De schoonheid en de kracht van deze Aanroep liggen in haar eenvoud en in de uitdrukking van bepaalde centrale waarheden – de waarheid van het bestaan van een fundamentele Intelligentie aan Wie we vaag de naam God geven; de waarheid dat achter alle uiterlijke schijn de motiverende kracht van het universum Liefde schuilt; de waarheid dat een grote Individualiteit, door christenen Christus genoemd, naar de aarde kwam en die liefde belichaamde zodat wij haar konden begrijpen; de waarheid dat zowel liefde als intelligentie gevolgen zijn van wat de Wil van God wordt genoemd; en ten slotte de vanzelfsprekende waarheid dat alleen door de mensheid zelf het goddelijke Plan kan worden uitgevoerd.
Deze gehele Aanroep verwijst naar die imminente, overschaduwende en onthullende energievoorraad, de directe oorzaak van alle gebeurtenissen op aarde die wijzen op het tevoorschijn komen van dat wat nieuw en beter is; deze gebeurtenissen demonstreren de vooruitgang van het menselijk bewustzijn naar een groter licht.
Vanuit het punt van Licht in het Denken van God
Strome Licht in het denken van de mensen.
Laat Licht op Aarde nederdalen.
In de eerste strofe wordt het Denken van God aangeduid als een brandpunt van goddelijk licht. Dit verwijst naar de ziel van alle dingen. De term ziel, met als belangrijkste kenmerk verlichting, omvat de menselijke ziel en dat vervolmakende punt van licht dat we beschouwen als de “overschaduwende” ziel van de mensheid. Die ziel brengt licht en verspreidt verlichting. We dienen altijd te onthouden dat licht actieve energie is.
Wanneer we het Denken van God aanroepen en zeggen: “Laat het licht stromen in het denken van de mensen, laat het Licht op aarde nederdalen “, verwoorden we een van de grootste behoeften van de mensheid en – als aanroeping en gebed überhaupt iets betekenen – is het antwoord zeker. Het feit dat mensen in elke tijd en elke situatie de drang hebben gevoeld om hulp te vragen aan het onzichtbare Geestelijke Centrum, is een zeker teken dat zo’n centrum bestaat. Aanroeping is zo oud als de mensheid zelf.
Christus vertelt ons dat mensen “de duisternis meer liefhebben dan het licht, omdat hun daden slecht zijn”. Niettemin is een van de grote, opkomende schoonheden van deze tijd dat er licht in elke donkere plek geworpen wordt, en dat er niets verborgen is dat niet onthuld zal worden. Mensen erkennen de huidige duisternis en ellende en verwelkomen daarom licht. De verlichting van het menselijk denken, zodat ze de dingen kunnen zien zoals ze zijn, juiste motieven kunnen begrijpen en de manier kunnen vinden om juiste menselijke relaties tot stand te brengen, is nu een grote behoefte. In het licht dat verlichting brengt, zullen we uiteindelijk licht zien, en de dag zal komen dat duizenden mensen en talloze groepen met Hermes en Christus zullen kunnen zeggen: “Ik ben (of wij zijn) het licht van de wereld.”
Vanuit het punt van Liefde in het Hart van God
Strome liefde in de harten van de mensen.
Moge Christus tot de aarde wederkeren.
In de tweede strofe wordt het Hart van God betrokken en het brandpunt van liefde besproken. Dit “hart” van de gemanifesteerde wereld is de geestelijk Hiërarchie – die grote overdragende kracht van liefde aan elke vorm in de goddelijke manifestatie.
Liefde is een energie die de harten van mannen en vrouwen moet bereiken en de mensheid moet doordringen met de kwaliteit van liefdevol begrip; dat is wat tot uiting komt wanneer liefde en intelligentie samenkomen.
Wanneer discipelen werken onder de erkenning van Christus, zal de tijd komen dat Hij zich weer publiekelijk onder de mensen kan bewegen; Hij kan publiekelijk erkend worden en zo Zijn werk doen op zowel de uiterlijke niveaus van het leven als op het innerlijke. Christus zei bij het afscheid van Zijn discipelen:
“Zie, Ik ben met u al de dagen, tot aan de voleinding der wereld.”
Wanneer Christus komt, zal er een grote bloei van Zijn soort bewustzijn zijn; Hij zal de kracht en de kenmerkende energie van intuïtieve liefde in het menselijk rijk vrijmaken. De resultaten van de verspreiding van deze liefdesenergie zullen tweeledig zijn:
Ten eerste zal de actieve energie van liefdevol begrip een enorme reactie oproepen tegen de kracht van haat. Haten, zich afzonderen en uitsluiten zal als de enige zonde worden beschouwd, want men zal erkennen dat alle genoemde zonden, die nu als verkeerd worden beschouwd, slechts voortkomen uit haat of uit het product ervan, het antisociale bewustzijn. Ten tweede zullen talloze mannen en vrouwen in elk land zich in groepen vormen ter bevordering van goede wil en voor de ontwikkeling van juiste menselijke relaties. Hun aantal zal zo groot zijn dat ze van een kleine en relatief onbelangrijke minderheid de grootste en meest invloedrijke kracht ter wereld zullen zijn.
Vanuit het centrum waar Gods Wil gekend wordt
Richte doel de kleine wil der mensen –
Het doel dat de Meesters kennen en dienen
In de derde strofe vinden we een gebed dat de menselijke wil in overeenstemming gebracht kan worden met de goddelijke wil, ook al wordt die misschien niet begrepen. Deze drie regels geven aan dat de mensheid zelf het doel van God nog niet kan vatten, dat aspect van de goddelijke wil dat onmiddellijke uitdrukking zoekt op aarde. Maar aangezien het doel van Gods Wil de menselijke wil probeert te beïnvloeden, wordt het ongetwijfeld in menselijke termen uitgedrukt als goede wil, als een levende vastberadenheid of als een vast voornemen om juiste menselijke verhoudingen tot stand te brengen. De goddelijke wil, zoals die in wezen is, blijft het grote mysterie. Zelfs de Christus Zelf worstelde met het probleem van de goddelijke wil en richtte Zich tot de Vader op het moment dat Hij voor het eerst de omvang en de complexiteit van Zijn missie als wereldverlosser besefte. Hij riep toen luidkeels: “Vader, niet mijn wil, maar de Uwe geschiede.” Die woorden markeerden het opgeven van de middelen waarmee Hij had geprobeerd de mensheid te redden; het gaf Hem aan wat op dat moment een schijnbare mislukking zou kunnen lijken en dat Zijn missie niet was volbracht. Bijna tweeduizend jaar heeft Hij gewacht om die missie tot vervulling te brengen. Hij kan de Hem toegewezen missie niet voortzetten zonder wederkerige actie van de mensheid.
Deze Aanroep is in wezen en op bijzondere wijze Christus’ Eigen Mantra en de “klank ervan is uitgegaan” naar de hele wereld door middel van Zijn uitspreken en door het gebruik ervan door de geestelijke Hiërarchie. Nu moeten de woorden ervan door de hele wereld worden verspreid door middel van het uitspreken door mensen overal ter wereld en moet de betekenis ervan te zijner tijd door de mensheid worden uitgedrukt. Dan kan Christus weer “terugkeren naar de aarde” en “de arbeid van Zijn ziel zien en verzadigd worden”.
Vanuit het centrum dat wij mensheid noemen
Verwezenlijke zich het Plan van Liefde en Licht
En moge het de deur verzegelen waar het kwaad verblijft
In de vierde strofe, na een beroep te hebben gedaan op de drie aspecten of potenties van Denken, Liefde en Wil, zien we een aanwijzing voor de verankering van al deze krachten in de mensheid zelf, “vanuit het centrum dat wij mensheid noemen”. Hier, en alleen hier, kunnen alle drie goddelijke kwaliteiten – in tijd en ruimte – zich uiten en hun vervulling vinden; hier, en alleen hier, kan liefde werkelijk geboren worden, kan intelligentie correct functioneren en kan de Wil van God zijn effectieve wil ten goede tonen. Door de mensheid, alleen en zonder hulp (behalve door de goddelijke geest in ieder mens), kan de “deur waar het kwaad verblijft” worden verzegeld.
De laatste regel van de vierde strofe behoeft wellicht enige uitleg.
Dit is een symbolische manier om het idee uit te drukken dat kwade bedoelingen zowel inactief als ineffectief worden gemaakt. Er is geen specifieke locatie waar het kwaad verblijft; in het boek Openbaring spreekt het Nieuwe Testament over het kwaad en over de vernietiging van de duivel en over het machteloos maken van Satan.
De “deur waar het kwaad verblijft” wordt door de mensheid opengehouden door middel van haar zelfzuchtige verlangens, haar haat en haar afzondering, door haar hebzucht en haar raciale en nationale barrières, haar lage persoonlijke ambities en haar liefde voor macht en wreedheid. Naarmate goede wil en licht in geesten en harten stromen, zullen deze kwade eigenschappen en deze gerichte energieën die de deur van het kwaad openhouden, plaatsmaken voor een verlangen naar juiste menselijke relaties, voor een vastberadenheid om een betere en vreedzamere wereld te creëren en voor een wereldwijde uiting van de wil-ten-goede. Naarmate deze eigenschappen de oude en ongewenste vervangen, zal de deur waar het kwaad verblijft symbolisch langzaam sluiten door het enorme gewicht van de publieke opinie en door juist menselijk verlangen. Niets kan dit tegenhouden.
Zo zal het oorspronkelijke Plan op aarde worden hersteld. Tegelijkertijd zal de deur naar de wereld van de spirituele realiteit voor de mensheid opengaan en zal de deur waar het kwaad woont worden gesloten. Zo wordt door het ‘centrum dat wij het mensenras noemen’ het Plan van Liefde en Licht uitgewerkt en wordt de doodsteek toegebracht aan het kwaad, het egoïsme en de afgescheidenheid, en worden deze voor eeuwig in het graf van de dood verzegeld. Zo zal ook het doel van de Schepper van alle dingen worden vervuld.
Laat Licht en Liefde en Macht het Plan op aarde herstellen.
Het is duidelijk dat de eerste drie strofen of verzen de drie universeel erkende aspecten van het goddelijke leven aanroepen, oproepen of aanspreken – het denken van God, de liefde van God en de wil of het doel van God; de vierde strofe wijst op de relatie van de mensheid met deze drie energieën van intelligentie, liefde en wil, en op de diepe verantwoordelijkheid van de mensheid om de verspreiding van liefde en licht op aarde te implementeren om het Plan te herstellen. Dit Plan roept de mensheid op tot het uiten van Liefde en daagt mannen en vrouwen uit om “hun licht te laten schijnen”. Dan volgt de laatste plechtige eis dat dit “Plan van Liefde en Licht”, dat door het mensenrijk werkt, “de deur mag verzegelen waar het kwaad verblijft”.
De laatste regel bevat dan het idee van herstel, wat de grondtoon voor de toekomst aangeeft, en dat de dag zal komen waarop Gods oorspronkelijke idee en Zijn oorspronkelijke bedoeling niet langer zullen worden gedwarsboomd door menselijke vrije wil en kwaad, puur materialisme en egoïsme; het goddelijke doel zal dan, door de veranderde harten en doelen van de mensheid, worden bereikt.
The Great Invocation if given widespread distribution, can be to the new world religion what the Lord’s Prayer has been to Christianity and the 23rd Psalm has been to the spiritually minded Jew. There are three approaches to this great Prayer or Invocation:
First, the general public will regard it as a prayer to God Transcendent. They will not recognise Him yet as immanent in His creation; they will send it forth on the wings of hope – hope for light and love and peace, for which they ceaselessly long. They will also regard it as a prayer for the enlightenment of all rulers and leaders in all groups who are handling world matters; as a prayer for the inflow of love and understanding among people, so that they may live in peace with one another; as a demand for the working out of the will of God – a will of which they can know nothing and which ever seems to them so inscrutable and so all-inclusive that their normal reaction is patience and a willingness to refrain from questioning; as a prayer for the strengthening of human responsibility in order that the recognised evils of today – which so distress and trouble humanity – may be done away with. They will regard it finally as a prayer that some vague primeval condition of blissful happiness may be restored and all unhappiness and pain disappear from the earth. This is, for them, entirely good and helpful and all that is immediately possible.
Secondly, esotericists, aspirants and spiritually-minded people will have a deeper and more understanding approach. To them it will convey the recognition of the world of causes and of Those Who stand subjectively behind world affairs, the spiritual Directors of our life. They stand ready to strengthen those with true vision, ready to indicate not only the reason for events in the various departments of human living, but also to make those revelations which will enable humanity to move forward out of darkness into light. With this fundamental attitude, the necessity for a widespread expression of these underlying facts will be apparent and an era of spiritual education, engineered by disciples and carried forward by esotericists, will mature. This era began in 1875 when the fact of the existence of the Masters of the Wisdom was proclaimed.
It has been carried forward in spite of misrepresentation, attack upon the concept, and scorn. Recognition of the substantial nature of the available evidence and the appearance of an intuitive response by occult students and many of the intelligentsia throughout the world has been helpful.
A new type of mystic is coming to be recognised; they differ from the mystics of the past by their practical interest in current world affairs and not in religious and church matters only; they are distinguished by their lack of interest in their own personal development, by their ability to see God immanent in all faiths and not just in their own particular brand of religious belief, and also by their capacity to live their lives in the light of the divine Presence. All mystics have been able to do this to a greater or lesser degree, but the modern mystic differs from those in the past in that he [or she] is able clearly to indicate to others the techniques of the Path; they combine both head and heart, intelligence and feeling, plus an intuitive perception, previously lacking. The clear light of the spiritual Hierarchy now illumines the way of modern mystics, and not simply the light of their own souls; this will be increasingly the case.
Thirdly, both of these groups – the general public and the world aspirants in their varying degrees – have among them those who stand out from the general average as possessing a deeper insight and understanding; they occupy a no-man’s-land, intermediate on the one hand between the masses and the esotericists and, on the other, between the esotericists and the Members of the Hierarchy. Forget not, They also use this great Invocation and that not a day goes by that the Christ Himself does not sound it forth.
The use of this Invocation or Prayer and the rising expectancy of the coming of the Christ hold out the greatest hope for humanity today. Great Sons of God have ever come on humanity’s demand and always will, and He for Whom all people wait today is on His way.
The science of invocation is in reality the intelligent organisation of spiritual energy and of the forces of love, and these, when effective, will evoke the response of spiritual Beings Who can work openly among humanity and thus establish a close relation and a constant communication between humanity and the spiritual Hierarchy.It might be said that invocation is of three kinds. There is the massed demand, unconsciously voiced, and the crying appeal, wrung from human hearts in all times of crisis such as the present. This invocative cry rises ceaselessly from all those living in the midst of disaster; it is addressed to that power outside themselves which they feel can and should come to their help in their moment of extremity. This great and wordless invocation is rising everywhere today. Then there is the invocational spirit, evidenced by sincere men and women as they participate in the rites of their religion and take advantage of the opportunity of united worship and prayer to lay their demands for help before God. This group, added to the mass of human beings, creates a great wave of invocative appeal, and at this time their massed intent is in great evidence and their invocation is rising to the Most High. Then, lastly, there are the trained disciples and aspirants of the world who use certain forms of words, certain carefully defined invocations and who – as they do this – focus the invocative cry and the invocative appeal of the other two groups, giving it right direction and power. All these three groups are, consciously and unconsciously, swinging into activity at this time and their united effort guarantees a resultant evocation.
By invocative prayer or aspiration – it matters not what word is used – spiritual energies are tapped and brought into activity, and by clear thinking, directed thought and mental perception, they can be made objects of human desire.
This Invocation is essentially a prayer, synthesising the highest desire, aspiration and spiritual demand of the very soul of humanity itself. It must be used in that way.
When the trained disciple or the aspirant in training uses it, he or she will assume the attitude of meditation – that is, an attitude of concentration, spiritual direction and receptivity. Then the disciple will pray and will assume the attitude of meditation (an inner mental attitude and firm assumption), but employ the method of prayer which is a potent means of establishing and maintaining right spiritual and human relations. When in the attitude of meditation and using the implement of prayer (by means of the Invocation), the disciple attains a relationship with the mass of humanity not otherwise possible, implementing their recognised though unvoiced need. The disciple also attains a relationship with the spiritual Hierarchy Who are evoked by mass desire.
A gigantic group meditation is going on in many different phases upon our planet. All the meditating units and the reflective groups are related to each other through unity of spiritual motive; they are seeking closer co-operation and endeavouring to bring their meditation work – consciously or unconsciously – into a state of positive universal quiet, so that the formulation of spiritual desire can be carried successfully forward, and the reception of spiritual energy can be a united reception. A great effort towards alignment is going on through individual prayer, meditation and invocation, which, as it strengthens, can serve all humanity.
Each can aid through the regulation of thought and ideas, through the cultivation of a loving spirit and the use of the Great Invocation through which these spiritual forces and energies – so sorely needed – can be invoked.
Concentrate upon the Invocation from the point of view that it embodies the divine intent and summarises the conclusions of the thinking of God. Concentrate your meditative thinking and your reflective power upon them. Look for the underlying abstract idea in this Invocation. It is there. Use its phrases as “stepping-stones” to certain levels of thought not previously attained.
Humanity invokes divine approach in various ways: by means of the inchoate, voiceless appeal of the masses; and also by the planned, defined invocation of the spiritually oriented aspirant, the intelligently convinced worker.
Little attention has been paid to the factor of invocation as expressed by the people of the world; yet down the ages, the invocative cry of humanity has risen to the spiritual Hierarchy and brought response. Let us illustrate: the spiritual statement by Shri Krishna, to be found in the Lord’s Song, the Bhagavad Gita, was an announcement, preparatory to the coming of the Christ. In that song He says:
“Whenever there is a withering of the Law and an uprising of lawlessness on all sides, then I manifest Myself. For the salvation of the righteous and the destruction of such as do evil, for the firm establishing of the Law, I come to birth in age after age.”
In the lawless and wicked period of the Roman Empire, the Christ came.
Another instance of a notable and most ancient invocation is to be found in the Gayatri where the people invoke the Sun in the words:
“Unveil to us the face of the true spiritual Sun, hidden by a disk of golden light, that we may know the truth and do our whole duty,
as we journey to Thy sacred feet.”
To this we should also add the Four Noble Truths, as enunciated by the Buddha and which are so well known to all of us – summarising as they do the causes and the sources of all the troubles which concern humanity. There are many translations of these truths;
they all convey the same longing and appeal and meaning. During the Jewish Dispensation, there was given a statement as to human conduct in the words of the Ten Commandments; upon these, human law has been based and upon them the laws governing the relationships of people in the West have been founded. Then Christ came and gave to us the fundamental law of the universe, the law of love; He also gave us the Lord’s Prayer with its emphasis upon the Fatherhood of God, the coming of the Kingdom and right human relations.
Today, humanity stands at a peculiar and unique middle point, between an unhappy past and a future which is full of promise if the reappearance of the Christ is recognised and preparation for His coming is undertaken. The present is full of promise and also full of difficulty; in the hands of human beings today and in the immediate future, lies the destiny of the world and – if it may be reverently said – the immediate activity of the Christ. The agony of war, and the distress of the entire human family led Christ, in the year 1945, to come to a great decision – a decision which found expression in two most important statements. He announced to the assembled spiritual Hierarchy and to all His servants and disciples on earth that He had decided to emerge again into physical contact with humanity, if they would bring about the initial stages of establishing right human relations; He gave to the world (for the use of the “man or woman in the street”) one of the oldest prayers ever known, but one which previously had not been permitted to be used except by the most exalted spiritual Beings. He used it Himself for the first time, we are told, at the time of the Full Moon of June, 1945, which is recognised as the Full Moon of the Christ, just as the Full Moon of May is that of the Buddha. It was not easy to translate these ancient phrases (so ancient that they are without date or background of any kind) into modern words, but it has been done, and the Great Invocation may eventually become the world prayer.
So reactionary is human thinking that the claim made that it is one of the greatest of the world’s prayers and on a par with the other voiced expressions of spiritual desire and intention will evoke criticism. That is of no importance. Only a few – a very few – in the early days of Christianity employed the Lord’s Prayer, because it needed recording, expression in understandable terms, and adequate translation before its widespread use became possible. That effort took centuries to accomplish. Today we have all the facilities for rapid distribution and these have all been employed on behalf of this Great Invocation.
These few thoughts may serve to make this Invocation live afresh in your minds and take on a new and vital livingness. It is uniquely related to all true and ancient beliefs. It holds out hope for the future and it is of present import and of practical importance. It is not vague or nebulous. It voices the basic needs of humanity today – the need for light and love, for understanding of the divine will and for the end of evil. It says triumphantly: “Let Light descend on Earth; may Christ return to Earth; let purpose guide the little wills of men; let the Plan . . . seal the door where evil dwells.” It then sums it all up in the clarion words: “Let Light and Love and Power restore the Plan on Earth.” Always the emphasis is laid upon the place of appearance and of manifestation: the Earth.
It voices the basic needs of humanity today – the need for light and love, for understanding of the divine will and for the end of evil.
You will already have noted – as you have studied the Invocation – a close relation between the first stanza and the final one; humanity’s destiny is to be the exponent of the mind of God, thus expressing active intelligence, motivated by love and implemented by will. That time has not yet come, but if human timing is correct and right desire is potent enough, for the first time in human history this destiny can be publicly recognised and people can be swept increasingly and voluntarily into an activity which is particularly their own destiny. That again is one of the primary objectives of the Invocation; its steady use will bring about an inclusive view of spiritual development and impart a synthesis to human thinking which has previously been lacking. As “light shines forth into the minds of men”, the divine Plan will be more widely sensed and the will-to-good will be more widely desired and invoked.
Humanity’s destiny is to be the exponent of the mind of God, thus expressing active intelligence, motivated by love and implemented by will.
This great invocative cry is a threefold cry. It is the cry for light upon the way and light to flow into the dark places of the earth; it is also
a cry for more love in the world as voiced by people of goodwill and of humanitarian attitudes; it is finally, the intuitive appeal of the aspirants and the disciples in the world for the expression of the Will of God. Average instinctual humanity, the men and women of goodwill, and the disciples of the world are all concerned in this invocation, bringing in the attributes of instinct, intelligence and intuition. All are blended in the Great Invocation. Have also constantly in mind this basic fusion, now finding voiced expression, and take courage from the massed approach to the source of all life, love and light. Nothing can withstand the united demand of people everywhere in their graded and serried ranks.The momentous significance of this presentation of a cosmic, planetary and individual alignment exercise, prayer or invocation is that it provides, as a result of its correct use, a spiritual inflow right to the very heart of humanity and from the highest sources.
The uniqueness connected with the Invocation consists in the fact that it is, in reality, a great method of integration. It links the Father, the Christ and humanity in one great relationship. Christ emphasised ever the Fatherhood of God and substituted it in place of the cruel, jealous tribal Jehovah. In the 17th chapter of St. John’s Gospel (which is another of the major spiritual statements of the world), Christ emphasised the relation of the Christ consciousness to the consciousness of Deity Itself. He linked the concept of the Spirit to the fully developed soul-infused human being; and the underlying unity existing between all beings in all forms and the Father.
The Great Invocation relates the will of the Father, the love of the spiritual Hierarchy and the service of Humanity into one great Triangle of Energies. This triangle will have two major results: the “sealing of the door where evil dwells”; and the working out through the power of God, let loose on earth through the Invocation, of the Plan of Love and Light.
The Great Invocation relates the will of the Father, the love of the spiritual Hierarchy and the service of Humanity into one great Triangle of Energies.
This Invocation is also unique in the sense that it invokes all the three divine aspects simultaneously.
No one can use this Invocation or prayer for illumination and for love without causing powerful changes in his or her own attitudes and life intention; character and goals will be changed and life altered and made spiritually useful. “As a man thinketh in his heart so is he” is a basic law in nature; the constant turning of the mind to the need for light and the prospect of illumination cannot and will not be ineffectual.
The spiritual Hierarchy of the planet cares only that humanity, as a whole, avails itself of spiritual opportunity. It is an opportunity which is present today in a more compelling way than ever before. The Great Invocation has been given us at this time of opportunity for our use in co-operation with Those who use it on behalf of humanity.
This Invocation belongs to no one individual or group. It belongs to all humanity. Tens of thousands of people of goodwill throughout the world are using it every day.
The climax to this continuous invocatory appeal is the day of the Full Moon of June. (This is the Full Moon of Gemini sometimes occurring in May. The time of the full moon is recognised throughout the world and is not affected by calendar differences). On this day a simultaneous and worldwide voicing of the Invocation sounds forth as a great outpouring invocative appeal on behalf of all humanity.
The Festival of June, which is so uniquely Christ’s and which emphasises His relationship to humanity, in reality covers three whole days, each with a different keynote:
The word “keynote” has been deliberately chosen and signifies the sound which preceded each major inflow at the May Festival; these energies will be released at a solemn ceremony on each of the three days. At each ceremony the Christ will say the Invocation alone, and then the united Hierarchy will intone the stanza alone, invoking light, love and the will-to-good (one on each of the three days).
The result of this solemn three days of invocation will be followed
by a climaxing day wherein the Hierarchy will unitedly, and led by the Christ, pronounce the entire Invocation, prefacing each stanza with its appropriate keynote, again sounded in unison.
Let Light and Love and Power restore the Plan on Earth.
Most of this text has been compiled and in a few cases adapted from the following books by Alice A. Bailey: Discipleship in the New Age Vol. II, The Rays and the Initiations, The Reappearance of the Christ, Problems of Humanity, The Externalisation of the Hierarchy
The Great Invocation if given widespread distribution, can be to the new world religion what the Lord’s Prayer has been to Christianity and the 23rd Psalm has been to the spiritually minded Jew. There are three approaches to this great Prayer or Invocation:
First, the general public will regard it as a prayer to God Transcendent. They will not recognise Him yet as immanent in His creation; they will send it forth on the wings of hope – hope for light and love and peace, for which they ceaselessly long. They will also regard it as a prayer for the enlightenment of all rulers and leaders in all groups who are handling world matters; as a prayer for the inflow of love and understanding among people, so that they may live in peace with one another; as a demand for the working out of the will of God – a will of which they can know nothing and which ever seems to them so inscrutable and so all-inclusive that their normal reaction is patience and a willingness to refrain from questioning; as a prayer for the strengthening of human responsibility in order that the recognised evils of today – which so distress and trouble humanity – may be done away with. They will regard it finally as a prayer that some vague primeval condition of blissful happiness may be restored and all unhappiness and pain disappear from the earth. This is, for them, entirely good and helpful and all that is immediately possible.
Secondly, esotericists, aspirants and spiritually-minded people will have a deeper and more understanding approach. To them it will convey the recognition of the world of causes and of Those Who stand subjectively behind world affairs, the spiritual Directors of our life. They stand ready to strengthen those with true vision, ready to indicate not only the reason for events in the various departments of human living, but also to make those revelations which will enable humanity to move forward out of darkness into light. With this fundamental attitude, the necessity for a widespread expression of these underlying facts will be apparent and an era of spiritual education, engineered by disciples and carried forward by esotericists, will mature. This era began in 1875 when the fact of the existence of the Masters of the Wisdom was proclaimed. It has been carried forward in spite of misrepresentation, attack upon the concept, and scorn. Recognition of the substantial nature of the available evidence and the appearance of an intuitive response by occult students and many of the intelligentsia throughout the world has been helpful.
A new type of mystic is coming to be recognised; they differ from the mystics of the past by their practical interest in current world affairs and not in religious and church matters only; they are distinguished by their lack of interest in their own personal development, by their ability to see God immanent in all faiths and not just in their own particular brand of religious belief, and also by their capacity to live their lives in the light of the divine Presence. All mystics have been able to do this to a greater or lesser degree, but the modern mystic differs from those in the past in that he [or she] is able clearly to indicate to others the techniques of the Path; they combine both head and heart, intelligence and feeling, plus an intuitive perception, previously lacking. The clear light of the spiritual Hierarchy now illumines the way of modern mystics, and not simply the light of their own souls; this will be increasingly the case.
Thirdly, both of these groups – the general public and the world aspirants in their varying degrees – have among them those who stand out from the general average as possessing a deeper insight and understanding; they occupy a no-man’s-land, intermediate on the one hand between the masses and the esotericists and, on the other, between the esotericists and the Members of the Hierarchy. Forget not, They also use this great Invocation and that not a day goes by that the Christ Himself does not sound it forth.
The use of this Invocation or Prayer and the rising expectancy of the coming of the Christ hold out the greatest hope for humanity today. Great Sons of God have ever come on humanity’s demand and always will, and He for Whom all people wait today is on His way.
The science of invocation is in reality the intelligent organisation of spiritual energy and of the forces of love, and these, when effective, will evoke the response of spiritual Beings Who can work openly among humanity and thus establish a close relation and a constant communication between humanity and the spiritual Hierarchy.It might be said that invocation is of three kinds. There is the massed demand, unconsciously voiced, and the crying appeal, wrung from human hearts in all times of crisis such as the present. This invocative cry rises ceaselessly from all those living in the midst of disaster; it is addressed to that power outside themselves which they feel can and should come to their help in their moment of extremity. This great and wordless invocation is rising everywhere today. Then there is the invocational spirit, evidenced by sincere men and women as they participate in the rites of their religion and take advantage of the opportunity of united worship and prayer to lay their demands for help before God. This group, added to the mass of human beings, creates a great wave of invocative appeal, and at this time their massed intent is in great evidence and their invocation is rising to the Most High. Then, lastly, there are the trained disciples and aspirants of the world who use certain forms of words, certain carefully defined invocations and who – as they do this – focus the invocative cry and the invocative appeal of the other two groups, giving it right direction and power. All these three groups are, consciously and unconsciously, swinging into activity at this time and their united effort guarantees a resultant evocation.
By invocative prayer or aspiration – it matters not what word is used – spiritual energies are tapped and brought into activity, and by clear thinking, directed thought and mental perception, they can be made objects of human desire.
This Invocation is essentially a prayer, synthesising the highest desire, aspiration and spiritual demand of the very soul of humanity itself. It must be used in that way.
When the trained disciple or the aspirant in training uses it, he or she will assume the attitude of meditation – that is, an attitude of concentration, spiritual direction and receptivity. Then the disciple will pray and will assume the attitude of meditation (an inner mental attitude and firm assumption), but employ the method of prayer which is a potent means of establishing and maintaining right spiritual and human relations. When in the attitude of meditation and using the implement of prayer (by means of the Invocation), the disciple attains a relationship with the mass of humanity not otherwise possible, implementing their recognised though unvoiced need. The disciple also attains a relationship with the spiritual Hierarchy Who are evoked by mass desire.
A gigantic group meditation is going on in many different phases upon our planet. All the meditating units and the reflective groups are related to each other through unity of spiritual motive; they are seeking closer co-operation and endeavouring to bring their meditation work – consciously or unconsciously – into a state of positive universal quiet, so that the formulation of spiritual desire can be carried successfully forward, and the reception of spiritual energy can be a united reception. A great effort towards alignment is going on through individual prayer, meditation and invocation, which, as it strengthens, can serve all humanity.
Each can aid through the regulation of thought and ideas, through the cultivation of a loving spirit and the use of the Great Invocation through which these spiritual forces and energies – so sorely needed – can be invoked.
Concentrate upon the Invocation from the point of view that it embodies the divine intent and summarises the conclusions of the thinking of God. Concentrate your meditative thinking and your reflective power upon them. Look for the underlying abstract idea in this Invocation. It is there. Use its phrases as “stepping-stones” to certain levels of thought not previously attained.
Humanity invokes divine approach in various ways: by means of the inchoate, voiceless appeal of the masses; and also by the planned, defined invocation of the spiritually oriented aspirant, the intelligently convinced worker.
Little attention has been paid to the factor of invocation as expressed by the people of the world; yet down the ages, the invocative cry of humanity has risen to the spiritual Hierarchy and brought response. Let us illustrate: the spiritual statement by Shri Krishna, to be found in the Lord’s Song, the Bhagavad Gita, was an announcement, preparatory to the coming of the Christ. In that song He says:
“Whenever there is a withering of the Law and an uprising of lawlessness on all sides, then I manifest Myself. For the salvation of the righteous and the destruction of such as do evil, for the firm establishing of the Law, I come to birth in age after age.”
In the lawless and wicked period of the Roman Empire, the Christ came.
Another instance of a notable and most ancient invocation is to be found in the Gayatri where the people invoke the Sun in the words:
“Unveil to us the face of the true spiritual Sun, hidden by a disk of golden light, that we may know the truth and do our whole duty,
as we journey to Thy sacred feet.”
To this we should also add the Four Noble Truths, as enunciated by the Buddha and which are so well known to all of us – summarising as they do the causes and the sources of all the troubles which concern humanity. There are many translations of these truths;
they all convey the same longing and appeal and meaning. During the Jewish Dispensation, there was given a statement as to human conduct in the words of the Ten Commandments; upon these, human law has been based and upon them the laws governing the relationships of people in the West have been founded. Then Christ came and gave to us the fundamental law of the universe, the law of love; He also gave us the Lord’s Prayer with its emphasis upon the Fatherhood of God, the coming of the Kingdom and right human relations.
Today, humanity stands at a peculiar and unique middle point, between an unhappy past and a future which is full of promise if the reappearance of the Christ is recognised and preparation for His coming is undertaken. The present is full of promise and also full of difficulty; in the hands of human beings today and in the immediate future, lies the destiny of the world and – if it may be reverently said – the immediate activity of the Christ. The agony of war, and the distress of the entire human family led Christ, in the year 1945, to come to a great decision – a decision which found expression in two most important statements. He announced to the assembled spiritual Hierarchy and to all His servants and disciples on earth that He had decided to emerge again into physical contact with humanity, if they would bring about the initial stages of establishing right human relations; He gave to the world (for the use of the “man or woman in the street”) one of the oldest prayers ever known, but one which previously had not been permitted to be used except by the most exalted spiritual Beings. He used it Himself for the first time, we are told, at the time of the Full Moon of June, 1945, which is recognised as the Full Moon of the Christ, just as the Full Moon of May is that of the Buddha. It was not easy to translate these ancient phrases (so ancient that they are without date or background of any kind) into modern words, but it has been done, and the Great Invocation may eventually become the world prayer.
So reactionary is human thinking that the claim made that it is one of the greatest of the world’s prayers and on a par with the other voiced expressions of spiritual desire and intention will evoke criticism. That is of no importance. Only a few – a very few – in the early days of Christianity employed the Lord’s Prayer, because it needed recording, expression in understandable terms, and adequate translation before its widespread use became possible. That effort took centuries to accomplish. Today we have all the facilities for rapid distribution and these have all been employed on behalf of this Great Invocation.
These few thoughts may serve to make this Invocation live afresh in your minds and take on a new and vital livingness. It is uniquely related to all true and ancient beliefs. It holds out hope for the future and it is of present import and of practical importance. It is not vague or nebulous. It voices the basic needs of humanity today – the need for light and love, for understanding of the divine will and for the end of evil. It says triumphantly: “Let Light descend on Earth; may Christ return to Earth; let purpose guide the little wills of men; let the Plan . . . seal the door where evil dwells.” It then sums it all up in the clarion words: “Let Light and Love and Power restore the Plan on Earth.” Always the emphasis is laid upon the place of appearance and of manifestation: the Earth.
It voices the basic needs of humanity today – the need for light and love, for understanding of the divine will and for the end of evil.
You will already have noted – as you have studied the Invocation – a close relation between the first stanza and the final one; humanity’s destiny is to be the exponent of the mind of God, thus expressing active intelligence, motivated by love and implemented by will. That time has not yet come, but if human timing is correct and right desire is potent enough, for the first time in human history this destiny can be publicly recognised and people can be swept increasingly and voluntarily into an activity which is particularly their own destiny. That again is one of the primary objectives of the Invocation; its steady use will bring about an inclusive view of spiritual development and impart a synthesis to human thinking which has previously been lacking. As “light shines forth into the minds of men”, the divine Plan will be more widely sensed and the will-to-good will be more widely desired and invoked.
Humanity’s destiny is to be the exponent of the mind of God, thus expressing active intelligence, motivated by love and implemented by will.
This great invocative cry is a threefold cry. It is the cry for light upon the way and light to flow into the dark places of the earth; it is also
a cry for more love in the world as voiced by people of goodwill and of humanitarian attitudes; it is finally, the intuitive appeal of the aspirants and the disciples in the world for the expression of the Will of God. Average instinctual humanity, the men and women of goodwill, and the disciples of the world are all concerned in this invocation, bringing in the attributes of instinct, intelligence and intuition. All are blended in the Great Invocation. Have also constantly in mind this basic fusion, now finding voiced expression, and take courage from the massed approach to the source of all life, love and light. Nothing can withstand the united demand of people everywhere in their graded and serried ranks.The momentous significance of this presentation of a cosmic, planetary and individual alignment exercise, prayer or invocation is that it provides, as a result of its correct use, a spiritual inflow right to the very heart of humanity and from the highest sources.
The uniqueness connected with the Invocation consists in the fact that it is, in reality, a great method of integration. It links the Father, the Christ and humanity in one great relationship. Christ emphasised ever the Fatherhood of God and substituted it in place of the cruel, jealous tribal Jehovah. In the 17th chapter of St. John’s Gospel (which is another of the major spiritual statements of the world), Christ emphasised the relation of the Christ consciousness to the consciousness of Deity Itself. He linked the concept of the Spirit to the fully developed soul-infused human being; and the underlying unity existing between all beings in all forms and the Father.
The Great Invocation relates the will of the Father, the love of the spiritual Hierarchy and the service of Humanity into one great Triangle of Energies. This triangle will have two major results: the “sealing of the door where evil dwells”; and the working out through the power of God, let loose on earth through the Invocation, of the Plan of Love and Light.
The Great Invocation relates the will of the Father, the love of the spiritual Hierarchy and the service of Humanity into one great Triangle of Energies.
This Invocation is also unique in the sense that it invokes all the three divine aspects simultaneously.
No one can use this Invocation or prayer for illumination and for love without causing powerful changes in his or her own attitudes and life intention; character and goals will be changed and life altered and made spiritually useful. “As a man thinketh in his heart so is he” is a basic law in nature; the constant turning of the mind to the need for light and the prospect of illumination cannot and will not be ineffectual.
The spiritual Hierarchy of the planet cares only that humanity, as a whole, avails itself of spiritual opportunity. It is an opportunity which is present today in a more compelling way than ever before. The Great Invocation has been given us at this time of opportunity for our use in co-operation with Those who use it on behalf of humanity.
This Invocation belongs to no one individual or group. It belongs to all humanity. Tens of thousands of people of goodwill throughout the world are using it every day.
The climax to this continuous invocatory appeal is the day of the Full Moon of June. (This is the Full Moon of Gemini sometimes occurring in May. The time of the full moon is recognised throughout the world and is not affected by calendar differences). On this day a simultaneous and worldwide voicing of the Invocation sounds forth as a great outpouring invocative appeal on behalf of all humanity.
The Festival of June, which is so uniquely Christ’s and which emphasises His relationship to humanity, in reality covers three whole days, each with a different keynote:
The word “keynote” has been deliberately chosen and signifies the sound which preceded each major inflow at the May Festival; these energies will be released at a solemn ceremony on each of the three days. At each ceremony the Christ will say the Invocation alone, and then the united Hierarchy will intone the stanza alone, invoking light, love and the will-to-good (one on each of the three days).
The result of this solemn three days of invocation will be followed
by a climaxing day wherein the Hierarchy will unitedly, and led by the Christ, pronounce the entire Invocation, prefacing each stanza with its appropriate keynote, again sounded in unison.
Let Light and Love and Power restore the Plan on Earth.
Most of this text has been compiled and in a few cases adapted from the following books by Alice A. Bailey: Discipleship in the New Age Vol. II, The Rays and the Initiations, The Reappearance of the Christ, Problems of Humanity, The Externalisation of the Hierarchy
