Translation from the book: Discípulos y Maestros

WHAT IS THE DISCIPLE

Cherche, pense, combine,analyse-toi toi-même, et sache que le sort ne te donnera que se qui té appartient par droit de conquête intime, selon tes efforts personnels et l'importance de ton dévelopement de Conscience. - K.H

The Disciple is a person who has managed to find the Path of personal Liberation from the chains of life and the chains of worldly passions, thanks to his individual merits,  otherwise this would not be possible.

Discipleship is not reached except after innumerable stumbles and serious experiences, with all of which it has been possible to silence passions, calm emotions and feel possessed of the unknown and ineffable, whose irresistible power fascinates the sincere pilgrim of this world. It is only after mature reflections and strong onslaughts of life that the Path of Liberation and Spiritual Light is discovered. No one comes to it by chance, nor is it possible to deserve it by pay or favoritism.

At the precise moment, we arrive at the Threshold of Mystery and then, overwhelmed by its mysterious influences, we allow ineffable and inextinguishable experiences, motives and desires to spring up in our being, from the recesses of our consciousness, and... the Mystery of Life invites us into its imponderable and majestic bosom. In such a case no one can overcome the circumstances, and has no other recourse than to seek the unknown, to scan the unexplored fields of the mystical, and to feel the marvelous influence of the sublime and eternal.

It is then when, absorbed and contrite, we make a work of faith, and in irrepressible bursts of sincerity, we profess to surrender ourselves to eternal destiny, to the Truth, to the unspeakable that seems to us the only justification of our being, of our existence and of our life.

And that's when amazing events happen in our lives. Evoked by our own sincerity, a being more evolved than us appears, ready to guide our steps through the labyrinth of the mundane and sensory, of the illusory and showy. And here we are reborn, because the action of this Guide helps to transform our existence.

But it is necessary not to be deluded to the point of believing that any vivacious quidam must be such a Guide. More often than not, a charlatan or an impostor stands in our way and promises us wonders, miracles, extraordinary powers, and the imponderable delights of divinity. The foolish or stupid allows himself to be deceived. The sincere student does not!

The Guide or Master is always humble and never makes use of impositions. He cares for his Disciple and promises him nothing but the fruit of his own efforts. As a Master, he gives himself unconditionally to his Disciple and fully fulfills his mission sparing no effort or sacrifice, including his own happiness and intimate encouragement.

Thus comes the time when the Disciple is received by the Master and then begins his career as such. If he is truly sincere, he will study hard and make an effort, because he knows that his development depends solely on himself, since the Master is nothing but a mentor who warns, a beacon who guides, a generous influence that is given without obligation. But it is only in the course of time, which may extend over generations, that the candidate for discipleship becomes accepted as such, and then he can truly be called a disciple. Thanks to his merits and efforts he has managed to cross the Threshold of Mystery.

The true Disciple is easy to recognize, he never wavers, his efforts to overcome are unwavering and he never denies the Master or disregards his warnings, recommendations and teachings.

The "received" disciple may cease to be sincere, and then he does as he pleases. While the true Disciple never ceases to be sincere, he never departs from the dignifying effort and becomes a true shadow of his Master, his emulator. He has learned to sit at the feet of his Master, in all humility and dignity, and prejudice and vanity do not make a dent in him, nor is he deceived by the illusions of the world.

The Disciple who fails in his sincerity and departs from the right path proposed to him by his Master or Guide, is free to behave as he pleases; but, of course, he still has to face the Specter of the Threshold, his own troubled and battered conscience. The true Disciple never comes to face the specter of the Threshold, for his Consciousness is always clean and serene and in an uplifting and uplifting propensity.

To be sincere in all circumstances of life is the fundamental basis of all the activities of the Disciple, who must strive to be a Knight of the Ideal, a person distinguished by his goodness and wisdom, and an unconditional servant of the Universe. This means being a lover of truth and having a generous heart, always ready to show the dignity that nestles in the depths of his being.

Here are some rules you will need to abide by.

"Be sober in your habits. Do nothing excessive. Sleep at least eight hours a day; eat enough but always try to stay a little hungry; Avoid intoxicating liquors, smoking tobacco, or ingesting medications that create toxic conditions in your body. Do not use meat as food as much as possible, and decisively discard enervating drugs, perfumes, and spices. Bathe at least every other day, and do not wear heavy clothing; walk about three or more kilometers daily, in order to sweat; Do exercises of the so-called Swedes, in order to maintain your muscular agility, and keep your mind in alert condition and full intellectual vigor. Strive, in short, to live in harmony with Nature, without ever departing from her dictates and procedures, in the understanding that every excess is harmful, and every departure from the ideal inspiration or dignifying norms is simply denigrating and depressing of one's own personality."

"Above all, seek the maximum satisfaction of your own inner dignity and always try to deserve the highest self-respect. People will later understand him, appreciate him and honor him for his ingenuous purity and dignity. Nothing is as magnanimous as internal dignity, which also develops a powerful personal magnetism, makes us sympathetic and the object of surrendered admiration of all who come into contact with us."

"Always treat women with delicacy and chivalry, whatever the circumstances, because she embodies creative principles that are the complement of masculine virility. Nothing demeans man as much as an unworthy, dishonorable or malignant attitude towards women, since it shows himself to be perverse and felon."

"To be  a Knight or Dame is the duty of every human being, which means to distinguish oneself in delicacy of soul and moral elevation. Anyone who does not meet these conditions is not a cultured person nor does he deserve to be described as decent, and therefore has no right to claim spiritual qualities, virtues, faculties or powers. Spirituality is lived culture."

"Use all your delicacy towards children and always in a desire for culture; the qualities of the child and the whole delicate and intricate mechanism of its constitution in formation must be cultivated."

"Cleaning the home is as important as morals and spirituality. A dirty and disorderly home or environment fatally influences our morals, which become unworthy, perverse and despicable, and in this way we fall into confusions, discouragements and evils that have a traumatizing effect on the Spirit or intimate being. Dress well, or at least cleanly. Economic poverty must never translate into moral turpitude or spiritual poverty. Each one must strive to actualize his or her best desires, that is, to live what he seeks or desires."

"If one is insulted, one must forget such infamy. The strongest is the one who resists and endures the most; the most clumsy and brutish is that which resorts to ignominy and force. A greater perverse person is one who responds to the perversion of others with hatred, persecution, defamation or contempt. Let the Disciple learn to sublimate the forces of life. Behave as superior, not as equal or inferior to negative, destroying, or creeping forces."

"Whoever speaks ill of someone outside his presence is a cynic and perverse, a gossip and unworthy; he is not a knight or a lady, nor a Disciple of a Master of Wisdom."

"Be a sincere student, because no one perfects themselves right away or simply by longing for it. On the contrary, it is necessary to make a great deal of progressive effort, and to strive to live gradually the great teachings of the Masters of Wisdom. Live with method and without ceasing in your efforts and aspirations for self-improvement."

"Respect all other people's beliefs, even if they are contrary to your best feelings and conscience. Do not forget that every creed or attitude is the reflection or consequence of conditions of Consciousness, and that in the consciousness of others no one can command, unless people become deluded or mere rams handled by some quidam or improvised master."

"Do not forget that the human being is the Temple of God, and that he must worship the beautiful, the good and the truth wherever they are found."

"Finally, fulfill your duties as a household and as a citizen, and you will be great."

***

A bad and unworthy disciple is a cruel and tragic spectacle, inasmuch as it is a living representation of disloyalty to the Master and of infidelity to the Universal Principles. There is nothing sadder and more desolate than a Disciple who defects. Their destiny becomes morbid and creepy, as it actualizes and expresses a consciousness that allows itself to be imprisoned by the mundane. And this can happen even when the awakening of the Consciousness has been achieved, or higher stages of spirituality have been reached. This does not indicate a fall, but simply a tremendous mistake, like that of the traveler who moves away from his Guide (the Master) to enter dangerous terrain (worldly life), following his own procedures (vanity, prejudices, selfish reasoning, false perceptions, despicable emotions, uncontrolled nervousness, unbridled mind, vices, pride, etc., etc.,). The result, naturally, becomes the dulling of the inner faculties, the volitional castration, the clouding of the Consciousness, and the self-ostracism of the domains of the Spirit.

This is what has been tried to expose to the public in the form of a novel, by Lord Bulwer Lytton, in the entitled work "Zanoni". We strongly recommend reading this book to all aspirants to the Path of Truth, who are received as Disciples, and even to those who have achieved initiatory successes of any degree, for it accurately presents the dangers that Disciples run in straying from the Path.

Entering into Discipleship is a responsibility that the human being imposes on himself, with the purpose of self-enlightenment, perfection and striving to reach the higher stages of life, through his own commitment and effort, dynamism, knowledge and divinization.

The Master does not impose creeds or rules of conduct, and only asks that each Disciple adhere, spontaneously and consciously, to the rules already formulated. Hence, if the Disciple fails in his inner commitments, he alone is responsible. But he will always find a Universal Genius, the best friend, a being superior to his own parents, when he turns his consciousness back to the Master. The bonds between Disciple and Master are indissoluble and weaken only when the former departs from the Path in favor of clumsy, vain, and vicious conduct. If the Disciple wants to return to the true Path, he has only to resort to Meditation and to the intimate consortium with his own inner forces, until he achieves his rehabilitation of Consciousness.

When the Disciple fails, he loses the confidence and affection of the Master, because he shirkes his moral responsibilities and turns away from the Path, and it is natural that the Disciple should leave him at ease to try the medicine of his own evil, which he himself seeks. As long as the Disciple remains on the right Path, his realizations of Consciousness are sublime and exalting, and he has the constant protection of the Universal Word, because he acts in the aura of the Master, and the Master continually makes him the object of his gifts, sublimating attentions, and dignifying teachings. But no one should believe that by the simple fact of being a Disciple, the Master is obliged to take charge of his life, his worries and problems, and even his baseness and vices, or that a simple pardon from the Master must be enough for the Disciple to continue free and happy with his defects, clumsiness, prejudices and selfishness.

If the Disciple strays from the Path, he should not try to justify himself, for the more he insists on them, the worse his situation of Consciousness worsens, since he mentally deceives himself and refuses to take responsibility for his own mistakes and blunders. This will not prevent him from suffering the consequences, by the way, which are multiplied by the very fact of his stubborn resistance against the inevitable: Karma is the natural and logical, and therefore impossible to avoid, result of our own thoughts, feelings and actions. As much as we want to avoid Karma, we chain ourselves to it in increasing proportion to the extent that we become obfuscated trying to apologize.

As long as the Disciple allows himself to be bribed by his own vanity and shackled by his clumsy egotisms, he will be unworthy, and he will do well not to refer his faults to his Master or to anyone, for he will become even more unworthy. But one always returns, sooner or later, to the Master, because He incarnates the Universal Word.