend their labors.

Back again of these three groups stand the Masters and the devas of the formless levels - a Great Brotherhood, pledged to serve humanity.

Movements are being set on foot to transmute, if possible, the labors of destruction into constructive work. The time is critical, for a pause has come in the work of the destroyers. There is opportunity for the tide to turn and for the rebuilding of the body social.

It is for this reason that each one of you needs to make a fresh dedication of himself to the work of the redemption. Personalities must be submerged. Aspirants must live harmlessly in thought and word and deed. In this way each one of you will provide a pure channel, will become an outpost for the consciousness of the Master and provide a center of energy through which the Brotherhood can work.

The prime problem of the aspirant is to dominate the emotional nature. Then he stands victor on the field of [355] Kurukshetra; the clouds have rolled away, and henceforth he can walk in the light. Let it here be remembered that this very freedom to walk in the light carries with it its own problems. You ask how this can be? Let me give one simple, yet (I think you will find) convincing argument.

When a man literally walks in the light of his soul and the clear light of the sun pours through him - revealing the Path, - it reveals at the same time the Plan. Simultaneously however, he becomes aware of the fact that the Plan is very far as yet from consummation. The dark becomes more truly apparent; the chaos and misery and failure of the world groups stand revealed; the filth and dust of the warring forces are noted, and the whole sorrow of the world bears down upon the astounded, yet illuminated, aspirant. Can he stand this pressure? Can he become indeed acquainted with grief and yet rejoice forever in the divine consciousness? Has he the ability to face what the light reveals and still go his way with serenity, sure of the ultimate triumph of good? Will he be overwhelmed by the surface evil and forget the heart of Love which beats behind all outer seeming? This situation should ever be remembered by the disciple, or he will be shattered by that which he has discovered.