From Intellect to Intuition

*The books of Alice A. Bailey, written in cooperation with a Tibetan teacher between 1919-1949, constitute a continuation of the Ageless Wisdom--a body of esoteric teaching handed down from ancient times in a form which is always suitable to each period. Intended to precede and condition the coming era, the Alice A. Bailey writings offer an unparalleled spiritual approach to such subjects as the teaching on Shamballa and the Path of spiritual evolution; the spiritual Hierarchy; the new discipleship and training in meditation as a form of service; the teaching on the seven rays and the new psychology of the soul; the teaching on esoteric astrology; and the new world religion, which emphasizes the common thread of truth linking all the major world faiths. *In this era of a rapid increase in human intelligence and capacity to use the mind we run the risk of over-emphasis on intellectualism. "The mind is the slayer of the real" is a well-known reflection of an inherent danger. In this book "From Intellect to Intuition"' development of the intellect, while necessary, is shown as a means to an end and one step on the way to a fully awakened and active mental body.The intellect is the rationalising, analytical aspect of the mind, concerned with knowledge. It can be used as a stepping-stone to penetrate into new realms and dimensions of thought, and to touch and awaken the intuitive faculty of pure reason. Between the intellect and the intuition, however, a gap exists until it has been consciously bridged through meditation. Meditation is sometimes defined as "thinking in the heart"; correct meditation proceeds only when the heart and mind function together in unison. To touch the intuition, therefore, this blending of heart and mind is a necessity, since the intuitive sense is a faculty of the heart aroused by the activity of the integrated, three-fold mind. Meditation is also the deliberate application of discipline to the mind to render it controlled, concentrated and one-pointed at will. Right use of the mind in meditation opens the consciousness to the beauty, truth and goodness of the soul, through the five stages of concentration-meditation-contemplation-illumination-inspiration.These five stages lead to union with the soul - the "son of mind" - and direct knowledge of divinity, creating an instrument of intelligence for the soul to use in daily life. "The experienced voice of the eastern wisdom comes to us with one word: Meditation. The question naturally arises: 'Is that all?' and the answer is: 'Yes.' If meditation is rightly followed, and if perseverance is the keynote of the life, then increasingly soul contact is established. The results of that contact work out in self-discipline, in purification, and in the life of aspiration and of service. Meditation in the eastern sense is ...a strictly mental process, leading to soul knowledge and illumination. It is a fact in nature that ,as a man thinketh (in his heart) so is he.'"

Table of Contents:
*Introductory Thoughts. The Purpose of Education. The Nature of the Soul. The Objectives in Meditation. Stages in Meditation. Stages in Meditation Cont'd. Intuition and Illumination. The Universality of Meditation. The Practice of Meditation. Need for Care in Meditation. Conclusion. Index

About the Author :
*Alice A. Bailey, (1880-1949) From her conservative British background, Alice Bailey's life led her in many directions, but always in one direction--towards the time when through drastic personal experience of many kinds she had acquired a synthesis of outlook and understanding, and an absolute conviction that one divine life pervades and animates the one humanity; that the Plan for humanity requires the cooperation and service of trained and dedicated human beings intelligently informed about world affairs, in collaboration with those who form the spiritual Hierarchy, the inner government of the planet. Her life work became an integral part of this synthesis and this realization. Without in the least losing any of her very human qualities and involvement, her soul took up its commitment to her Master,and her personality provided full cooperation in the field of her accepted service. Basically her work developed as a duality--her discipleship service which included the establishment of an esoteric school; and her initially reluctant agreement to work with the Tibetan, Djwhal Khul, in the writing of a series of books presenting the next phase in the continuity of the Ageless Wisdom teaching for the present and the immediate future. An extract from the Tibetan teacher, written in 1934 briefly explains the intent of these teachings: "The books that I have written are sent out with no claim for their acceptance. They may, or may not, be correct, true and useful. It is for you to ascertain their truth by right practice and by the exercise of the intuition. Neither I nor A.A.B. is the least interested in having them acclaimed as inspired writing, or in having anyone speak of them (with bated breath) as being the work of one of the masters. If they present truth in such a way that it follows sequentially upon that already offered in the world teachings, if the information given raises the aspiration and the will-to-serve from the plane of the emotions to that of the mind (the plane whereon the Masters can be found) then they will have served their purpose. If the teaching conveyed calls forth a response from the illumined mind of the worker in the world, and brings a flashing forth of the intuition, then let that teaching be accepted. But not otherwise. If the statements meet with eventual corroboration, or are deemed true under the test of the Law of Correspondences, then that is well and good. But should this not be so, let not the student accept what is said."