– Could you please tell me more about that notion of the Masters putting a disciple to the test during his spiritual evolution. If the Master is all love, why should He have to test his disciple sometimes even very sorely? Theophile the Younger asks.
– Two aspects of our spiritual path may be highlighted: the individual’s evolution is strongly accelerated, as is his or her individual karma, Theophile the Elder answers. Our Masters do their best to guide the disciples, and to clean their karma and their samskaras as the disciples are developing. They are very enthusiastic and ready to spurt further (ad infinitum) that evolution, but they must take into account the human beings’ capacities. An ill–timed advancement of the being might counteract and stop any progress, let alone ruin it. Dosing out has to be done skillfully. Putting them to the test is a way for them to check on the persons’ state, on their maturity and their capacity to move forward. For that, they have all the worldly time they want, but human life is very short. Such advancement can rarely happen in a lifetime, which is much too short. That is the reason why so many lives are at their disposal, which is more relevant. You must have noted that one is unaware of the bigger obstacles. They are structurally deep–set within the person who is absolutely unable to make them out and even less overcome them. Trials are there to help ‘de–stupefy’ the being, to shake it up. The shock is conducive to progress, to transformation. It is an act of love. Testing is necessary, and the Masters, who can access the Divine will, are in charge of it. They are willing to, out of love. Can you understand that for you, it is a blessing, not a punishment? It is only a question of point of view. They only want the aspirants’ and the disciples’ good. Other people suffer the same fate, albeit to a lesser extent. They are like children whose consciousness and possibilities are limited. When a child is five or six years old, he or she can learn how to read and write. The brain is more mature then and the moment to do it has come. It is the same for all the human beings. We cannot accelerate the process. They will mature naturally in the sun and the rain of God. They too have their lot of trials and sufferings, though to a lesser extent. Everything is determined by the Masters of Karma, nothing being left to chance. The patience, the love they have for all and everyone are infinite. Their eyes are constantly focused on God. How could it be otherwise!
– I have got the feeling that it just happens through ‘living’, and that the only thing we can do is to accompany them while they are being put to the test so that they may pass it more easily. We can also offer them the available human and spiritual tools such as meditation and cleaning, Theophile the Younger adds.
– You have just given the key word: “It happens!” Will is not a personal matter here. It only lets the divine will act. Then it is done. The Masters are more spectators than actors. They let the course of evolution flow down harmoniously over each human being. They certainly direct the flow, and whenever possible they take away as many obstacles as they can; yet, sometimes, some of those have to be left for the good of the aspirant. A lesson has to be learnt there, for it has a beneficial effect. There are even times when we are pleased to see the inconvenience arrive, since it means a wonderful opportunity to watch how the Divinity operates. The disciple knows that it is for him a cause for a rapid development and he is delighted. He moves into jubilation as the test is going on, from the moment he catches its significance. The Masters see that the same thing happens for each one of us. There is nothing morbid about it. Religions, generally, have not grasped the meaning of that suffering. They have associated it to sin, to divine punishment and to whatever else.
Ordeals announce a positive step towards God. They should be welcomed, rather than feared and lamented over. They should be received as a gift that is offered to us, received as the blessing they really are. Right now, you can definitely change your vision of it.
Theophile the Elder
An excerpt from Dialogs with Theophile the Elder
Theophile the Younger’s initiation