Beinsa Douno
Methods for Self-improvement
Collection of Lectures
BIALO BRATSTVO PUBLISHERS SOFIA, 2011
Methods for Self-improvement
Compilation and translation by Maria Braikova Graphic design by Steve Eagle
Acknowledgments This This book book is a resul resultt of the the collec collectiv tive e effor efforts ts of many many peop people le who helped in one way or another for bringing it into reality.
Copyright © 2011 by Bialo Bratstvo Publishers Printed in Sofia, Bulgaria All rights reserved.
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Home of the Human Soul veryone ne Everyo
talks talks abou aboutt their their unatt unattain ained ed ideal ideal,, yet they they contin continue ue to strive toward it. The child attends school in order to learn reading and writing. Passing unnoticeably from one grade to the next, he becomes a young man and finishes university. Then you may hear him saying, “I fina finall lly y achi achiev eved ed my idea ideall and and fini finish shed ed univ univer ersi sity ty.” .” What What has has he achieved? He has learned the alphabet and how to use the letters for making syllables, words, and sentences. If the young man has finished a musical academy, he would say, “I reached my ideal and learned how how to sing sing and and play play an inst instru rume ment nt.” .” What What has has he lear learne ned? d? The The musical notes and their combinations. Ask yourself, everyone of you, “What is the ideal of my life?” If all people have ideals, why are they not content? Someone is not happy with being short, so he strives to become taller as his ideal in life. Why is he short? It is because he did not eat enough. Can a drop of water make a river? Can a thread make a whole rope? The tall person is not satisfied with his height too and he wants to become shorter. Why is he tall? It is mostly because his nourishment was plentiful. Has anyone experi experimen mented ted to find find out out how how many many web strands strands will will form form a thick thick regular rope? Even if one’s wish of being the desired height is fulfilled, this person will be not satisfied again. Why are people discontent? It is because they lead a monotonous life. Without being aware, they repeat and repeat things until getting bored at the end. Nature does not allow any repetition whatsoever. As much as you repeat a song, you cannot sing it in the same same way way twice. twice. Why? The The reaso reason n is that that you you have have chan changed ged,, the audience has changed, and the surroundings have also changed. When you are hungry, you sing in one way; when you are full, you sing in another way. When you are young, you sing in one way; when you are grown up, you sing in another way; and when you are old—you sing in a very different way. It is good to have diversity in your life, otherwise you would have died untimely. The monotonous existence does not bring bring Life, Life, but but deba debase ses s and and brin brings gs prema prematu ture re agin aging. g. Only Only renewa renewall brings Life. Reme Re memb mber er:: whil while e you you live live on Eart Earth, h, you you shou should ld move move in all all directions: east, west, north, and south. If you build a house, which side will you place the front door? The house facing north will be lit by the Sun from above where the Sun is; the house facing south will be lit from below; if the house is facing east, it will again be lit from above; and lastly if it is facing west, it will be lit from below, too. In houses facing east the Sun is always rising, and in those facing west—the Sun is always setting. What do you prefer: the Sun always rising or the Sun
always setting? If you have to get money back from someone, you will want the Sun to shine so that you could find your debtor. But when you owe someone money, you will desire for the Sun to set so that the creditor could not find you. And so, regarding the four directions of the world, we have in mind mind the the four four stag stages es,, or in othe otherr word words, s, the the fou four ke key y poin points ts of consciousness. The necessity of the moment dictates which point to choose. How will you determine which bounty to choose: bread, water, air, or light? If you are hungry, you will want bread; if you are thirsty, you will choose water; if you are suffocating, you will desire air, and if you are in darkness, you will require light. What is a must for a person in a sinking ship? Life-vest. What does one need in the winter? To go out, one needs warm clothes and warm shoes. What is the difference between the four directions of the world— or the four points of consciousness? East refers to the good conditions of life; the Sun rises in the east to bring Life. West is related to the night, when the Moon is shining. East means a sunlit-house; west—a moonlit house; north—a house placed on a visible place; and south—a house placed on a well traveled road, where many people will stop by, eat, and drink. Some of them will pay, while others will not, which may cause cause quarrels quarrels and misunder misunderstan standin dings. gs. Therefo Therefore, re, the human human being being lives in four houses simultaneously: simultaneously: in the houses of one’s mind, heart, soul, and spirit. The houses of all people differ from one another. If you are in the physical world, you live in your physical body. body. Going into the mental world you leave your physical body and enter the mental one. In this manner one moves in four bodies: physical, emotional or astral, mental, and causal, in other words—one lives in the mind and heart, in the soul and spirit. The The four four direc directio tions ns of the worl world d repre represen sentt the the four four homes homes in which people live. When you connect these four points, you form a square. As a result of its constant motion the four points trace a circle. To move from one home to another is a natural process. You cannot remain at the same point forever; neither can you keep your wealth forever. Sometimes you will be rich, sometimes—poor. When passing thro throug ugh h thos those e cond condit itio ions ns you you cons consta tant ntly ly bend bend down down and and rise rise.. If someone says that he does not want to bend down, this shows that he does not understand Life. When you are poor and you have been hungry for a few days, if you see a golden coin in front of you, will you not bend down to take it? You will certainly bend down, pick up the coin and then rise. Therefore, the reaching for the coin on the ground is bending. It is meaningful, only when one attains something something precious. Otherwise, to bend down for a trifle makes no sense. What will happen, if two people see the golden coin at the same time? They will both bend down: the first will grab the one end of the coin and the second one—the other. As long as the coin has not been shared, both will stand close to each other. Right after the division of the coin, they will
move apart: the first will take one direction, the second—another, continuing on their ways. Therefore, people are close to one another until they divide their life-provided bounties. After they have distributed the goods among themselves, they move apart and follow their own paths. How many blessings of Life are there? These are mainly four: bread, water, air, and light. Which one will you prefer at any given moment? If you are hungry, you will ask for bread; if you are thirsty, you will ask for water; if you lack air and suffocate, you will ask for air; and if you are in darkness, you will ask for light. Which part of the human body is food related to? Food is related to the mouth, which is a symbol of the word of wisdom. Water passes through the mouth and in togetherness with food—or bread—it goes to the stomach. Bread and water go to the same place supporting each other. Air is in relation with the nose and lungs: it passes through the nose and goes to the lungs. Light, on its turn, is related to the eyes. People often get depressed; they feel indisposed and do not know how to help themselves. They are surrounded by bounties, yet they do not know how to make use of them. For such cases the Bulgarians have a proverb, “He is wading into water and he is walking thirsty.” Four elements can change the indisposition and transform it from negative into positive. These are: light, air, water, and bread. When you know the reason for the indisposition, you can apply one of the four elements corresponding to the current situation. The reason for the indispositions of the same person may vary—it can be hidden in the physical, emotional, mental, or causal world. Imagine that you meet an elementary school teacher. You talk with him, but you see that he is dissatisfied with something. What is the reason for his discontent? He wants to get a higher position and become a high school teacher. What is the difference between an elementary, high school teacher, and a professor? I think that in one aspect the position of the elementary school teacher is preferable. Which is this aspect? The level of trust of the first grade students is the highest. When students come to middle school, they trust their teachers less and less. The trust goes down even more with the high school students; whereas the university students often criticize the professors and argue with them. What is the criticism like? It is like skin rubbing. When you visit a public bath of Turkish type it is good for you to be “criticized,” in other words, it is good for you to have someone who will exfoliate your dead skin and remove the dirt from you. However, after getting a good bath you are clean and you do not need blunt criticism anymore, so if still criticized, this will cause you pain. Nature also uses similar “massages,” but knows when and how to apply them. When she meets an unclean person, she takes out the exfoliating sponge and says, “Come to me, my child, I am going to clean you—you do need it.” She
massages and cleans him well, and then let him go free. Therefore, criticism is meaningful when coming from a wise, just, and loving person. People of today are not happy with life, because they cannot achieve their wishes. And yet, if they cannot really fulfill their desires, they should still be happy. Why? They are given an opportunity to work more. By working and working, they will eventually attain something. In reality, people get unhappy when the good things in their life are not repeated. However, this is impossible. Nature does not like monotony and repetition. You cannot sing a song in the same way second and third time. If the first time you have sung it well, the second time you will sing it either better or worse as the situation and the moment are different. For example, if you have flour, water, and salt, you can make bread. If you are given flour, cheese, water, and salt second time, you will not make bread again, but banitsa1 instead. This is what you will usually do as you also tend to avoid repetitions. Then, why should you be cross with Life and Nature, when they do not allow you to repeat the same things? You say that these are ordinary things. You are not suffering because of the lack of bread and banitsa, but because you have not fulfilled some great idea or sublime desire. For example, someone is unhappy, because he has not become knowledgeable. And yet, what is the essence of knowledge? Is someone with a heavy mental load in his head considered to be a knowledgeable person? He is telling how the world was created, how the plates of Earth were folded, how the life came into existence, and so on. His head is full of theories, but another scientist comes after him who dispute these theories and create new ones. Who of them is closer to the Truth? Genuine scientist is the one who brings the absolute unchangeable Knowledge. There were two scientists who often had scientific discussions. One of them was very self-respecting and did not allow to be criticized. One day, he unwittingly put his vest on with the wrong side out. He met the second scientist who told him, “Dear colleague, your vest is inside out.” As that one did not like remarks, he did not acknowledge the fact, but looked at himself and said, “I did this on purpose. So far I have worn my vest with the face out, but today I turned it with its back out to see how I would look like.” His friend was a delicate person and did not want to argue anymore, so he said, “Yes, this can be a kind of research.” In reality, the first scientist dressed his vest on the wrong side by mistake as he was absent minded. He did not think about any scientific experiments, but his mind was occupied with finding a way to pay a pending debt.
____________________ 1. A traditional Bulgarian baked pastry prepared by layering a crumbled feta cheese and other optional ingredients between brushed with butter or vegetable oil filo pastry sheets.
In one of the American universities there was a very strict professor whom the students often joked with in order to provoke him. One day they rearranged the wheels of his carriage placing the front gears on the back and the back gears—to the front. When the professor mounted his carriage, he noticed that something was wrong, but did not want to look fool before the students and said, “My carriage was for a repair the previous days and obviously the mechanic had made a mistake.” He knew that the students had done the prank, but did not want to acknowledge this. Such displacements happen in everyone’s life. When they are in the physical world, it is easy to be corrected. However, the displacements in the spiritual world are difficult to be put right and comprehended. That is the reason why people suffer, face difficulties, and fail to solve their assignments. Someone may suffer because he is behind in his development, everyone has gone ahead of him. He does not understand the Law. If twenty strong people come to wrestle, who will begin first? The weakest will be first on the stage against another weak one. Afterward the stronger wrestlers will show and at the end— the strongest. It means that the strongest, or the heroes, remain behind and they are the last. The true hero remains the last, so that his strength could be tested. Nature acts in the same way. She lets the weak wrestlers go first to the stage and keeps the strong ones for the final. Nature does not hurry, neither she gives things the moment someone wants them. The strong person remains last, behind all others. As he comprehends the Law, he awaits patiently his time to come. And so, when you know all this, do not criticize Nature. Whatever she does, it is for the highest good. She does not promote or debase anyone, but places every living being in its place. The one who comes to understand her waits for his time and enjoys his achievements. The one who does not understand her suffers and faces difficulties. Nature observes such one and whispers to him: wait a little more, your hour has not come yet. When a mother nourishes her children, which one will she give food first? The youngest because this infant needs only little food. This child is satisfied with little milk or bread. When the older are concerned, things are more complicated: you need to set a table with glasses, plates, to place more bread, more food, and so on. The older ones eat more and are more pretentious. Which is better: to have a laid table before you or to eat without a table like an infant or traveler? If you are in the mountains and you are hungry, will you be looking for a table?
You are travelers who visit the Earth for some studies. When you are aware of this, you will not require to have a table in order to eat. Strive not for the first place either. There are no leaders while traveling. Having just made one step and the first position could become the last. What is before you—that is the first position, what you have already passed—that is the last position. Rejoice that you have walked a certain path acquiring some experience in the process. And do not think that the place you are at the moment is not good. It is such as it is only for a moment. Once you move your leg forward a new, better place is waiting for you. The future will usually bring something better, brighter, and greater. However, you need to have an appropriate knowledge in order to see the good side everywhere in life. If a long journey is ahead of you it is preferable for you to carry saccharin instead of sugar. One kilogram of saccharin is equal to five hundred kilograms of sugar. However, sugar is more nutritious than saccharin. People often strive for some exquisite things and great ideas without realizing that this is saccharin, not sugar. A silk dress is beautiful, but it is not appropriate for the winter. If you wear it in the winter, you will catch cold. A silk dress flows elegantly around the body, but should be used in the summer. A dress which cannot preserve the body warmth is not good for health; a dress which cannot preserve the light is not good for health either, and if it is not clean, it is not hygienic. A good dress is that one, which has the qualities of the solid matter like thickness, as well as the qualities of water, air, and light. For the same reason I say that every thought, every feeling, and every action should have four qualities: the quality of bread—to satisfy hunger; the quality of water—to quench thirst; the quality of air—to improve breathing and the blood circulation; and the quality of light— to illuminate even the most hidden places of the human body, to open your path, and to liberate you from delusions and contradictions. Every food that does not bring the qualities of solid, liquid, air-like, and lightlike matter is not good for your health. Strive for healthy food, as well as for healthy thoughts, feelings, and actions. Only the Luminous Path of Wisdom leads to the Truth. The true Life is hidden in the Absolute Truth. Lecture given by the Master Beinsa Douno, August 27, 1943, Izgrev , Sofia.
The Desired Peace
Peace is needed in the modern world more than any time before. Why? Peace provides conditions for the greatest achievements of culture. That is why humankind is on its way to secure peace. There are more enlightened people today than any time before, who are aware that peace is the first and foremost condition for the normal development of humankind. For this reason all conscious and advanced people make efforts today for attaining peace. In the past times and civilizations the leaders of humankind believed that the world can be set right only through war. Many of them began to realize the falsity of this concept later on. The spiritual workers of today are striving for the world peace, so that new humankind and brotherhood among nations could be born and established. These new human beings will be bearers of love among all people and nations. As a result all nations will live for one another as in a family: big nations will be the big brothers, and small nations—the little ones. They will all have peace and harmony among themselves. This is the Will of God, Who is the Creator of the Universe. You ask when this time will come. It will come in the near future. Modern humankind is at the threshold of a new epoch as the solar system has already entered the realm of the Divine Dawning. When this time comes, there will be no conditions for the existence of malevolent people. They will perish one after another and the Earth will get rid of them. The new conditions that are coming will admit no malice. Instead they will bring to its destruction. The darkness will raise its curtains and go somewhere else. The dark forces will take their capitals and will go to another place to establish their banks and offices. It is enough to read the Scriptures to get convinced that the new epoch is not far away. Today all should have a mindful, conscious belief system. How will you recognize the coming of the new epoch? In the same way as you recognize the Sun rising. Do you need to prove to someone that sunrise comes after the day break? By the time the Dawn of new Life breaks, the Sun has already begun to rise. It is said in the Scriptures that with the beginning of the New epoch on Earth, the Sun will be darkened and the Moon will not give its light—then the Son of Man will reveal His Knowledge on Earth. 1 We refer the words about darkening of the Sun to _____________________
1. See also Mark 13:24-25, “But in those days, after that tribulation, the Sun will be darkened, and the Moon will not give its light; the stars of heaven will fall, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.”
the time when people will overcome their concept about the domination of one nation over another by force. By “the Moon will not give its light” we understand coming of the time when religions and belief systems will stop trying to set the world right. Therefore, when all nations, religions, and countries leave off thinking they can set the world right, then the Son of Man will manifest Himself on Earth with His knowledge. Everyone will see Him without any need of proof. Why should you prove to someone that the Sun is rising? The sunrise does not need a proof. It is enough for him to look through the window or go outside to be convinced that the Sun is really rising. You should give way to the new heart in you, which is made of soft material and not of stone like the present heart. The soft heart is woven by the material of compassion. Therefore, whoever has a merciful heart is a candidate for the new humankind. The softness of heart is one of the features characterizing the new human being—the one of Love. It is said in the Scriptures, “I shall take their hearts of stone and give them new hearts.” 2 The hearts of stone will be used for paving the streets, while the soft hearts will remain to beat and show the world the greatness and beauty of the Divine Life. For this day specifically the Scripture says that God will impart His Spirit in the soft tender hearts of people and all—big and small—will come to know Him. The human consciousness is gradually awakening in the same way as flower buds burst open in the spring in order to blossom and bear fruit. The great in people’s life is presented in the awakening of their consciousness and removing the difficulties and adversities, they encounter now. There are thousands of things in life which may disturb you, but also thousands of things which may please you. Whoever comprehends the great Divine Laws will be glad to meet a good, intelligent, and learned person; to meet a poet, a writer, a musician, a painter, a farmer, a stone-cutter, and so on. Rejoice when you meet someone working for the advancement of humankind. If you do not truly understand what a certain person represents, you behave slightingly, and say, “This one is a farmer, that one is a stone-cutter.” The one who brings forth the abundance of the earth is a farmer; the one who makes use of the qualities of the stones is a stone-cutter. The one who reveals the noble features in human faces is a true painter and the one who rectifies human errors is a sculptor. Hence every one who creates something valuable which ennobles, elevates, and brings joy to others is in the right place. A mighty power is hidden in the word of all writers, poets, scientists, and philosophers! The word has a great power! ____________________
2. See also Ezekiel 36:26, “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.
Once a young man fell in despair and decided to commit suicide. He put a revolver in his pocket and went to a forest in order to fulfill his intention. However, a young woman had followed him without his knowledge. At the moment when he was going to kill himself, she came to him and whispered a word into his ear. When the young man heard this word, he immediately cast the revolver away and said, “I am not going to commit suicide. I will live for myself, my fellowmen, and humankind. Life is meaningful and it is worth living!” Which is the word the young woman whispered to the young man? You know this word, no need for me to tell you. There are moments when only one word is sufficient to relieve someone from his present grave situation. It is not necessary to speak a lot to a person. One word will do, if it is Divine. Then what is uttered will come true. God said, “Let there be Light!”—and there was Light. During the six days of Creation, God said one Word daily, but as these were Words of the Divine language, they had enormous Power. All said by God came into existence. On the seventh day He said nothing as He was at rest. It is time already for the unification of all people through their minds, hearts, and goodwill, so that to work together for the introduction of peace. All—religious or not—should embrace the idea of peace. It is said in the Scriptures, “But he who endures to the end shall be saved,”3 or in other words, “He who wins the battle for peace, will be saved.” The religious people of today speak about Love, but do not apply it. The person of Love can raise and lower his body temperature by the degrees and at will. Who can oppose someone with a body temperature of ten thousand degrees? Such a person will instantly overcome any obstacles coming into his path. Thus he will set an example of [manifesting] Divine Love. Wherever he goes all doors will be open for him. The person of Love can increase at will not only his body temperature, but also his inner light, making it a thousand times brighter than the solar one. Such light will blind even the most numerous and powerful army. People cannot imagine yet a light that is a thousand times brighter than the solar one. One can achieve anything with such light. Whoever has warmth of ten thousand degrees and light a thousand times brighter than the solar one can open the safes of all banks, warm all frozen hearts, and remove all obstacles, placed by the human egotism. Great warmth and light are coming into the world. These are Divine forces, which will warm and enlighten the human hearts and minds. When the warmth and light of Love come into the world, they will melt and burn out all malevolent, criminal aspects of people, while
the good and righteous ones will remain; thus it will be clear that one cannot ____________________ 3. See Mark 13:13.
mess about Love. It is not allowed to play with Love. People of today are terrified by the idea of being submitted to a temperature of ten thousand degrees. Yet what will be their state, when Christ comes to Earth? Then the temperature will be much higher than ten thousand degrees. Christ says: “Peace I leave with you!” 4 It implies that Christ is for peace too. He is for that peace which is based on Love and brotherhood among all nations, societies, and individuals on the face of Earth. Manifestations of brotherly and sisterly love at present are nothing else but branches of the future Culture. This love is more elevated than motherly love. It does not matter how great motherly love could be, it still contains an element of egotism in it. Take for example the love of a tigress to its cubs. It is ready out of love for them to kill at any moment any living creature crossing their path. In this sense motherly love represents the roots of life, while brotherly and sisterly love—its branches. Fruits on the Tree of Life represent Divine Love. They are result of the roots of motherly love and the branches of brotherly and sisterly love. As a matter of fact, in the future people will eat from the fruits of Divine Love and attain immortality. These fruits will be bearers of New Life. Wherever you go in the world, you will meet representatives of the new Life. They can be recognized by the soft, pleasant light coming from their eyes. We call them “brothers and sisters of humanity,” bearers of the Divine. Christ is one of these new humans. He said, “I did not come to do My will, but the will of the One Who had sent me. I came to bring peace to the world.” 5 Before the coming of Christ Jews followed the Law of Moses to the letter. They slaughtered lambs, sheep, and oxen as a sacrificial offer to God. However, their life changed completely with the coming of Christ. He destroyed the old life in one stroke. The Jews came to the awareness that good thoughts, feelings and deeds represent the true sacrifice. What is the essence of the new religion? Its first creed states: I believe that the love of my mother and father represents roots of the Tree of Great Life—the Life of Love. The second creed reads: I believe that the love of my sister and brother represents branches of the Tree of Great Life—the Life of Love. The third creed reads: I believe that Divine Love represents fruits of the Tree of Great Life. The outcome of my mind and heart will be transformed into fruits of Love. Whoever eats from these fruits will attain immortality. Christ said, “Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life.” 6 It implies that
whoever eats from the Tree of Life, in other words, from the motherlyfatherly and brotherly-sisterly love will bear life within. ____________________ 4. See John 14:27. 5. See also John 12:44-50. 6. See John 6:54.
Now, becoming aware of the new creed in essence, you should be brave and daring in applying it. Many people are looking forward to something new. The new is in the reconciliation among people. The new reconciles all existing contradictions. How could the reconciliation among people be achieved? It is very simple. Whoever has something to take let him forgive the debt of his brother. Whoever has something to give let him be ready to pay his debt. When he goes to pay his creditor let the latter tell him that he has forgiven him his debt in the name of brotherhood, acknowledging him for his brother. When two persons fraternize, their debts fall automatically away, their arguments cease and all misunderstandings disappear. I would like people to argue only about one thing: who will give more in order to help his brother. If you notice that your brother is very tired and cannot lift the hoe anymore, you will take it from his hand and do the work instead. If you notice that your brother breaks down under the weight of his burden, you will take the load from his back, put it on your back and continue side by side, speaking friendly to each other. When you meet a brother in the street and realize that he is hungry, as he has not taken anything to eat for three days, you will invite and treat him well at your home, feed him well, and invite him to come again. These are brotherly relationships. People are waiting today for the second coming of Christ on Earth, so that the world could be set right. No, the world cannot be set right from outside. Christ needs to come from within each and every one of you. Only in this way will the world be set right. If you place millions of iron shavings together, they will not unite and become one. However, if you heat them up to a certain temperature, they will melt and fuse with each other, forming one liquid substance. In this case the fire is that inner power, which solders the iron shavings making them form one whole. Therefore, Christ needs to come into the human hearts and minds as an inner power that will unite them. Love is this inner power, which brings life to the human souls. People can work and live in harmony only through Love. Those who do not understand Love are ready to criticize it. Now, when I am speaking about Love, I know the extent to which you can apply it. In fact, I am aware which things are applicable today and which are not. For example, modern people are not able to go to the Sun no matter how much they know about it and about the opportunities to visit it. Why? The physical characteristics of the Sun
are completely different from those on Earth. There is no way for the human beings to go to the Sun in their present body. The average human body of sixty kilograms will weigh millions of kilograms on the Sun. How could one move there with such an enormous mass? There is a beautiful life on the Sun, but it is not yet accessible to earthly people. One can go to the Sun in a mental way, but not in reality. Do you know anything about the inhabitants of the Sun and their life? Do you know anything about their language? It is enough for us that we have the possibility of benefiting from the solar rays. If you want to heal yourself, expose your back to the early morning rays. If you want to attain inner peace, expose your back to the setting Sun with your face turned to the east. Thus, you will feel deep peace within yourself and will realize that it is not worth to worry about trivial, petty things. The inhabitants of the Sun live in great abundance, so they do not worry about anything. Their assignment is to send bounties all over the Solar system. They determine the budget of its planets and living beings, including the entire humankind: all people, nations and countries. When I speak to you about the Sun, I do not want you to take my word for it. I am not interested in whether you believe me or not. I am interested only in one thing: whether what I am telling you is one with the Truth or not. Believe in what God has created. If you believe in His creation of Heaven and Earth with all luminaries and living beings, then you will believe in their Creator too. If one believes in these things, one should study both Heaven and Earth. You need to examine the Sun, Moon, all stars in the sky as astronomers and scientists do. People need to find their own inner suns first to be able to understand life on the Sun. Everyone has a small inner sun in the center of the brain. The size of this sun is different for each individual, depending on the size of the other inner planets. In fact, it is through this inner sun that the soul acquires knowledge. The astronomic Sun and the planets in the sky are similar to the inner sun and inner planets in humans: in terms of their rising, setting, and so on. If one’s inner sun ceases to rise, the outer Sun also loses its meaning for this person. It is a sign for the existence of a certain connection between the outer Sun and the inner sun. If this connection is interrupted, the person will not possess any inner light. When both the inner sun and outer Sun shine, one has the opportunity to perceive light. If one’s inner sun stops shining, the person becomes blind as he is deprived of the conditions to see and perceive the Divine Knowledge. And so, many are striving for Divine knowledge which purpose is to teach you value your inner sun, because through it your soul can learn and develop. If someone says that his soul is in darkness, it is an indication that his inner sun has ceased to shine. As long as the Sun shines, the human being thinks and feels right. If one’s inner sun ceases to shine, the human mind and heart will both darken with it. That is why in order to avoid darkening of the inner sun, one should
lead a meaningful life. The malevolent life expressed in negative thoughts, feelings, and deeds causes adversities, which darken one’s sky where the inner sun shines. Many people—whether learned or ignorant—are not aware of the great influence of thoughts and feelings on the inner life, and consequently on the human health. That is why they seek their happiness in a unnatural way. They want to become rich, to marry a beautiful woman, to acquire a lot of knowledge, without even suspecting that in this way they themselves prepare their misfortune. There is nothing wrong in acquiring knowledge, power, beauty, wealth, but one should know how to use them. There is a Turkish saying, “It is a blessing to see beautiful things.” Indeed, the human strive for beauty and its inspiration is quite natural, but not the attempts for appropriating beauty. Both beauty and ugliness have their place in Nature in the same way as light and darkness. Light reigns until the Sun shines. When the Sun sets, darkness comes. Yet stars cannot shine without darkness. Therefore, darkness is necessary, so that virtues—the stars—may be revealed in the human life. Now, when I am speaking about the Divine in the world, some of you become discouraged thinking they cannot attain it. God promised the human beings to come and dwell in them, so that they would not be discouraged. The future kingdom will be established from within, not from without. All God’s plans will be fulfilled through the love of entire humankind. To achieve this, workers are needed. All people of today should work in this aspect and become bearers of the Divine ideas, so that when God enters into their suns to be able to reveal Himself outwardly. A special mission is assigned to every person—to be a bearer of Divine Love, Wisdom and Light, of Divine Truth and Freedom in a specific, unique way. Only thus one can achieve all his desires. All trials, difficulties, and sufferings humankind is going through today will become conditions to come to know God and the Great in the world. God will be with you in all your ways. Then you will say: “We are happy to live in an epoch when we can experience and come to know God's Love, when we can become workers in His field.” Rejoice and be happy to attain the ideals of your soul. It is up to you when you can attain them even today. One Divine day is equal to a thousand years. So, after a thousand years you can attain what you wish today. Conscious work is required of everyone! The Divine is already on the threshold of your home. Open the doors of your hearts and minds to let the Divine light and warmth in. Lecture given by the Master Beinsa Douno, August 28, 1938, Izgrev , Sofia.
The Purpose of Life Reflection
Human life will complete its development on Earth when people attain perfection. Just at hearing the word “perfection” some get immediately discouraged. Being perfect is a very high ideal. How will you achieve it? It lies in your attitude. When is a house considered ready and finished? Only when it has been lime washed on the outside and inside, and has been duly cleaned, mopped, and furnished so that people can move in and live in it. In the same way, someone becomes perfect after attaining Love, Wisdom, Truth; and when possessing Knowledge, Life, and Freedom. Some people think that perfection means the end of further development. This is not so. In reality, the perfect ones need to work the most. Serving others, they see the level of their advancement and what is still needed. In the absolute meaning of the word, perfection does not exist on Earth. The perfect one has opened up, but he says as Apostle Paul did that we only know part of the answer and yet we like to philosophize upon it. Perfecting oneself is not a mechanical process. You say, “I want my eyes to open, I want to become perfect.” This is quite possible. However, “opening the eyes” in its true meaning requires inner work. Jesus said to the woman of Samaria, “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in Spirit and Truth.” 1 The meaning of this is to have communion with God—nothing can be attained without this communion. How will an ailing person get well, if he is deprived of air? No matter what you tell him, there is no life without air. You may encourage him, recommend him books to read and study, yet he will not achieve anything as long as he is bedridden. His illness will continue to trouble him. He says, “I am ill, so I am not interested in the future.” First, he needs to free himself of the illness causing him suffering. You have all experienced this. While you are suffering from some illness, you go through various states every day—and you change every moment. This applies even for the most advanced. The inner torment that is endured cannot be explained Even angels are unable to completely free themselves from suffering and from time to time are affected by it. Of course, that refers to the imperfect angels.
____________________ 1. See John 4:24.
Christ says, “Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in Heaven is perfect.”2 Are humans capable of being perfect as God? If left on their own, they can never be perfect. However, in oneness with God the human being can attain perfection. The contemporary life of humankind is far from it, but one day when people connect with God, they will become perfect. God has been revealing Himself through humans, but not abiding in them yet. His promise is, “I shall abide in you and you will become one with Me.”3 This implies perfection. Today every person gets sometimes disheartened, discouraged. Why? It is because of unachieved perfection not only by the individual, but also by all humankind. People are interconnected as one whole. For this reason, they bear their joys and sufferings together. Therefore, one cannot experience joy alone. The joy of one is related to the joy of all. If someone in the family—either mother, father, or child, is ill, can the others be joyful? They may pretend, but deep inside they will feel anxious and worried. This is due to the anguish of all humankind. Fallen spirits also turn to people and ask for help, thus bringing great sufferings to them. Their thoughts are received as by radio and make you sad. Will you be calm, if you catch an SOS call from a sinking ship on your internal “radio”? You are far from the ship, let’s say ten kilometers away; but you hear the passengers’ cries and you cannot help them. How will you feel then? People of today are much like those two Americans who faced a grave accident when boating at Niagara Falls. They were drunk and lost control over the boat. The boat hit a rock and smashed to pieces. One of the Americans climbed onto the rock pointed at the two countries: Canada and USA. The second one was swept by the current over the waterfalls. There were people watching him from the shores and although they wanted to help him, they did not know how to do it. They were searching for some way, but were afraid of drowning themselves which made them indecisive. The situation got really terrible. The first American stood on the rock amidst the rumble and roar of the water. He saw his friend being swept by the waves and being totally helpless. I ask: what have these two Americans experienced? If you have never been caught in similar situations, you cannot really imagine the effect of the waves of Life. If you are far away from the waterfall, it will be easy for you to speculate. Back to the story, the rescuers finally succeeded and saved the first American who was on the rock.
____________________ 2. See Matthew 5:48.
3. See also 1 John 4:12, “If we love one another, God abides in us, and His Love has been perfected in us.”
Modern humankind is likewise on the top of a rock. If no rescuers come, the human race is going to listen to the roar of the waterfall without hope for salvation. You ask how the first American was saved. The rescuers threw a cable from the shore to the rock. Then they pulled the person to the shore and saved him. Do not hold that gloomy picture in your mind. Why? It is because the darkness comes whenever one is ill and suffering. The true Life is where there is not the least darkness. However, diseases exist both in the physical and spiritual worlds: the point is to heal yourself without any trace of the illness leaving a remnant on you. It is said in the Scriptures that whoever stands upright must be careful not to fall. I ask why they did not save both Americans, but only one of them. You say that God can save us all, if He wants to. That is true. God wants the salvation of all, but not all can be saved. The second American was so drunk, that the rescuers could not help him. The American who was on the rock was more sober and held on until he got help from the shore. Sometimes people get so intoxicated that no one can save them from misfortune. They wander here and there blindly. One day someone disappears and cannot be found. What has happened? You will say: he has passed to the World beyond. We know where he is—buried in the ground. His relatives and friends say though that he has gone to Heaven. It means that the visible person (the physical body) is in the ground, while the invisible one is in Heaven. You say, “I do not want to live.” Why? It is because you do not understand the Laws of Life. The outcome is determined by people themselves. One should not be forced, but live by a natural impulse and free will. That is the Will of God. That one is saved who absolutely observes God’s Will. Therefore, whoever has a profound inner desire for salvation can only succeed. Every mindful human desire is an expression of God’s Will. God manifests Himself through our desires, and the One Who awakens the desires in us is God. I have told you many things today, which you need to apply like the one who makes use of becoming literate. Otherwise, if after learning how to read and write, you give up further studies, that will hold up your development. Continue to read and write. You must communicate with your mother, your father, and your friends too. “But may I not continue without this?”, you ask. No, it is not possible. When you can read and write masterfully, you will also lead a meaningful life. Beautiful handwriting implies that you lead a pure, beautiful life, which reflects the written content. Therefore, what we write is the content of our lives. All beautiful things we insert are saved in our inner archives. Whatever is written on Earth follows its author. Whatever you put down, create, and do remains with you. No one can deprive you of your creations and achievements. Whatever you learn from others is helpful
for your development. But only what you have achieved by yourself is truly important for you and makes you strong. Only in this way does one becomes perfect and free. Many people ask me various questions, but I do not always answer them. “Why should we trust God and love Him?”, you ask. I will not answer you. Why? It is because the trust and love for God is in the natural flow of things and does not need speaking out. When you love God, you will study. “I love my teacher, but I do not want to study”, a student says. This cannot be. You cannot love your teacher without studying. If you love him, you will study his subject with love. Learning cannot be replaced by love. Love is love, but you should study. “I love this person.” If you love this person, you should study. Love and learning go hand in hand. True, when you love, you can learn; if you do not love, you cannot learn. Learning is not possible without love which leads to my conclusion: whoever does not study does not love. And so, Love for God is a great power for achieving perfection. It is actually impossible to describe what Love is and what perfection is. Can you take a picture of the entire Earth? This is as possible as the description of Love and perfection. If you can photograph the one hemisphere of Earth, the other one will be missing. However, there are Beings of such an expanded consciousness that they can embrace the entire Earth. They see it simultaneously from all sides and even penetrate into its core. Is this possible? It is for the perfect one, but not for the imperfect one. A young man was walking to a country wedding. On the route it started raining heavily. To avoid getting wet he stripped himself naked. When he was about to enter the village, he dressed in the nearby forest and continued his way. People in the village asked him how he could remain dry in the heavy rain. He replied, “I walked very fast, so fast that the rain did not reach me.” In reality, he had found a smart solution to this problem. But he hid the truth not to admit that he walked naked. It is curious how he got the idea to take off his clothes and prevent them of getting wet. Adam also became aware of being naked, but only after his wrongdoing. Therefore, one needs knowledge to avoid wrongdoings in the same way as the young man protected himself from the rain. What do people of today need? Growth and development. This is the ideal of the human soul. Perfection of the human being comes through spiritual growth and development. All who followed the path of the high ideal became perfect. Christ came to Earth to fulfill His mission. Thus he attained true perfection. The one who wants to become perfect should fulfill the mission which God has assigned to him. We have the example of Christ for a sublime service. Christ said to His disciples, “I have food to eat of which you do not know.” 4 What is this food? Doing
____________________ 4. See John 4:32.
God’s Will. Everyone should have such a powerful idea, serving as a focal point for his spiritual world and keeping his life in balance. Such a sublime idea will really empower the human being. It is a foundation and fortress for the human life. It makes one strong and unshakable. Without holding such an idea one sways in life as a ship rocked by the waves and causing seasickness. A medication against seasickness was recently invented in Italy. Modern people should not sway any more. Now I introduce to you the path walked by the perfect ones. You will walk the same path facing many contradictions which you should ignore. When you read about the life of Christ, Job, the prophets you see examples and ideas of how to move forward. Why did Christ suffer? Why did Job suffer? Whatever questions you ask, the answer is one: suffering is inevitable. You may say that the devil makes an exception. The devil suffers too. He also walks the path of suffering. Someone has broken his leg. Still, he needs to move forward. You say, “But he cannot walk.” When his leg gets better, he will continue on his way. The important thing is the correction of one’s errors. Someone says, “I do not feel well, I am nervous, I was born like that.” Rejoice that you were born that way. How would you live, if you had no nerves? The distinguishing feature between humans and animals is the nervous system. “I am neurasthenic.” There is nothing better than this. “I have become very sensitive.” But that is what makes you human. “I think a lot.” That is even better. “Where will all this end?” It is not your concern—because God is the beginning, you are the end. When you unite with God, this will be the end. It is just the beginning now. Therefore, the human being should take the last place, in other words, the end. Everyone should be the end, or the Omega, while God is the Alpha, or the beginning of things. You say, “But I do not want to be at the rear.” The best thing is to be at the rear, or to be the tail. The tail is that directs the movement of the fish. The propeller is that drives the ship and it is at the back. Hence, the humankind is the end of things, and the human being is what puts the Divine Ideas into action. Apply this: serve God in Spirit and Truth and be perfect. You ask, “Can we be perfect?” It is up to you. Where there is a beginning and end, there is perfection too. Where there is neither beginning nor end, perfection cannot be expected either. Since God has sent a soul to the Earth, it is capable of becoming perfect. When you become perfect, you will enter the World of Ascended souls. Your Advanced Brothers will recognize you as perfect there. If you do not become perfect, you will need to study for a long time on Earth. You will descend to Earth, and ascend to Heaven until you finally finish your development. The Wheel of Incarnation will turn and turn until you attain perfection. Only through perfection you will free yourself from this Wheel. In other
words, you will incarnate and be physically born until the day of your perfection. The person who is tightly attached to Earth will need to incarnate many times until he finally begins to desire perfection. Christ says, “But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshippers will worship the Father in Spirit and in Truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.” 5 And now, I would like you to reflect all day long upon the idea of serving God in Spirit and in Truth. The manifested Love of Spirit, the manifested Wisdom of Spirit, and the manifested Truth of Spirit bring the full and abundant Life of God, the One Eternal God of Life. Morning lecture by the Master Beinsa Douno, April 30, 1933, Sofia, Izgrev . ____________________ 5. See John 4:23.
The Human Ideal
The earthly life has three important subjects to consider.
As we live on Earth, the first and foremost is to understand the human beings, if we want to understand their lifestyle. The second important subject, which we need to understand are the angels. Translated in a common language they represent the human mind and thoughts. When we say “angel,” we usually have in mind a Luminous Being. However, we will translate “angel” with the words “luminous thought.” God is the third subject, which is most important and misunderstood by the humankind. This word translated in a understandable language represents the Love that brings Life and eternity to the human soul. For this reason it is written in the Scriptures, “God is Love.”1 Therefore, the ideal of the human being is to understand oneself, to understand the angels, or in other words the luminous and pure thoughts, and lastly to understand God—or Love. If one has understanding of these three subjects, that one will be able to create a positive philosophy of Life. People of today suffer from misunderstanding and ignorance how to put things together. If one cannot arrange things as they were created by Nature and God, that one will come into a big inner conflict. It is like you set a fire inside your house, but not in the fireplace, where its proper place is, but somewhere on the floor. What will happen then? The entire house will catch fire and will burn, and you will burn with it too. In this respect, the human feelings correspond to a fire. If people know how and where to direct what they feel, it will bring them the greatest blessings in life. And vice versa, if they do not know, it will cause them the greatest sufferings and sorrows. Right thinking is needed to guide the human feelings in the right direction. That is why the thoughts and feelings are of the greatest and paramount importance for the human being. As for the angels, there is nothing more sublime than purity—pure feelings and pure thoughts. In the Divine World nothing is greater than Love. Therefore, thoughts and feelings are most important in the human world, Purity is most important in the Angelic World, and Love—in the Divine World.
____________________ 1. See also 1 John 4:16, “And we have known and believed the Love that God has for us. God is Love, and he who abides in Love abides in God, and God in him.”
I say, no matter how important these things are, modern people have not understood them yet, and they are still requiring proofs about the existence of God. If this issue is to be proven, it loses its sense. Each attempt to prove God’s existence represents a mechanical process. Does it make sense for someone to prove to me whether I live or not? I already know it. Does it make sense for someone to prove to me whether I think or not? I know it already too. Proving to me that I have life, that I have thought is quite useless. I live, I think, I feel, so any external proof is needless. The thought should be studied as a substantial condition. If a chemist wants to perform a chemical reaction resulting in a certain compound, he should know the properties of the elements and the laws that govern them. If he takes into consideration all this, the reaction and the combination of the elements will go correctly. Otherwise the chemist may cause a big explosion and create a calamity. In this respect Life represents a chemical compound consisting of many elements. If a person knows how to combine the elements of his life, how to combine the thoughts and feelings, that person will be able to produce properly a chemical compound, in other words, to create a meaningful harmonious life. And vice versa, if a person combines inwardly a desire with a thought that are both not natural, in other words, from the combination of a human with an animal desire, an explosive compound will be formed, which might cause an explosion. Consequently, a person has not come yet to the rank of the true human being. The true human being is to be revealed from now on. People of today cannot fully control themselves and still have many animal-based manifestations. All crimes today, from the smallest to the biggest, are committed under the effect of the bestial elements in human lower nature. Now, by “man” or “human being” I refer to the total of all virtues. Whoever lacks some of these virtues has a bigger or smaller predominance of the lower nature within oneself. When I speak about the lower or animal nature in the human being, I have in mind features from any of the animals: tigers, bears, wolves, foxes, the various herbivores, insects, and so on. What is their life like? Life of mutual destruction—they eat and swallow each other. However, there is one exception among the birds—the pigeons. Most of the pigeon species are pure vegetarians and feed only on grains. Meanwhile, the nightingale that is an excellent singer is carnivorous—it eats tens and hundreds of insects daily. The nightingale is content of its situation especially when it can catch more insects. Yet, the little flies it feeds on do not think so. People of today boast of their religion, science, and art. I ask: what is this religion that cannot teach them to love one another? What is this science, which cannot offer them a way of living a meaningful life. What is this science, which cannot give the Laws of human
thought, neither can it explain the reasons for the existence of good and evil? What are these social sciences and social order which cannot guide people in their life program fulfillment? The life of people has become meaningless, because neither religion nor science were able to give the rules needed for the human development. In reality, the Earth is covered by monuments mostly of dead people. Great Beings like Christ visited the Earth. For two thousand years Christ has been among people and He is still with them. You ask, “What is the purpose of suffering?” There is a great purpose in suffering. Sufferers are heroes and become true human beings, while non-sufferers remain ordinary people and nothing great is expected from them. Great people go through big trials. Christ endured great sufferings, thus He left the world a Sublime sacred Idea that will never perish. His Idea did not pass away, neither did Christ. He was subjected to a great trial: to be crucified and placed in a tomb, and on the third day He resurrected. The existence of Christianity so far is due to the fact that Christ is still living among people and will live forever. If however, some disharmony comes up among Christians, the reason is that many of those who consider themselves Christians do not believe that Christ has risen from the dead. They are assumed to be believers, but in reality they are not. So, they are in the situation of those who are regarded as humans without being true human beings yet. Indeed, you often meet people calling each other with the names of some animals. For instance, one person says to another, “You are a wolf, fox, bear, tiger, and so on.” When people want to express that someone is foolish they say, “He is just a sheep”. Many think that the sheep is a foolish animal, but this is not so. When I studied the structure and shape of its head, I found out that it is one of the intelligent mammals based on the measurements and scientific data. Those who study the physiognomy of animals will find out that in regard of intelligence the elephant comes right after the human being, followed by the sheep. One may ask however, where the true human being is in reality. Today all people want to be healthy, happy, fulfilling all their desires, and so on. All this can be achieved. How? By acquiring a healthy body, kind heart, bright mind, and all virtues. Without these attributes people are exposed to suffering. In this respect sufferings are exceptions in life. Why? It is because they should be understood and applied well. That is why suffering increases the faith of wise people, while for the foolish they are the greatest misfortune that can befall on them in life. In the modern people’s conception one is born to die. What is the meaning of death? It is meaningful only if one transitions after death to a better life than the earthly one. The death of a righteous person has meaning. However, the death of a wrongdoer is quite senseless. In the same way, there is sense for a flower or fruit tree to blossom, but what is the meaning of a bomb to burst open and
explode? It is useful to start a fire in the fireplace and cook a meal with it, but to start it in the middle of the house and set all on fire—such a fire is senseless. Building temples for worshippers and schools for children makes sense, but is there any sense in making bombs and grenades with which people kill each other? And after all this you say that God should set the world right! As soon as God created humans and inscribed the Laws in their hearts to live by them, He had already set the world right. Even if people live thousands of years more, they will still divide themselves into learned and uneducated, rich and poor, religious and non-believers. In reality, if they examine themselves carefully, they will see that all of them are alike. Both the religious and non-believer serve for money. It is not bad that their service is for money. But striving for money, people focus on being well-dressed and living luxuriously, and so they forget their true purpose on Earth. When people want to have nice clothes, they should strive to be dressed beautifully from within as well. Everyone can put on a beautiful luminous inner garment. Luminous thoughts and noble feelings are one’s inner garments and no matter where this one goes, people say, “Behold a true human being!” Such a person brings the Divine Blessing to any home he visits: he heals the ill, comforts the sorrowful, and nourishes the hungry. Now, what is the most important at sunrise? The Sun itself, in other words, its light. What is the most important in respect to the Sun? The sunlight and warmth that inspire luminous thoughts and noble feelings in the human being. However, this same warmth and light awake inferior feelings, instincts, and wishes in the wolf. Behind the solar light and warmth there stands a Great Mighty Hand which is invisible to people. You ask, “Where is this Hand?” It can be seen as much as you can see the true human being. What you see externally and call “human being” is only an expression of certain thoughts, feelings, and actions. The human being is not that which dies. The negative thoughts, feelings and deeds are what passes away in the human being. Sometimes they die, sometimes they are uprooted like a tree. I say: as you are now in the process of creating your life, it is important for you to live with luminous thoughts and feelings, with noble and rightful actions. If you do not follow all this, you will cause your misfortune yourselves. Creating the human life can be compared to the construction of a ship. How is a ship built? For its good performance all technical rules and laws of modern science must be put in action. Only in this way can the ship withstand all storms and gales that can occur in the sea. If all these technological rules and laws are not observed, the ship with all passengers will be exposed to great dangers. In the same way, people of today are in the world as in a stormy sea—and if their ship is not well built, they will be exposed to great
dangers. If their ship—the body—and their thoughts and feelings are not solid and stable, they could meet with great disasters. That is why the reasons for a shipwreck should be searched not only in the ship performance, but also in its designers and constructors. In the future when people reach a higher level of development, they will act according to all rules and methods of the new Teaching in order to create well-organized bodies for themselves that are capable of receiving the Sublime Divine thoughts and feelings. As it is necessary to follow certain rules and laws for the human body creation, the same should be done during the election of ministers and Parliament members of a country. These are to be the most intelligent, selfless and virtuous people of the nation. Only then we could speak about a great country. However, the present situation of the countries is a token for misinterpretation of life. Many think that they have come to Earth to spend somehow their lives and then to depart. That is a wolf-like way of thinking. The wolf tries to come close to a livestock enclosure in order to steal a sheep and eat it, and that is all he aims. If someone has the same thinking, what is the difference between such a person and a wolf? Moreover, after eating a sheep, the wolf could be chased and shot. But when someone kills from ten to twenty people in the battlefield, he is immediately rewarded and pronounced a hero. So afterward this person boasts with his killing without batting an eyelid. Killing and destroying is a crime, not a science. Creating and building— that is a science. I say, modern people should think and live rightly—as God requires of them. Rightly means living as brothers and sisters. Besides, it is not necessary for all people to have the same external features and same beliefs. Consider, for instance, the little child and mature person. They differ in appearance, but have something in common as human beings. The young will eventually get old and the old could also rejuvenate. The alchemists have done many experiments in this direction. An old person can be placed in a special chemical device— retort and after passing through certain processes he would emerge entirely rejuvenated. One could become young not only by alchemy, but also by his thought. Many European scientists support the theory that a human being can rejuvenate and revive his life by his thought. The sublime thought creates a pleasant atmosphere which attracts what is pleasant and beautiful in the living Nature and makes one capable of receiving it. Without sublime thought, one does not know how to interact with the Sentient Nature and as a result encounters many problems and misfortunes. Due to this some people have a bad behavior—it is a sign that they are bad only by their will and action, but not in their essence.
You often meet people who will not do even what is for their own good because of their inner disposition, and the so-called malevolent will. The task of modern culture is to study the manifestations of human thoughts and determine the notion of “human being.” The human being is a combination of virtues, but not of crimes. When one feels some negativity rising up from within, it is a sign that one has come to certain negative traits inherited from many generations. Therefore, even today one should make many efforts to remove the negative inherited features and some animal-like manifestations until coming to the state of a true human being. And so, when one comes to reveal the conscious, mindful principle, that one will be strong and free of all negative and inferior manifestations from within. If a righteous person lives in a mountain, for instance, the weather will be as he wants: if he wants snow—it will snow; if he wants rain or sunshine—the weather will respond accordingly. However, when a wrongdoer lives in the mountain, the weather will not follow his wishes, but will be as nature dictates—so, the wrongdoer needs to comply with weather and not vise versa. Many people when hiking in the mountains are afraid of rain because they think that they may catch a cold/, afraid of catching a cold. You should know that the July rain in the mountains is a great blessing—such a “bath” is equal to a hundred regular baths. Each drop of rain in July is imbued with electro-magnetic forces. Now, remember the following thought: the human being is the greatest masterpiece of creation on Earth. Rejoice that you bear the name “human being”! Strive to live up to this name! One needs to be good; to think, feel, and act rightly! And then say to yourself, everyone of you, “My life should not bring harm to others. If I want happiness for myself, I want happiness for others too. My thought should be like God’s thought!” Now, I wish to all of you: be wise, good-hearted, happy, and may your desires come true. May you become new people from now on! Lecture by the Master Beinsa Douno, held on July 12, 1931.
Methods for Self-improvement Only the Luminous Way of Wisdom leads to Truth. Truth holds Life within.
Scholars,
and especially those occupied with geometry, deal with geometrical figures and bodies. Meanwhile, ordinary and uneducated people do the same, only that they are not able to give definitions to these figures. For instance, who, whether learned or ignorant, is not familiar with the circle? Does not a farmer’s threshing field represent a circle? However, it is not so important to be acquainted with the properties of the circle as a figure, as it is to know how to apply it. Many have knowledge about coal and its origin, but this knowledge is worthless if they cannot use it as fuel. Many are familiar with the properties of water, but it will be much better if they can transform the aquatic energy into electricity and light. The more transformations a particular type of energy undergoes, the better it gets for humans. For example, we benefit from sunshine due to the transformation of solar energy into light. You may say that sunlight comes directly, without being transformed from its source which is a celestial body. Go to the Sun to see what it is in reality and then make your comments. In fact, the light, which we receive by our eyes does not come from the physical Sun which we see. Really and truly, the physical Sun emits certain energy which is transformed several times until it is perceived as light. The light is produced by the higher consciousness, so behind the physical sun, there is another “Sun,” emitting the Eternal and Unfailing Light. In reality, that is the Light, which is true and genuine as it never changes or fails. In this sense we call “real” that which is everlasting. How real are human feelings, beliefs, and decisions? For example, today you are cheerful, the next day you are sorrowful. Which is real: your joy or your sorrow? Today you believe that there is a God, the next day you do not think so. Which of your two views is true? Today you decide to take an exam, the next day you change your mind. Which of these two intentions are you going to fulfill? Reality is everywhere and nowhere. Reality is neither sustained nor denied. Whoever has good sight and sees well will recognize the Sun. But the Sun cannot be recognized by those who cannot see, which is quite normal. The blind people do not acknowledge the Sun, because they cannot see it and no relation is formed to it. Reality becomes knowledgeable by its manifestations. If it does not reveal itself to us, it will remain unknown. What idea could we have of the Sun, if it does
not reveal itself to us? We see the Sun as a physical body and as a result, we perceive its light and warmth. That is why we say that the Sun is real for us. Thus we call “real” anything that we can feel, think, and speak about. It is unusual for someone to accept something which is only thinkable as real. Not that it is unusual, but people are simply not aware that thoughts create forms in the same way as feelings and actions do. Forms can be physical as well as mental and emotional— corresponding to the respective worlds and distinguished by their different density of matter. Physical forms are the densest, emotional are less dense, and mental are the least dense. To a clairvoyant the mental and emotional forms are as real as the physical ones. To a seer, life is uninterrupted and wholesome in all its forms and manifestations. But to those who do not see clearly, life seems to be interrupted and consists, as they say, of different phases or ages, which have no points of contact. They will tell you that what was in youth was quite different from adulthood, and disparate from old age. Actually, life is wholesome and uninterrupted. As a child you depend on your mother’s care, as a grown-up you separate from your parents, and finally, when you become an adult, you live entirely on your own. However, these are different phases of one process that is in progress. As long as the apple is green, it is on the branch of the apple tree; but after ripening, it falls on the ground and will eventually become food for some person, for a bird, or for an animal. If a maiden’s soft, caressing hands take it from the ground, the apple will be happy. But when it goes among the girl’s strong, hard teeth, the apple will wonder at the change: how it is possible for someone with such soft hands to have such hard teeth at one and the same time. As spiritual students, you are required to obtain a clear idea of how all is arranged, and you should apply your knowledge and abilities as methods for self-improvement. With this consideration, you should not be puzzled why a girl may have soft hands, but hard teeth—just put every single thing in its place. When someone is in prison, sentenced to death, his younger sister needs to go to the ruler (pasha—in Turkish) who has passed the sentence and appeal for her brother’s liberation. Which method is advisable in this case: the soft hands or the hard teeth? Definitely the soft hands are better. If the young woman wants to appeal for her brother’s life, she should be wise enough to apply the softest and kindest attitude toward the person in charge. If the ruler appreciates her kind and tender approach, he may pardon her brother. But if the sister uses the other method—the method of hard teeth, instead of attaining a pardon for her brother, she will quicken his death. So it is much better to apply a soft and tender approach toward someone who has a heart of stone. In conclusion, the above forces are equal, but acting in opposite directions. What will happen to a body, which is exposed to the effect of two equal, but opposite forces: the heart of stone and the kind attitude? The answer is that this body will remain
immobile. In other words, the young woman’s brother will remain alive and healthy as the sentence will not be applied to him. Every young woman who succeeds to release her brother from prison is beautiful and wise; in other words, she has knowledge and power to apply her methods. Beauty represents Truth in the human being. The ruler cannot withstand the young woman’s knowledge, power, and Truth; that is why he yields. The woman touches softly his heart of stone and as a result, he discharges her brother. No one can resist Truth. Love is where Truth is. Where Love reigns, there the relationships are as they should be. Where there is Love, the exchange between two beings is genuine and harmonious: they both give and both receive. When one gives, the other pays in return. The first, for example, is a merchant who offers high quality goods; the other is a buyer who pays for the purchases regularly and generously. The roles then switch: the first buys and the second sells. Therefore, to be able to maintain good relationships, you should pay off your old bills and correct your past mistakes. The old is like a thorn in your foot. It is small, but nevertheless, you need a needle to pick it out. You need to gather your courage and probe with the needle until the torn is removed. If you do not do this, you need to wait for about ten days so that the thorn may soften and go out by itself. Regardless of which way you prefer: with or without the needle, the thorn must come out. People of today are afraid to strike their inner balance. For example, someone has a negative opinion of his neighbor, but he is afraid to find out why. It is awful to keep negative thoughts about anyone in your mind. Moreover, you should consider the objectivity of your opinion: is it based on real facts or not? If the untrue views accumulate in your consciousness, they are going to bring you adversity and suffering. Negative thoughts will make you nervous and indisposed. To avoid negative thinking, you should make efforts toward your selfimprovement, and learn from experience. How do you understand the words “self-improvement”? It means unassisted nourishment. On the path of self-improvement you need to try many ways in order to find out the method which is appropriate for you. This way you will work out right feelings and thoughts, which will create your own experience. Thoughts, which are attained through personal experience, are genuinely precious. For example, you realize that to become a scientist one must apply persistence and diligence; to become a singer, one needs a properly developed larynx, love for singing, and a good teacher. To be truly beautiful, one must be in touch with lovely images and inspiring people. To become smart, one needs to be in connection with the thoughts of Sublime Beings. To attain Great Love, one needs to come into communion with God. Divine Love is received through the crown chakra at the upper part of the head. On the other hand, physical love passes through the back side of the head. In general, each brain center is related to certain
forces of Nature. When you know this, you should be careful to avoid unconscious touching of the different parts and centers on your head. If you act on some center needlessly, you can cause yourself great harm. But if you treat a given spot on your head with knowledge when necessary, you can improve your health. This knowledge can be used for self-improvement. As spiritual students, you need to consider the sacredness of your body. Each time you treat it, you should remember, that it is a part of the Great Cosmos. Therefore, it is through your body that you have a relationship with the Cosmos. That is why every disharmony caused somewhere in your body introduces a discord in the entire Cosmos. For this reason, it is better sometimes not to touch certain body centers, because unintentionally you could produce a whole “explosion” in yourself. Only the initiated know when and how to treat their body centers properly. The control of body language will help you to avoid such unconscious inner “explosions.” So, it is good to avoid any unaware and chaotic movements and to strive for conscious and thoughtful ones. In this respect, self-improvement is achieved through conscious living. Self-improvement implies to make your movements conscious and give way to your inner wisdom. Let’s say you are observing a young woman making some movements under an apple tree. If she bends down and then straightens up without doing any useful work, you will say that her movements are not conscious and meaningful. But if with each movement, she picks apples and places them in a basket, her movements are conscious and they are also approved by the apple tree. Even when the young woman eats some of the apples, the apple tree does not regret it. The apples would be sorry only if the woman eats them with the seeds, as they are bearing new life. The apples expect their seeds to be sown and to grow up again. Good relationships with plants and animals are a sign for good relationships also with people and God. Only in this way are favorable conditions created for the manifestation and further development of the good that is invested in human beings. As soldiers exercise physically to become stronger, so every person should exercise in doing good. Exercises and efforts are needed for the development of each body center and personal ability. A person may have one or another physical make-up, but by conscious work and self-improvement, the negative features and planetary aspects can be overcome, while the positive ones are strengthened. The crabapple can be grafted in such a way as to bear good fruit. Similarly, the mindful person can be grafted with what is good and valuable. Many say that their living conditions are bad; that they cannot manifest their goodness, and so on. These are only mental beliefs typical for an ignorant person. Whoever is knowledgeable is also responsible to keep on working, practicing, applying, and gradually improving the self. It is not easy, but neither it is impossible. Through intensive conscious
practice you can overcome your weaknesses and strengthen your innate good. It is hard to tame an elephant, but it is not impossible. Things can get scary when it gets angry. When this happens, the trainer pushes the elephant to the ground and rolls it over a few times. Getting up, the elephant will become as meek as a lamb. Sentient Nature treats humans in the same way. While someone is standing upright on his legs, he is brave and decisive. But when he is thrown on the ground and rolled over and over, he gets tamed and humbled. Thus Life serves Nature. When someone is headstrong and stubborn, Life pushes him down on the ground and rolls him over few times. When this person gets up, he has already learned a lesson and he would probably think before getting angry again. Thus, Nature applies the same methods to stubborn, headstrong, and unruly people as to animals. Even the most vicious dog can be tamed, if caught and twirled around and around by its tail. However, Sentient Nature can apply on people some other methods as well. She can display her own advanced methods to them and leave them to self-improve. Those who apply her methods will have good results. There are specific methods for the development of any living species—fishes, birds, mammals, and so on. Similarly, there are specific methods of education and selfimprovement for everyone—either learned or ignorant. As a whole, if someone wants to apply proper methods of self-improvement, he needs to apply the methods of sages and saints, who have drawn their knowledge from Sentient Nature. Observe their life and see their routines: how they go to bed and get up, how they wash themselves and dress, how they pray and work. By improving yourself you can change your old ways of living and enter a new life, where things are set right. Someone gets angry and thinks that the appropriate way to change oneself and others is by showing power and control. In fact, nothing can be achieved through anger and violence. There is only one kind of anger that could be helpful: only if and when it comes from the Power of the Divine Source. If the Divine is not taking part in your actions, you will easily fail. A man was walking through the forest when a big bear appeared in the distance. He took a thick stick and said angrily, “May it dare come to me!” However, the bear was approaching slowly and calmly toward him. When he saw this, he threw the stick aside and quickly climbed the nearby tree. What did he do with his anger? First he did get angry with the bear and took a stick to stand against it, but then he quickly changed his mind and backed up. Certainly, you have some reason to be cross and angry with a bear coming toward you, but if you decide to fight it, you should comply with your decision. Therefore, if you have a certain thought, which you can use against evil, do not throw it aside, but make use of it. Because if you throw it aside, it shows that you are a weak person. Always sustain the view that what is invested in you is meaningful, that Life is meaningful, and that you can use the methods of Nature for your self-
improvement. The shortage of true knowledge should not bother you, but if you do not work to acquire it—that is what cannot be excused. All people suffer, because they do not utilize the conditions they have. You may say, “But we make errors.” It is not an excuse either. If you have errors, you need to correct them. The Scriptures say that you will give account for every empty word. 1 Every empty word is a debt which you must pay together with interest. If you have collected a debt in the morning, review your accounts during the day, and arrange everything so that when the night comes, it will find you with paid debts, without any due interest. The unpaid debts are nothing else but the karma that everyone is afraid of. That one who does not pay his debts will fall under Karmic Law, or in other words, under unfavorable limiting conditions. Under these conditions he will complain of his destiny, get discouraged, and will not be able to develop properly. As students of the Sublime Life, you need to exclude the word “discouragement.” You should know that even under the most difficult circumstances you can evolve spiritually. The human being is changeable in body, yet steadfast and stable in spirit. Give priority to the Spirit in you in order to avoid mistakes. Ceasing to transgress, the wrongdoer extends his life. Vice versa, if a righteous person begins to transgress, his life is shortened. Do not think that you are king’s sons who have come to Earth for pleasure. You all need to work for yourselves and for your fellowmen. Work is one of the important methods for self-improvement. If you do not work willingly, you will be ordered to do it, but then you will get different results. True work implies working out of Love and without any force. If you work in this way, you will rejoice at the results achieved. If someone works without Love, the results will be a disaster. Whoever studies with Love rejoices in success. Only such a person can become learned. Apply Love as a method for your self-improvement and you can develop even the smallest of gifts imparted to you. Love excludes any kind of discouragement. No matter how many times you may fall down, you will stand up again. No matter that you have lost your property or your health, you can gain it anew. The person of Love does not lose anything. A person can lose something temporarily, but then he is going to regain it. There are only gains and achievements in Love. As spiritual students, hold an optimistic view of life. Whatever befalls you, accept it with joy. Address your difficulties consciously to be able to discover precious gifts hidden in them. Every trial and sorrow will bring you certain blessings. Use the blessings, which joys and sorrows bring to your life. See the manifestations of Great Divine Love, Wisdom, and Truth in all that is. This is the right method to apply for your self-improvement.
____________________ 1. See also Ephesians 5:6, “Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God's wrath comes on those who are disobedient.”
Only Revealed Divine Love, Wisdom, and Truth will bring full and abundant life.
Lecture held by the Master Beinsa Douno to the Youth Esoteric Class, February 6, 1931, Sofia, Izgrev.
Biographic Information of the Master Beinsa Douno— Dates and Events 1864: Peter Konstantinov Deunov was born on the 11 th of July (29th of
June by the Julian calendar—Saint Peter’s day) in the village of Hadurcha (present day Nikolaevka), near the Black Sea in the district of Varna. He was the third child in the family of the Orthodox priest Konstantin Deunovski and Dobra Georgieva. 1872: Peter Deunov entered the Elementary school in Nikolaevka. 1878-1883: He studied and obtained his secondary degree in the male school in Varna. 1886: Peter Deunov graduated from the American Theological School in Svishtov. 1887–1888: He was a teacher in the village of Hotantsa, Ruse district. August 1888: Peter Deunov left for the United States and enrolled at Drew Theological Methodist Seminary in Madison, New Jersey. October 15, 1890: He finishes a preparatory course in theology at Drew Seminary, Madison, New Jersey. 1891–1893: Peter Deunov attended the Faculty of Theology in the University of Boston as a full time student. He graduated on June 7, 1893 with the graduation thesis “The Migration of the Teutonic Tribes and their Conversion to Christianity.” February 3, 1894: He completed a one year course in Medicine at the University of Boston. 1895–1900: Peter Deunov returned to Bulgaria, but refused to become a Methodist preacher or an Orthodox priest in Varna. He spent time in seclusion and meditation, in prayer and profound inner work. 1896: He published the book “Science and Educatio” , in which he analyzed the human path in the world drama and the coming of a new Culture. 1897: On March 7, at the age of 33, in the village of Tetovo, Russe district, Peter Deunov had a mystical experience that divulged his spiritual mission together with his spiritual name Beinsa Douno. The same year he published his mystic booklet Hio-Eli-Meli-Mesail. This year was the turning point in his life—the beginning of his work as a spiritual Teacher. 1898: The Master gave the talk “An Appeal to My People— Bulgarian Sons of the Slavonic Family ” before the members of the Charitable Society “Mother” in Varna as a message for social and spiritual self-determination. 1899: Peter Deunov wrote “The Ten Testimonials of the Lord” and “God’s Promise.”
1900: The Master summoned his first three disciples: Penyo Kirov,
Todor Stoimenov and Dr Georgi Mirkovich to a meeting in Varna in July. It was the First Gathering of the Brotherhood of Light which he called meeting of the Chain. 1900-1942: Annual gatherings were held, usually in August at different places: Varna (1900-1908), Veliko Tarnovo (1909-1925), Sofia (19261941), and in the Rila Mountains and Vitosha Mountain. 1901-1912: The Master traveled across Bulgaria holding lectures and performing phrenological research and study of the Bulgarian character. 1904: He settled in Sofia, at 66 Opalchenska Street, where he began to deliver his Word there in the form of talks. 1912: Beinsa Douno worked on the Bible in the village of Arbanasi, near Veliko Tarnovo and completed “The Testament of the Color Rays of Light” which was published in September the same year. 1914: He began to give regular Sunday lectures to the general public in Sofia. These lectures were recorded in short-hand by his stenographer disciples. Later they were decoded, edited and published in the series of lectures “Power and Life”, which presented the fundamental principles of the New Teaching. 1917-1932: Beinsa Douno held special spiritual course for married women in Sofia. 1917-1918: During the First World War he was interned in Varna under the pretext that his teaching was weakening the spirit of the soldiers at the front. The followers of the New Teaching increased after the war and reached approximately forty thousand people in the late 1930s. February 24, 1922: A School of the Universal Brotherhood of Light was opened in Sofia with two classes for spiritual students: a General Esoteric Class and a Special (Youth) Esoteric Class. The Master delivered his lectures before the two classes twice a week in the course of 22 years until December 1944. 1927: A settlement called Izgrev (Sunrise) was established near Sofia (today a residential area of the city) as an intentional spiritual center for Beinsa Douno’s followers. He settled permanently at Izgrev , where he lectured on various subjects in a specially built hall. 1929: The first summer camp was carried out at the Seven Lakes in the Rila Mountains. The gatherings at Rila Spiritual School became a tradition for the followers from Bulgaria and abroad. Nowadays they take place every year in August with thousands of participants. September 21, 1930: The Master began new series of his Teaching called the Sunday Morning lectures which continued up to April 1944. 1934: He presented Paneurhythmy (Universal Cosmic Rhythm) —series of the first 28 exercises containing music, lyrics, and movements . Later on he added the exercises: “The Rays of the Sun” and “The Pentagram”. The Paneurhythmy was finally completed in 1942.
1944: Beinsa Douno with a group of disciples spent the hardest months
during the Second World War (January 11, 1944– October 19, 1944) in the village of Marchaevo, near Sofia, in the house of Temelko Gyorev. This house was preserved and nowadays it functions as a museum. December 20, 1944: The Master delivered his lecture “The Last Word” to the General Esoteric Class. December 27, 1944: The Master ended his earthly path in Sofia. By the ordinance of a special permission he was laid to rest in the Izgrev quarter. This sacred place was turned into a beautiful garden, which is open to the public daily. The Master Beinsa Douno left an invaluable spiritual heritage in his numerous talks and lectures, prayers, formulas, songs, physical and breathing exercises, spiritual methods and practices for group work, self-development and conscious living.
Explanatory Note The Generic “Man”
In previous publications the following sentence: “Man—a term used to denote an individual (male or female) of the human race” was included to explain the use of this word throughout. However, recent comments on the sexist language led to the decision to elaborate much more on the subject of the use of the generic “man,” “he,” and “his” in this book. In the Bulgarian language, there are different words for a human being (both female and male) chovek on the one hand, for a zhena on the other. When Peter Deunov male muzh and for a female became the enlightened spiritual Teacher Beinsa Douno and spoke the Word of Wisdom, he often used chovek to address any human being; and because this word is in the masculine form, it led to the use of toj (he) throughout his lectures in case of substitutions. However, in English the word “man” is used with both meanings: as a generic term for Homo sapiens and as a term denoting an adult male person. This has led to many controversial discussions regarding how to avoid the use of a word which could be considered sexist by some readers. Our purpose is to keep the language as close as possible to the original, but at the same time to make clear what is the exact meaning in order to avoid confusion. In Garner’s Modern American Usage , University Press, Oxford, 2003, Bryan A. Garner writes on page 717, “But does avoiding sexism mean resorting to awkward devices such as he/she? Surely not, because that too would distract many readers. What you should strive for instead if you want readers to focus on your ideas and not on the political subtext is a style that does not even hint at the issue.” And further on: “The traditional approach has been to use the masculine pronouns he and him to cover all people, male and female alike.” In a similar line of thinking, we decided to include this note as an explanation in the hope that the readers will focus on the meaning and depth of the Message brought by the Master Beinsa Douno, rather than being distracted by the form of some words. We replaced in many places, where appropriate, man with person, someone, individual, but this was not always possible to do without changing the meaning of the Word spoken by the Master. Therefore, except where we specifically describe a female person, the generic masculine pronoun is mainly used throughout the book to include both sexes. In a similar manner: “Brothers of Light” refers to Beings of sublime consciousness
and “Brotherhood,” to Fellowship of brothers and sisters in a spiritual community or to people living in a fraternal way in love and harmony.
