AGNI

Way of Fire

 

Online book by Bruce Lyon ( Limited Edition hard copy available 2004 : write to Whitestone Publishing )

 

 

Dedication

 

The inspiration behind all of this work rests primarily with two teachers, the Masters Morya and Djwhal Khul. Their patience, wisdom and sacrifice on behalf of the human race is acknowledged with deep gratitude. This book is dedicated to them and also to my contemporaries - the group whose work it is to discover and demonstrate in ‘the furnace of their personal experience’ the quality of identification.

Introduction

 

This information is written for a specific group of people:

a)      Those who have studied the trans-himalayan teachings - specifically the works of Helena Blavatsky, Alice Bailey and Helena Roerich.

b)      Those who have successfully applied the teachings in their self-initiated service to humanity, thus demonstrating both the qualities of love and intelligent activity

c)      Those who are ready to work more consciously with the energies of Will and synthesis.

 

While it is for students of a particular tradition, the context in which this work appears is trans-tradition. The spirit of synthesis, of integral study and practice is growing stronger in the world. It is expressed in the East through the work of Sri Aurobindo for example, and in the West through the work of Ken Wilber.

 I mention only two names but there are many doing this work, creating a movement where those involved recognise each other over and through the particular doctrines and traditions that have led them to a central point of integral perception.

In the language of initiation, it is for those disciples who have taken the Second Initiation and are working towards the Third, having passed the point of no return and become thereby ‘occultly safe’ for developing a closer relationship with the energy of planetary purpose. There are many such disciples on the planet today.

It will be obvious that in this work, we are literally ‘playing with fire’. Agni represents the sum total of the Solar Logoic personality, and He is the energy referred to in the biblical statement “our God is a consuming fire.” (Hebrews 12:29) Working with this energy is dangerous to the unprepared. Any impurities in our own personalities will quickly be exposed and thus the work of purification of the three sheaths should be largely completed and the consciousness must be primarily identified with the soul.

Having said that, I have in mind the words of Morya that it is “better to burn than to sleep” and my perception that humanity, as a whole, is in more danger from the latter than the former. (Roerich, Agni Yoga, #528)

Identified as the soul, the work is to transfigure the personality through the infusion of triadal energies so that it will eventually be possible to return the identity  to the monad or the essential self. Indeed Agni Yoga is a yoga of the soul as it seeks to relate the monad with the personality. It is the unique quality of the soul to ‘identify’ with the whole, to fully embrace the extreme poles of Spirit and Matter that provides the capacity for this yoga, as the following quote makes clear:

 “Let me tell you this—this group now in process of forming, will in time develop its own “yoga” and school of training which will gradually supersede that of the raja yoga and bhakti yoga schools. The method of training will only be given to those who have trained the mind and learnt to control the emotions. Hence the key to what is now going on. The mode of training will be no easy short cut to the goal. Only the intelligent can attain it and only coordinated personalities will be eligible to the teaching. The keynote of the new yoga will be synthesis; its objective will be conscious development of the intuitive faculty. This development will fall into two categories: first, the development of the intuition and of true spiritual perception, and secondly, the trained utilisation of the mind as an interpreting agent.

In the book Agni Yoga, some of the teaching to be given has filtered through but only from the angle of the will aspect. No book has as yet made its appearance which gives in any form whatsoever the “yoga of synthesis”. We have had “bhakti yoga” or union through devotion. Raja Yoga is now receiving emphasis, which is union through the mind. It sounds like a redundancy to speak of union through synthesis, but it is not so. It is union through identification with the whole—not union through realisation or through vision. Mark well this distinction, for it holds the secret of the next step for the personalities of the race. The Bhagavad Gita gives us primarily the key to the yoga of devotion. Patanjali teaches us the yoga of the mind. In the Gospel story we have the portrayal of realisation, but the key or the secret of identification is still withheld. It lies in the custody of a few in this integrating group of mystics and knowers and will be wrought out into manifestation in the furnace of their individual experience and thus given to the world. But the time is not yet. The group must grow in strength and knowledge and in intuitive perception.” (A Treatise on White Magic, p.429) 

 This book seeks to approach Agni Yoga from the angle of consciousness, thus attempting to intelligently relate the two great qualities of deity, Love and Will.

There are three natural divisions in this work corresponding to the three disciplines of occult meditation, study and service. In the meditation section I have emphasized those aims and practices that have most relevance to my intended readers and in the study section there are a number of synthetic charts which are designed to help integrate some of the information given in core esoteric texts, in particular A Treatise on Cosmic Fire. The third section contains recommendations for expressing the synthetic energies contacted in the outer life of service. These recommendations are based upon practical experience.

We are told that today there are many third degree initiates on the planet and many more in training for this degree ( R&I 473). The result is the rapid building of the antahkarana bringing the three divine centres into cooperative relationship. For the individual this links the monad, soul and personality. For the planet the synthetic interplay of Shamballa, Hierarchy and Humanity is preparing the way for revelation and planetary initiation. Soul infused personalities are taking their place rapidly within the New Group of World Servers and this group is beginning to collectively operate as a centre for the transmission within the wider field of humanity. Esotericists are not that common in this group ( TOWM 430 ) perhaps partly due to an inclination to acquire esoteric information without putting it into practise.

The worldview that they carry however has a valuable contribution to make. I am aware of the real need for this esoteric worldview to be put forward intelligently and responsibly. Hierarchy is emerging and its forerunners are the disciples and initiates who prepare the way by the examples of their lives and their clear and reasonable articulation of the externalisation. Occultism is a science. In fact it is arguably The Science of the future. Nebulous mystical presentations of truth will be replaced with accurate descriptions of the energetic systems within which a human being lives and works.

In order for us to truly progress upon the occult path we must know exactly where we stand and what our next step forward is. By addressing my audience precisely - as those who are working towards the Third Initiation (and have a background in the Theosophical/Bailey esoteric tradition) I am attempting to apply that science.

Different stages of the path require different teachings, different meditative practices and different life demonstrations. I aim for these teachings to be of great practical use to those individuals and groups who are seeking to speed their evolution for the benefit of humanity through wielding the energy of synthesis. I want others to use this book as a manual for the application to life. This teaching is meant to be applied by disciples. I understand the pressures of time and attention demanded of one who is walking the path of initiation. No one whose focus is on service to the race has time for a theoretical approach which cannot been proven in the crucible of daily living.

The New Group of World Servers is the bridge between Hierarchy and Humanity. It is my will that this book assists in the building and anchoring of more and more strands in that bridge.

I have told you that the remainder of the twentieth century was to be given over to the rebuilding of world civilisation and the distribution of world resources. ( see Destiny of Nations  ). If you could but see things from the inner worlds you might realise how much has been achieved. There is still the working through of the inner victories on to the outer spheres of activity in the three worlds but great victories for the human spirit there have been.  Now begins that tremendous task which so many of you who are now in incarnation are equipped to fulfill. It is for this that I write.

I have also said that the teaching which I have the responsibility to deliver into the mind of mankind has  another phase to run. The work now  is to anchor the new culture  - a culture based on the realities of the inner worlds and thus in alignment with solar systemic and cosmic energies. This new culture is founded upon the energy of liberation - a liberation from living based on fears concerning the survival of the form. Everywhere the vitalising fires of spirit are breaking through into consciousness and liberation is occurring in the hearts of individuals and , increasingly, as we enter the Aquarian Age, in the hearts of groups.

The keynote of this emerging culture is synthesis. A synthesis that recognises the One Life and thereby allows the group and the individual to find their proper place and purpose within the whole.

It is an important truism that 'synthesis differentiates' and it is this that allows the recognition and subsequent demonstration of brotherhood. It is brotherhood that is the foundation of Hierarchy and the expression of this brotherhood upon the outer plane is the promise of the Aquarian Age and the result of  the culture of synthesis.

The direction of this emerging culture is towards manifestation. The gift of the last two thousand years qualified by the sixth ray has been the aspiration of the consciouness, identified with matter, towards spirit. At the cusp of the ages, significant numbers have shifted their identity into the intangible realms and now the great outbreath begins - the expression of  consciousness, identified with spirit, towards manifestation and the resulting redemption of matter. It is this great act of courage, exemplified for us in the Christ's decision to reappear, that forms the directional basis for  the  Yoga of daring.  The Externalisation of The Hierarchy is a deliberate, intelligent, loving and willful act of affirmation. An affirmation of the essential nondual nature of reality. A demonstration, through identification, that spirit and matter are not two, but one. This demonstration ends the gap in collective conciousness between so-called life and death, liberating humanity and through humanity the other kingdoms in nature, from the clutch of fear.

The result of this emerging culture will be 'life more abundant'.  Ultimately we are called upon to truly Live, to allow Life to irradiate us in greater and greater degree - a sustained burning  that will eventually set the whole earth aflame with  blue fire so that we make take our place amongst the sacred planets and add our note of harmony to the music of the spheres.

From The Introduction To The Mercury Transmissions

To AGNI - Section One - Meditation