Two movements arise always, when a star of hope begins to shine upon the human skies.
Both are the movements of tearing the bonds, and of a glorious feeling of the freedom gained, when a world is found beyond the senses, when a satisfaction is achieved above the burning fields of passion, when the inner knowledge has begun to blossom, as a flower of the soul awakening in her own kingdom.
But a few steps taken are sometimes sufficient to spread a cometic agglomeration into a thin thread of meteoric dust.
Who are so hastening forward, and who are remaining with the central group?
The first are those who feel repulsion to the forms left behind, who disavow the earth, which gave them birth, who drop all ties, which had taught them and, which perhaps, may be lessons unto others.
"Forward and forward" is their cry. "Drop all your nonsense" is their advice to the weaker brothers, who by being weaker are not so quick-witted. They preach the utmost simplicity and peace and try to quench the illusion by smashing it. Charming and enticingly swift are they, the advance runners of the world of hope. "Not so fast, brothers, that we may see you yet and enjoy your sight." When they turn back to answer with their enchanting smile and their cry "forward," the sky around them burns like a budding rose. But the weaker brothers cannot follow yet.
Books have they discarded, theories have they broken, the human intellect flung to the four winds (those winds, whose Karmic waves deal even with such a food, and without spurning it). They seem some angels of simplicity, not men. To help our troubles? They can do that. They say: "Harsh lessons must be taught those foolish men, who are so stupid as to have any troubles!" Is not that a radical answer? — "How can we help you" — add they — "bothering our heads with your illusions and producing a false impression that there is any cure for foolishness except wisdom? And wisdom is: renounce the world and follow our flying footsteps, or meditate on the stern alternative of Karma to be left behind."
The cure is really so strong, that many follow them, before the last regret for earthly things dies in their hearts. Many fall back, many shoot forward. The secondary meteoric thread is following their steps. Sometimes it breaks, and the advance guard seems to be lost and lonesome for awhile.
The second are those, who enjoy also the forward movement, but their hope is so great, and their scheme is so wide as to dare the inertia of the whole body of mankind.
With gratitude they look upon the earthly friends and comrades and thank them even for their illusive smiles, which cheered them and made the journey easier, when the night was dark and thick.
They have now a chance to smile sweetly back with a smile of wisdom, and yet with a return of gratitude for the illusive help of the past, and for that love, which, who knows, perhaps, was not a phantom after all, though only phantoms are remembered on the screen.
Ay! sweet is the divine centre even in their dreams. A common centre do they feel with the weaker than themselves, a centre of the roundness of their present comet, of a new world of hope in the free celestial space, and a centre, perhaps, of a future planetary sphere, and even, after ages, of a blazing sun.
This is why they do not scorn to look on any form discarded. Illusive are the wrappings, and even their evil is illusive, and sweet is that bright essence, around which they cloud and roll. And thus they say: "Together had we woven this bright shining spell of the appearance of the world. Together had we suffered, rejoiced and hoped in truth. Together had we sinned and together shall we rise."
And the addressed weaker brothers understand their speech. Perhaps there is not in it a loftiness of an ideal starry flight into the lonely azure atmosphere — but the sublimity of true and faithful love, what heart exists that will not feel?
Forgiveness for the illusions of their friends and a patient hand! No chances of a reaction of a "nonsense" in which the "non-sense" is hidden. The world of hope has dawned in the whole length and breadth of the illusive life for its bright inner essence.
The helping words of the true wisdom speak through a speaker, but not for the speaker alone. Thus when they sound, every angel, man and creature hears the word spoken, as though directly to his inner ear, and this they understand.
These helpers, instead of taking an independent flight, tarry yet in the illusive fields, even though their soul is free. Freedom from action for our own sake, this they find and proclaim, but for another's sake they dare to enter into a net of spells and winds of a dark stormy night, and calm the terror stricken brothers with an assurance that all will end well, if they so wish. And they are glad to do at a time even so much.
They quicken the rising flame in every mind they touch. They send it to the uttermost limits of the earth. The blessed fire burns in flaming ribbons around the planet. The sparks descend into the deepest pits, even into places of torture, despair and shame.
To the service of the tables they attend, gathering the sorrow-stricken who crave for bread and a sweet word. To the ordered life and march of progress, even through illusions, they lend their labor. Wrapping after wrapping gently they remove from humanity's sleeping soul, opening a way for the golden Heart-light's cheering glow.
The mazes of the intellect they do not fear, neither sound they an alarm for all to run for life, but quietly and with a wise assurance and a faithful heart they gather those who wish the light, and point the way to many and to all who are entrapped in this seemingly measureless labyrinth.
Wall after wall is broken, channel after channel is formed towards outside; orderly movements start, — all the halls merge into a system, that by escape might profit not a handful of the alarmed few, but all the hosts of captives, those hosts who were once free among the stars of heaven.
And when all unite in the great work, a thunder is heard right in the centre of the earth, and even the laws of nature undergo a change, and all creatures rejoice at the approaching liberation.
Two movements rise, when a star of hope begins to shine.
Upward mounts the first one, driven by its own propelling force, lifting itself to the blue fields of the infinitudes, caring more for freedom than for love The second starts at a slanter angle above the useless inertia of the lower world, and watching with a loving eye those it leaves behind. Flying it turns to them and turns again, and makes a circle around their common centre, ever helping on. Thus in it, two forces, one propelling, another centre-seeking, tend to equilibrize, and this is what the Teacher calls the Middle Path.
More and more of rings are formed by joining new companions of the workers of Compassion. Closer become their trajectories, swifter grows the motion of their flight. Life becomes intense and bright beyond all dreams and blazes like a sun.
They will also earn their rest, but not in the far distances, where all motion dies. Attracted to the centre, revolving closer to it, though their circles will ever faster move, yet the great Peace will they surely gain, because, — before a man, a planet, or a world can reach the Realm of Silence, he must merge all his swifter and swifter lines of motion into a single point — the burning divine centre of the universal Heart.