The Great Invocation

ABOUT

"...First, the general public will regard it as a prayer to God transcendent. They will not recognise Him as yet 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 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 men 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 (this is, after all, quite true for all except initiates) and which ever seems to them so inscrutable and so all-inclusive that their normal reaction should be 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 mankind may be done away with and some vague source of evil may be harnessed; they will regard it finally as a prayer that some equally vague primeval condition of blissfull 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. I have so worded and rendered the Invocation that the Christian world, through its churches, may not find it impossible to use.
Second, esotericists and aspirants of the world 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..." [3]

"...Both of these groups - the general public and the world aspirants in their varying degrees - have among them those who stand out as possessing a deeper insight and understanding; they occupy a no-man's land, intermediate in the one case between the masses and the esotericists, and on the other between the esotericists and the Members of the Hierarchy. Forget not that They also use this great Invocation and that not a day goes by that the Christ Himself does not sound it forth. As you read the next few pages, you may find some clue to the attitudes and points of view of these spiritual Intelligences..." [4]

"...There are deeper implications and upon them I will later touch, but the clarity of spiritual desire and aspiration is expressed in these words in such a form that its use offers no barrier to the different types of mind which may receive it. Only those who recognise no subjective or inner world, and who reject the concept of an inner world of causes being responsible for the outer world of effects, will deny its truth and usefulness; such people are fortunately few and far between..." [5]

"...No one can use this Invocation or prayer for illumination and for love without causing powerful changes in his own attitudes; his life intention, character and goals will be changed and his life will be 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..." [6]

"...I would like now to touch upon some of the deeper meanings for you who are disciples or who are in training for discipleship. If I can do this, your meditation work may be useful in linking hierarchical intent with human aspiration; such should be the work of all disciples.
You will already have noted - as you have studied the Invocation - that the three major centres in our planet are linked up: Shamballa, "where the Will of God is known," the Hierarchy, where Christ rules and from whence He seeks closer contact among men, and the centre which we call Humanity. There is a close relation between the first stanza and the final one; humanity's destiny is, as you know, 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 hitherto been lacking. As "light streams 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..." [7]

"...The work therefore falls into two categories: that of invoking divine aid (to use Christian phraseology) and then - through faith and acceptance - directing the energies of light and love (which have been invoked) to all men everywhere. They will, from the popular attitude, be registered as illumination and goodwill. It is a deeply scientific work but fundamentally simple. Invocation, prayer or aspiration, meditation - it matters not what word you use - by means of these three methods spiritual energies are tapped and brought into activity. By clear thinking, directed thought and mental perception, they can be made objects of human desire. Ideas are simply channels for new and desired divine energies; ideals are these ideas changed or reduced into thoughtforms, and thus presented to the public. Ideas telepathically become ideals which is another phrasing of the old law, "energy follows thought." [8]

"...The great theme of the new world religion will be the recognition of the many divine approaches and the continuity of revelation which each of them conveyed; the task ahead of the spiritually minded people of the world today is to prepare humanity for the imminent and (perhaps) the greatest of all the Approaches. The method employed will be the scientific and intelligent use of Invocation and Evocation and the recognition of their tremendous potency..." [9]

"...The science of invocation and evocation will take the place of what we now call "prayer" and "worship." Be not disturbed by the use of the word "science." It is not the cold and heartless intellectual thing so oft depicted. It 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 again walk openly among men, and thus establish a close relation and a constant communication between humanity and the spiritual Hierarchy..." [10]

"...Some time ago I gave out to the world - under instruction from the Christ - an Invocation that is destined to become of major usefulness in bringing about certain great events. These are:

1. An outpouring of love and light upon mankind, from Shamballa.
2. An invocatory. appeal to the Christ, the Head of the Hierarchy, to reappear.
3. The establishing on earth of the divine Plan, to be accomplished willingly by humanity. itself.

Incidentally, these three events are relatively near, and will be brought about by a conscious working out of the immediate phase of the Plan, which it is the divine intention to bring about to a certain extent, before the reappearance of the Christ. The establishing of right human relations, is the immediate task, and is that phase of the Plan of Love and Light to which humanity can most easily respond, and for which they are already evidencing a sense of responsibility.

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 Hierarchy, and brought response ..

Now the Great Invocation, as used by the Hierarchy itself, has been given out to the world. So reactionary is human thinking, that the claim made by me, that it is one of the greatest of the world's prayers, and is on a par with the other voiced expressions of spiritual desire and intention, will evoke criticism. That is of no importance....

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. . . . The Great Invocation relates the will of the Father (or of Shamballa), the love of the 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 ...

When we invoke the Mind of God and say: "Let Light stream forth into the minds of men, let light descend on Earth", we are voicing one of the great needs of humanity, and - if invocation and prayer mean anything at all - the answer is certain and sure. When we find present in all people at all times, in every age and in every situation, the urge to voice an appeal to the unseen spiritual Centre, there is a fixed surety that such a Centre exists. Invocation is as old as the hills, or as old as humanity itself; therefore no other argument for its usefulness or its potency is required.

The usual invocative appeal has hitherto been selfish in its nature, and temporary in its formulation. Men have prayed for themselves; they have invoked divine help for those they love; they have given a material interpretation to their basic needs. The Invocation, lately given to us by the Hierarchy, is a world prayer; it has no personal appeal or temporal invocative urge; it expresses humanity's need and pierces through all the difficulties, doubts and questionings - straight to the Mind and the Heart of the One in Whom we live and move and have our being - the One Who will stay with us until the end of time itself, and "until the last weary pilgrim has found his way home".

But the Invocation is not vague and nebulous. It voices the basic needs of mankind 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.

Already this Invocation is doing much to change world affairs - far more than may appear to your eyes. Much remains to be done. I would ask all students, all men of Goodwill, and all who are participating in the work of triangles, and helping to build the network of light and goodwill, to do all that is possible to spread the use of the Invocation ….

The Invocation has been sent out by the combined Ashrams of the Masters and by the entire Hierarchy; it is used by its Members with constancy, exacti-tude and power. It will serve to integrate the two great centres: the Hierarchy and Humanity, and to relate them both in a new and dynamic manner to the "centre where the Will of God is known".

I ask you, therefore, during the coming years, to prepare, to use, and to distribute the Invocation, and make it a major endeavour...[11]

"...The points of emphasis upon which I would ask you to dwell.... are two in number:

1. May Christ return to Earth. This return must not be understood in its usual connotation and its well-known mystical Christian sense. Christ has never left the Earth. What is referred to is the externalisation of the Hierarchy and its exoteric appearance on Earth. The Hierarchy will eventually, under its Head, the Christ, function openly and visibly on Earth. This will happen when the purpose of the divine Will, and the plan which will implement it, are better understood and the period of adjustment, of world enlightenment and of reconstruction has made real headway....It will take time, but the Hierarchy thinks not in terms of years and of brief cycles (though long to humanity), but in terms of events and the expansion of consciousness.
2. May it seal the door where evil dwells....The evil referred to has nothing to do with the evil inclinations, the selfish instincts and the separativeness found in the hearts and minds of human beings. These they must overcome and eliminate for themselves. But the reduction to impotency of the loosed forces of evil....requires the imposition of a power beyond the human. This must be invoked, and the invocation will meet with speedy response. These evil potencies will be occultly "sealed" within their own place; what this exactly means has naught to do with humanity Men today must learn the lessons of the past, profit from the discipline of the war, and deal - each in his own life and community - with the weaknesses and errors to which he may find himself prone...."[12]

Note: Alice A. Bailey books are published by Lucis Press/Publishing Company

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