MY BROTHER:

We will today somewhat change your meditation work, as the visualization exercise has done much of its work in stimulating the ajna center and in focusing your mind more firmly in the head. I have watched the result with attention. The past six months have brought to you three things:

First, much strain, both in connection with your own immediate circle, with the work in your environment, and also in connection with your own inner reactions. I think you will know to which of these latter I specifically refer.

Second, there has been for you an increased field of contact and of service, carrying with it the consequent tests and new opportunities to aid and help. This expansion should continue and should evidence a growing sensitivity on your part to world need. [295]

Third, you are conscious (are you not, my brother?) of a fresh source of illumination and inspiration and that the past year has greatly strengthened your realization.

Speaking symbolically, the Path of Discipleship is now real to you; the hitherto dim and distant portals of the Golden Gate which lie ahead are not so dim and distant. Their outline is more clear and the "sound which issues forth" conveys now somewhat to your inner sense of hearing.

Before indicating your meditation work for the next few months, I would suggest (forget not that it is only suggestions that I ever make) that you give the next six months to close consideration of your effect as a worker upon those you seek to help. This is a very valuable exercise for all disciples and involves a self-discipline but little emphasized in the usual books on discipleship. The impact of ray force upon people embodying differing aspects of ray energy will be one of the coming developments in the field of esoteric psychology; you would find it of interest to watch the impact of your second and fourth ray energy upon people, and also of that first ray power which you brought over from a previous incarnation. In this way you will learn the easy way to serve, for it will be that which will evoke the least resistance from those you serve, [296] and you will not have to undo or rebuild; you will also take the first steps in becoming proficient in the science of force.

Now let me give you a simple breathing exercise which has for its main objective the increase of the potency of the heart center. Remember that the evocation of the rhythm of the heart center is demonstrated in the early stages by an increasing understanding of individuals and a growing awareness of group problems. Later it produces definite group consciousness and awareness of the Plan. Should you like to keep up the visualization exercise which you have been doing, you are quite at liberty to do so but do it at another period during the day...

You will note that most of the work I have given you here links the three aspects of your thought life - the creative imagination, the mind and the intuition - and it is the bringing about of this synthetic linking which is my present objective with you. Bear this in mind and learn first of all to discriminate between these three; then to use them sequentially with facility and finally to use them simultaneously. This is not an easy task which I have set you, my brother.