Plane-to-Plane Memorandum | |
| To: | My Beloved Students |
|---|---|
| From: | Master Djwhal Khul |
Subject: | January 2009 Lesson |
| Date: | December 29, 2008 |
Beloved Students:
Welcome to 2009! For some of you, this transition point has seemed to be long in coming. Indeed, since we actually entered the energy field of 2009 in mid-September, 2008, the fact that we have actually brought the energetic experience in line with the Gregorian calendar is probably no small feat! I do hope each of you is feeling this shift, but perhaps in a less tumultuous way than you felt it in the closing months of 2008!
Congratulations are in order for some of you – particularly those of you who have been struggling with physical ailments of various types. As you have likely noticed, burning karma through the physical body can be a tricky process. I am, however, happy to note that there actually has been some serious corner-turning for a number of you, physical challenges notwithstanding. This bodes very well for your progress in 2009 ~ both along your individual paths and the shared spiritual path with your spiritual family. I suspect it also bodes well for the collective planetary path, although we must be patient with just how such unfolds this year.
I do hope that many of you are learning in consistently deeper and deeper ways to see your own path un-folding within the path of Earth, as well as being able to see Earth’s path unfolding in and through your own paths. While this is an area that can generally use all the clarity you (and others) can muster, I think it will be particularly true for the course of 2009. In fact, I would set forth as a general prescription for 2009 that each of you spend some time at least weekly (daily when you can) to specifically observe the points of overlap between your personal path and that of the Earth. Continue to invoke: “Let the truth come forth!,” and give the whole matter the observation and concerted effort that the planet now needs from you and deserves.
While our topic for focus this January is that of spiritual leadership for the future of Earth, I am hopeful that each of you will be able to hold 2009 as another intense Year of Service to the planet. While the process for 2009 will not look exactly like it did in 2007, your planetary service is nonetheless exceedingly important in the year at hand. It would be exceedingly supportive for Earth if you would reflect over some of the exercises and practices you did in 2007. This year, however, it should be much easier to see the global impact of the events and circumstances that have arisen (and will continue to arise) for purification and transcendence.
Much of our work this year will center around the theme of balance. Clearly, the global afflictions now coming forth have resulted from chronically and severely imbalanced practices and relational issues of varying types. Thus, as our collective service to Earth, we will be exploring several of these areas with a shared goal of easing suffering (i.e., dissolving karma) at both the personal and collective levels of experience on Earth.
The energetic foundation for our collaborative spiritual service in 2009 has been laid throughout the holiday season of 2008. Many of you may have noticed in your own cities that charity work during the past couple of months has been exceptionally beautiful. In truth, all charity work is beautiful, but what has been demonstrated these past few months is a new level in the shared energy of bodhichitta, which is truly radiant and gives credence to the proposition that all beings are pure and radiant at their core.
While this may not be as easily discernable from your side of the equation, from the side of the spiritual plane, it is quite evident, and is greeted with respect and gratitude. Suffice it to say that a new radiance is arising from the work of institutional charities in 2008. Some of you have felt or observed this new collective level of bodhichitta. For those of you who have not as yet seen it, please look for it and when you do experience it, help others to see it as well. Then, celebrate this occurrence that it may be truly anchored into the Earth path from here forward.
In “setting the field” for our 2009 work, I would like to encourage you to remain open-minded. This will be a remarkable year for distilling truths and gems of wisdom from unsuspected sources. This is not the year for thinking your old (perhaps simplistic) paradigms will continue to serve you well. To the aspirant who is truly open, amazing gifts of truth and wisdom may come from sources you have previously discounted. To demonstrate what I am addressing here, I would like to use what may seem an unlikely, even incongruent, source for some spiritual wisdom this month.
Should you look into the code for the U.S. Army, you will discover that this division of the armed services has basically seven core values that it seeks to communicate profoundly to those who serve within it. While offered in varying terminology and in multiple situations, the central values are basically only seven, and you may be surprised to see just how apropos they are for spiritual aspirants.
The first, and certainly one of the most important, is what the army calls selfless service. In describing this notion, such phrases as “Always places needs of others before those of self” are common. What a wonderful statement of bodhichitta! From a spiritual perspective, this core value is foundational to the teachings of the Buddha, Jesus and the great Hindu masters. While it may sometimes be tricky to accurately ascertain just what is in the best interest of another, still, such should be the basis for establishing a field of goodness in which to live, love and serve.
Another of the Army’s core values is courage. In Army terminology, this means showing up and doing what needs to be done – even when one is scared or may be facing grave and difficult situations. As those of you who have been developing spiritually for any length of time knows, courage in just such terms is part of spiritual maturation. Facing your own karma emerging with integrity demands just such courage
This notion of maintaining integrity flows into a third army value: trustworthiness. With regard to this core principle, you will undoubtedly find within Army vernacular descriptors such as “impeccable moral and ethical standards.” Now while some of you may recoil at the thought of allowing any human institution to set ethical standards for you, the risk here is that in rejecting standards from some institution, you end up with none at all. In the final analysis, morality is essential for transformation – even the Army knows this!
Another Army value is dedication. Army recruits are trained to put the mission first, doing anything and everything to accomplish it. What an amazing world this might be if spiritual aspirants could face their enlightenment with such dedication, vowing to use every resource at their disposal to accomplish the goal!
Yet another Army core principle is that of loyalty. Now it is obvious, of course, that for an orchestrated carrying-out of any mission that involves hundreds, perhaps thousands of people, loyalty is critical – even when a person in command gives an order with which a lesser ranked troop disagrees. While the spiritual path is clearly not always analogous to military engagement, you might note that Christianity, at least, has seen it generally analogous. Hence, the popularity of such songs as “Onward Christian Soldiers.” Whether or not the analogy holds at all levels, the truth is that more young soldiers hold “unquestioning loyalty” toward their higher-ranked than do most spiritual aspirants for their Teachers. While a soldier might die for what his/her officer says, few spiritual aspirants today would die for what their Teacher(s) say.
This brings us to the next core value of the Army – discipline. Of course, most of you know that “impeccable moral and ethical standards” simply cannot exist without discipline. While the Army is very clear on the issue of discipline, most spiritual aspirants are less clear on the matter when it comes to living impeccably. Of course, in the Army, someone is always watching, and thus indiscretions of discipline are noted and corrected. In the personal journey, however, most people are willing to suffer the moments of indiscretion rather than call themselves to impeccable standards. Here it might be helpful to note that “discipline” and “disciple” (a notably spiritual word) share the same derivation.
The final Army value that is critically important to the institution is that of teamwork. When on a battlefield, it is relatively easy to see that no single person is the proverbial “island,” with rules and conditions sacrosanct to him/herself. In fact, when reading military hi-story, or military strategy, one often encounters the work “phalanx,” in reference to the movement of a number of troops to a particular site in a strategic operation. Yet the word itself means “finger bone.” In other words, an operation that may involve thousands of soldiers is called a “finger” in military terminology, with the emphasis being on the single unit rather than the many persons. While the Army might call this “teamwork,” I call it “operating from the WE,” and I heartily recommend it for impeccability in Earth service.
Of course, all these “Army values” are essential elements of leadership, as well. Thus, please join me this month in our lecture Spiritual Leadership of the Future, and let’s get on with raising the leaders for Earth’s future days. I wish each of you well, and I celebrate every spiritual accomplishment in the creation of a new world order.
Your loving teacher,
Djwhal Khul
Copyright 2009, Vajra Flame Foundation, Ltd.
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