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ESOTERIC TENETS
Service
(3) — Money, old age,
recognition
by Aart Jurriaanse
Every intelligent and balanced
approach will recognize the esoteric
value of money for purposes of
service. There is nothing wrong as
such with money, which is merely a
convenient and symbolic state of
temporarily converted energy or
power. As with all energy, the crux
of the matter is — how will it be
applied? In its essence energy or
money is an impersonal or blind
force, and may be used for either
good or evil, depending on how it is
directed. Today there is some stigma
attached to money, but this is only
because money is involuntarily
associated with so much that is evil
or representative of selfish desire,
greed and sharp business practice.
But the time is rapidly approaching
when money will, to an ever
increasing extent, be applied to
better purposes, to serving the
genuine needs of man, and to provide
those conditions which will be to his
spiritual and lasting benefit.
Where in the past money might be
regarded as the symbol of man’s
selfishness, so in the New Age it
must become the symbol of man’s
goodwill, demanding a total reversal
of his attitude towards it. Money
must therefore be transmuted to a
real spiritual asset and
responsibility, thus becoming a
potent means for achieving world
service.
Service and old age
When the disciple reaches the years
when he may normally expect to be
nearing the end of another span of
physical life, then there are several
attitudes which may be adopted:
(a) A tired and physically worn out
personality will tend to settle down,
with the attitude that, having
experienced a complete and
comprehensive life, the time has now
arrived for a period of well deserved
relaxation. This will render the
remaining years simply an expression
of established habit, of marking
time, and probably showing signs of
losing some of the already acquired
spiritual contact.
(b) There may be a recognition that
the personality has reached its
high-water mark for the present life,
but there should also be the
realization that in the life of the
soul this is merely an intermediate
phase, and that the evolution of the
immortal Self never comes to a
standstill.
(c) There should be no undue
preoccupation with the processes of
growing old, which would indicate too
much emphasis on the physical being.
Give the body the consideration it
requires to maintain it in reasonable
functioning order, but otherwise
concentrate the attention on the
mind, persistently feeding and
programming the computer, and thus
stimulating it to full and effective
capacity, until the time arrives for
closing down, and the soul switches
off the current, liberating itself
and temporarily moving on to better
equipped and brighter lit apartments.
(d) Actually old age is the stage
when the soul, after having garnered
the experiences from a full and rich
life, becomes partly relieved of many
of the routine commitments of a busy
life, and now stands free to serve
with fewer impediments. No new
problems need be undertaken, or new
disciplines applied, and for the rest
of his years the disciple can now
quietly and steadily devote that
which he has gained to the service of
humanity, to the Great Ones and to
the Plan. It is quite possible that
under such circumstances he may cross
the ‘dividing line’ with ‘continuity
of consciousness’, carrying on with
existing tasks and only approaching
them from a different level.
Recognition of service rendered
One of the earliest lessons that the
server has to learn, is that he must
never look for gratitude, recognition
or reward for what he is doing — he
must learn to serve with
impersonality. Instead of recognition
for services rendered, he must even
be prepared to receive ingratitude,
rebuffs, direct opposition from
friends and relations, and even
humiliation and contumely. None of
this will, however, deter the true
server once he has firmly set his
feet on the Path, has become aware of
the light ahead, and has consciously
come to the realization of his
objective.
The disciple will therefore do his
utmost to fulfil that small part of
the Plan for which he has assumed
responsibility. Having accomplished
his self-set task to the best of his
ability and with utter selflessness,
he does not look for recognition of
his action or waste time on
retrospective contemplation of his
mistakes, or observe with pride what
he has achieved, but instead he will
once again gather his forces and
press forward to the next duty, the
next opportunity that lies in wait
for him. He will taste that inner joy
of having given of the best that was
within him for what he considered a
worthwhile objective; he will realize
that Wiser Eyes will weigh the fruit
of his efforts with deeper love and
appreciation than is known to man.
What matters it then whether apparent
results are not up to expectation or
whether there is criticism or lack of
understanding from his fellow human
beings, providing his own soul is
without reproach.
Aart Jurriaanse, wrote a number of
compilations from the books of Alice
A. Bailey. Among these are: Of
Life and other worlds; Prophecies;
Ponder on this; Serving Humanity; The
Soul; The Quality of Life; and he
is also the author of Bridges
which is a Commentary on these
teachings.
Directory of
articles by Aart Jurriaanse
"Those among
you who wish to serve the world have
placed before them now the
opportunity of all lives. May you
seize it, use it to the full, and
create for yourselves and your
brothers a new life... Love, Justice
and Sharing. Make these your aims, My
friends, and know the meaning
of God." Maitreya, the
World Teacher
“I
choose to identify with the
underprivileged. I choose to identify
with
the poor. I choose to give my life
for those who have been left out of
the sunlight of opportunity. I choose
to live for and with those who find
themselves seeing life as a long and
desolate corridor with no exit
sign. This is the way I’m going. If
it means suffering a little bit, I’m
going that way. If it means
sacrificing, I’m going that way. If
it means
dying for them, I’m going that way,
because I heard a voice saying, Do
something for others.” Martin Luther
King, Jr.
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