The Heart
May 12, 1996 08:15 AM
by liesel f. deutsch
This is a long message which Mark Foster, owner of Medit-l, copied from a
text. I hardly ever read lengthy messages, but this one, I think, is really
worth while. Besides, it fits in with some ideas we talked about yesteerday.
Hope at least some of you agree that it's an important message.
>From: "Mark A. Foster" <mfoster@qni.com>
>Date: Sat, 11 May 1996 11:37:16 -0500
>Subject: The Flame
>
>In the Meditation List today:
>
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>An interesting file. I hope that you enjoy it,
>
>Mark Foster, your friendly, nighborhood listowner. ;-)
>
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>Doctrine of the Heart
>
>This summary, based on Torkom Saraydarian's book The Flame of the Heart,
>emphasizes the esoteric importance of the heart. It offers detailed
>suggestions about listening to, protecting, and developing the Heart--
>the Core of our Being.
>
>Listening to the Heart
>
>Instead of relating just to your brain and expecting guidance exclusively
>from it, why not also relate yourself to the heart and listen to its
>silent voice? Many people think development means only increased data and
>brain knowledge. It doesn't. In the East it's said "Satan knows
>everything, but his wealth of knowledge doesn't make him an angel."
>It's your Beingness that makes you progress on the Path not your
>knowingness.
>
>The heart thinks differently than does the mind. Without the
>overshadowing heart, the mind is not a dependable advisor. For example:
>when we do something wrong, the mind will attempt to justify it and
>suggest to us many rationalizations, excuses, self-justifications, and
>ways of escape. But no one can ever really deceive the heart, and the
>heart never deceives anyone. Here is an example of a dialogue going on
>between the heart and mind. The heart says "You did something wrong."
>The mind says "I don't think so. I did it because of such an such."
>The heart responds " I do not know the word 'because.' I know only you
>did something wrong."
>
>Actions not aligned with Truth, Goodness, and Beauty, will not be
>justified by the heart. The heart knows immediately. If one catches
>the first flash of heart knowledge, listens and follows it, there will
>be few regrets. When motives are mostly related to self-interest,
>separatism, to matter, to the world, and to the ego, they belong to mind,
>be careful! All its actions are based on self-interest, and to support
>its interests it rationalizes and creates fantastic excuses! The motives
>of the heart are inclusive and related to the group, Beauty, Goodness,
>and Truth. Don't let the mind work without the overshadowing and watchful
>eye of the heart.
>The heart knows the right direction. Before you think, speak or act, check
>with your heart. You'll discover your heart leads you to directions that
>bring health, happiness, truth, goodness, and beauty. When you listen
>carefully to your heart, you'll minimize mistakes. So enter into silence
>and ask your heart if what you are thinking, speaking, or doing, is right.
>Listen carefully for the answer. It's said "those who obey the whisperings
>of their heart are on the path of heroism."
>
>The Keynote of Heart
>
>The heart contains the keynote of your life. The heart is your pole-star.
>It's been said the majority of our problems are caused by the fact our
>heart has been left behind by our head; its whispers are neglected and
>ignored. Many of our ancient teachers told us the path to the Most High
>is found through our heart, that the human heart is the doorway leading
>to the path reaching all the way to the Great Cosmic heart. Self-knowledge
>cannot be achieved through logic, knowledge, and reasoning.
>Knowledge is not what is needed for the divine alchemy but the fire of the
>heart. All transmutation, transformation, and transfiguration processes
>are carried out through the fire of the heart. The only way to know
>ourselves is through the path of the heart. In discovering your heart,
>you discover the hearts of others. As you love and care for others,
>you'll discover the path of the heart. As you discover this path,
>you'll discover not the treasury of knowledge but the treasury of wisdom.
>You discover the Divinity in the hearts of people. When Divinity is found,
>the system of life is found. After heart is found, the direction of life
>is found and the life-purpose is seen. Unfold your heart with service,
>prayer, meditation, patience, courage, fearlessness, benevolence, purity,
>love, creativity, beauty, striving, silence, and through the vision of the
>future. These are the wings of your heart. Torkom tells us "The whole of
>Space, with its billions of stars, is waiting for your flight."
>
>The Heartless Mind
>
>When mind is developed and heart is ignored, the following things often
>happen: a person begins to develop separatism and ego, they begin to
>look at others as inferior, there's a growing tendency to manipulate
>others, the person develops an urge to dominate, rule and force their
>will on others, the person develops greed, nothing satisfies them and
>they feel they must possess more and more to feel secure. Possessiveness
>is a sure sign there is a vacuum in the person, a sign the heart is absent.
>It's said "When the chest is empty of a heart, the person feels urged to
>fill that vacuum with possessions. And the possessions are acquired by
>the power of separatism, egotism, manipulation, and greed. Greed is like
>a bucket whose bottom has fallen out. Nothing can fill it." If the mind
>is cultivated without the heart, the person develops vanity and imagines
>they are something they aren't. The person without heart develops
>advanced techniques of exploitation. Heartless people are like birds
withbroken wings.
>
>Developing the Heart and Mind Together
>
>The heart is the furnace where knowledge transmutes into love-wisdom.
>The mind, heart and the Presence work as the sacred trinity in the form
>of goodness, beauty, and righteousness, or in other words, will, love,
>and light. This is how a person achieves balance and equilibrium. The
>heart synthesizes, and mind analyzes. The heart feels and the intellect
>explains. When the heart and mind are cultivated simultaneously, you
>will develop powers of synthesis and analysis. Idealism comes from the
>heart; practicality issues from the mind. Intuition is a quality of heart.
>Intelligence is a fiery mental quality. When you cultivate heart and mind
>simultaneously, you develop a deep sense of beauty and an intense urge for
>knowledge. It is the heart that searches for beauty; it is the mind that
>searches for knowledge--but it's the will that paves the way for their
>manifestation. People often fail because they use either heart or mind
>rather than both. Needs are sensed by the heart, action is taken by the
>mind. Cultivate your mind to actualize the dreams of your heart.
>
>Development of mind is done through scientific thinking, studies, duties,
>responsibilities, and positions. Both heart and the mind can be developed
>by pursuing the creative arts such as painting, music, sculpting, and
>sacred dance etc.
>
>Instead of being focused in the mind, try to think in your heart, talk
>from your heart, look from your heart, and listen from your heart. You
>want to develop your heart focus to such a degree that you have an
>unfailing compass to cross the oceans of life. For an example, put
>your right hand over your heart and feel the rhythm of the beat. Now,
>relax and close your eyes. Visualize in the heart two eyes. Now opening
>your physical eyes, look around as if you're looking through the two eyes
>of your heart.
>
>Develop your heart with heart felt actions. The heart is concerned with
>the well-being of others before it thinks of itself. The mind says " How
>can I use this person or object?" The heart says "How can I be useful to
>people and use this object to help them?"
>
>The heart never lies because it carries the flame of life. If you find
>yourself in crisis depend on the heart. Go closer to your heart and ask
>its opinion. The heart can reveal the cause of the trouble and the path
>to take to overcome it.
>
>Those who ignore the whisperings of their heart eventually lead it to
>silence. The silenced heart dries up and the mind and emotions pursue
>their own illusions and glamours which can devastate the life of the
>person and those nearby.
>
>The Cost of Betraying the Heart
>
>When we take action against the advice of our heart, we often lose joy,
>love, and enthusiasm. We create impurities. These impurities become
>lodged in the heart as inflammable materials. These impurities lead to
>various dangerous states or conditions of the subtle heart. One condition
>is called drooping petals. It's said there are 6 polluting elements ofthe
heart known as fear, anger, hatred, jealousy, greed, and slander.
>
>Suffering from the poisonous effect of negative emotions, the heart petals
>begin to droop, similar to flower petal which droop when sprayed with a
>poisonous substance. The 12 petals of the heart are said to correspond
>to 12 specific virtues. When we act against one of these virtues, the
>corresponding petal of that virtue begins to droop. For example, consider
>the petal of compassion. If we lack compassion, if we start hating and
>behaving as a criminal, the petal of compassion droops, closes, decays,
>and eventually vanishes. When we begin exercising compassion the petal
>jumps back to life, and becomes active and vital again. Another
>disastrous condition is where the petals are dried and petrified.
>
>Torkom tells us there are 3 factors that really petrify the heart
>petals: crime, revenge, separatism. Still another heart condition has
>to do with the blockage of energies that occurs when our motives are not
>pure. Saraydarian predicts in the future, medicine will prove the
>existence of 100-200 heart diseases, each caused by negative emotional and
>mental conditions. For example, self-pity is a disease of the heart.
>Hatred is another. Hatred nourishes fear. Hatred burns the heart. Those
>who hate are controlled by fear, and fear is the destroyer of the heart.
>
>Hatred distorts the rhythm of the intake of prana and affects the spleen,
>heart, and lungs, then it weakens the mind and brain. Anger has very
>close affinity with hatred and fear. Anger is the process of release of
>the forces accumulated by hatred and fear. Anger focuses these forces for
>destructive purposes. Anger damages the heart and burns the subtle
>counterparts of the nerves in the etheric body, the nadis. Darkening of
>the heart is another serious condition. The heart normally glows with a
>blue flame surrounded by 12 golden petals. When the heart traps impure
>thoughts of hatred, crime, separatism, revenge, jealously, and greed, the
>light of the heart dims and darkens. We are warned we cannot hurt the
>heart of another human being without first damaging or ruining our own
>heart. One more condition is the state in which past memories of pains
>and sufferings continuously echo within our heart. This is said to be
>very dangerous because it eventually destroys our blood and nervous
>systems. As the Great One's have so often reminded us, the best remedy
>is forgiveness.
>
>The Decay of the Heart
>
>We are warned the greatest calamity in life is to allow our heart to
>decay. When the heart decays, psychic energy slowly departs, and the heart
>goes begins to petrify. In this slow process of petrification, all
>virtues begin to vanish one by one. The flame of the heart can literally
>be seen in the eyes. You can see in a persons eyes if the flame is lit or
>out. When the flame is out the following conditions manifest:
>obsession and possession, hearing and eyesight deteriorate, friendships
>end, prosperity vanishes, etc. What causes the heart to become petrified?
Heart petrification is caused by harmful actions, harmful
>thinking, harmful words, and harmful directions. When you are harmful
>and go against Beauty, Goodness, Truth, etc., your heart petals start
>drooping. Crime does this. Hatred does this. Violence does this.
>
>Above all, guilt feelings cause the petals to droop. The heart closes
>with thoughts, feelings, and actions based on malice, slander, separatism.
>Revengefulness destroys the heart. Jealously is very bad for the heart.
>You must be very careful. If you damage the heart petals they can take
>years to repair. Be very careful to avoid damaging the heart! Anger
>causes the heart petals to droop, dry, and fall. Ugliness destroys the
>heart--ugly clothes, ugly make-up, ugly behavior, ugly relationships,
>ugly films and books. Exploitation and manipulation really close the
>heart! Cruelty is very bad for the heart! Cruel action also means not
>to do your duties and responsibilities as they should be done--this is
>stealing the time and money of others! One starts cruelty gradually.
>
>First you kill a bug, then a snake, then a fox, a deer, a cow. Next you
>begin hunting animals then even people! A time comes when you can kill
>armies or a nation without feeling the slightest pain in your heart.
>This is when the heart is sold to Satan. This pattern shows the slow
>but steady drooping of the heart petals. The heart center loses all of
>the micro-links which tie a person to the currents of Compassion and the
>All-existing Spark of God, and the flame in your heart is extinguished.
>
>How You Can Develop Your Heart
>
>Heart can be developed though rendering service for humanity. You can
>develop the heart by visiting with people who are sick and helping others.
>Family relationships, group service, service to animals develop the heart.
>Gratitude opens the petals of the heart. Develop a sense of
responsibility. Aspire towards beauty, purity, and joy. Your heart can be
developed by living an unselfish and heroic life. Your heart can be
developed by deepening and expanding your love and making it more inclusive.
>Develop your heart by coming in contact with the Christ and Hierarchy.
>Daily meditation develops the heart, if it is done with the heart and in
>the heart. Prayer, worship, and devotion to Great Ones make your heart
>further bloom. To further unfold your heart, take each of virtues and
>meditate 10 minutes daily upon their deeper meanings. Visualize yourself
>as if you were actualizing these virtues in your life. Try to think of
>other people in history who have demonstrated these virtues. Dedicate
>yourselves to the development of your heart. The weakest person in the
>world is one who has no commitment. The best husbands and wives are the
>ones who has made commitments to each other. It' said Manhood and W
>omanhood start from the moment of commitment. A commitment making the
>decision you're going to dedicate yourself to the highest good and meet
>your promises with your utmost dedication. Again I say dedicate yourselves
>to the development of your heart. Take this list and meditate on one
>virtue per day.
>
>1. Pure motives--try to have pure, selfless, harmless motives.
>2. Striving--pressure within the chalice, urges you to unfold, and
> achieve.
>3. Sincerity--be who you.
>4. Enthusiasm--brings Beauty, Goodness, Joy, Freedom, and Righteousness
>5. Responsibility--do what is needed, what you know how to do.
>6. Devotion--steady service to the highest degree possible.
>7. Dedication--start using your mind for your life-purpose.
>8. Purity--thought, words, deeds in tune with your heart.
>9. Inclusiveness--unity and synthesis.
>10. Synthesis--see how things are clearly related to each other.
>11. Identification--identify with others through compassion.
>12. Sacrificial service--create a transformative influence by which
> people are enthused to change themselves and their lives by inspiring
> and challenging, by discovering wisdom and offering it to others.
>13. Patience--reduces possibility of imperil poisoning.
>14. Wisdom--love fused with intelligence in the flame of the heart, love
> plus logic.
>15. Nobility--respect for self and others, a realization of inherent
> Divinity, your innate Divinity shines through your thoughts, emotions,
> words, and actions.
Methods for Purifying the Heart
>
>Here are some of the methods we can begin to use today to purify our hearts.
>
>1. Overcome selfishness. Don't use other people to satisfy or gratify
> your own interests. Stop trying to manipulate and control others.
>2. Clean out your vanities. Find out who you really are, what you really
> are, and don't pretend to be more or less than that.
>3. Double-check your motives. Discover the real motives behind your
> actions, feelings, and thoughts.
>4. Cultivate aspiration, admiration, devotion--a life dedicated to higher
> ideals. Find something beautiful--become that beauty.
>5. Don't speak negative or evil words.
>6. Attempt to see some beauty in everyone you meet.
>7. Heart can be damaged by noise pollution. Minimize noise in your home
> and office. Avoid living to close to airports, radio and TV towers,
> and where there's a lot of night-time traffic.
>7. The most important step of all is to obey your heart. Always remember
> --your heart is the abode of the Flame of Life. So enter into silence
> and ask your heart if what you are thinking, speaking, or doing, is
> right. Listen carefully for the answer. Obey the heart. It's your
> Beingness that makes you progress on the Path not your knowingness!
> This summary of Torkom Saraydarian's book The Flame of the Heart, was
> written by Tim Storlie and presented by the World Service Network.
>
>For more information about the writings of Torkom Saraydarian contact:
>
Aquarian Educational Group, P.O Box 267 Sedona Arizona 863
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