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161. Condensed thought may be extremely harmful for the heart. Just as a heavy gas
may burn away blood vessels, thought may weigh upon the heart. There exists an
expression, “a serpent lying under the heart.” Urominai is the name of the serpent that
gnaws away at one’s forces. At one time people knew to be cautious in their thinking.
Heavy thoughts hover on in the atmosphere. So remember about the Battle and show
caution.
162. It is not enough to firmly establish the consciousness; one also has to get used to
guarding it under various circumstances. You need one blade for cutting paper, another
for wood, and a completely different one for metal. You might liken the physical, subtle,
and fiery worlds to the resistance of paper, wood, and metal. Truly, one has to constantly
accustom oneself to being conscious of the Subtle and Fiery Worlds; various exercises
can develop that consciousness. So one must get used to a state of constant work, endless
and untiring. There is no substitute for such tension of the consciousness in its usefulness
for the Subtle World. People usually work only for rest, not for the limitless process of
perfection; so when they find themselves in the Subtle World, before the very face of
Infinity, they fall into confusion and fog. Likewise, to approach the Fiery World you
must accustom yourself to going forward without fear, as if walking on the edge of an
abyss. Only the highest self-mastery and readiness for danger can prepare a person for the
fiery spheres.
163. People must prepare for higher cognitions; only through such thinking can a new
consciousness be brought closer to humanity. The great reality must be purified once
more, in order that it may become like a lodging for the traveler. So unavoidable is this
reality, and so beautiful, that it would be madness to remove it from the great, destined
ascent. The various ages, each in its own way, foretold the future reality. Out of
ignorance even beautiful chambers were filled with horrors, but it is only ignorance that
dwells in horrors. If the spirit has chosen a beautiful path, then its dwelling will be
beautiful.
164. Dissatisfaction is a characteristic suited to the Subtle World. In it one can discern
eternal motion, for without this motion it is impossible to go forward in the higher
worlds. You can satisfy and satiate the stomach and muscles, but what will satiate the
heart? Though it may fill you with rapture, even contemplation of the Highest Light will
not give you satiety. Flaming heart, insatiable heart, only the very pain of the world will
propel you forward! The mist that obscures sated eyes will turn into the radiance of the
kindled heart’s flame. So let us guard the fiery treasure. Let us help the people to
understand the precious heart. And in doing so, let us call to mind all the milestones
needed on the path. Let us not forget the wise words, “And this, too, will pass.” An
impetuous motion will never bring one back to the same place.
165. To understand the common aspiration means to construct the Temple of the New
World. To strive and aspire, thereby nurturing each other, will in itself constitute an
understanding of the Teaching. Such striving will pave the path to the Fiery World, but
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