Good evening everyone, and welcome to our celebration of the Festival of Wesak, the high point of the spiritual year. It's possible that some of you are attending one of our meditation meetings for the first time, so just a few words of explanation about the format: there is a talk for about 25 to 30 minutes, and then we will go into meditation for around twenty minutes, using the form on the sheet. The purpose of the talk is not to provide information – in other words, it's not a lecture. Instead, it is intended to help align and unite the minds of those present, with each other, and with the great community of meditators around the world who are participating in this event. It is really a period of joint preparation for the meditation, for as we know, effective meditation requires a measure of concentration, a centring of the mind on matters of real importance. To do this, we have to let go of the ordinary, everyday concerns that are constantly vying for our attention. This is no easy matter. As Arjuna says to Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita, "The mind is restless, Krishna, impetuous, self-willed, hard to train: to master the mind seems as difficult as to master the mighty winds." (Bhagavad Gita book 6, v.34) Yet we have to try, if we are going to make ourselves useful in service to humanity. So before we begin, can we just take a few moments of silence in which we let go of whatever cares and concerns have arisen in the course of the day, and begin to turn our minds towards the realm of spirit. Now might also be a good time to make sure that our mobile phones will leave us free from interruption for the next hour.

I mentioned earlier the idea of uniting with the global community of meditators; of course, at this particular festival, we are uniting with an especially wide community, because Wesak is a festival that is sacred to all Buddhists, as it marks the birth, enlightenment, and death of the Buddha. Furthermore, the festival is also sacred to Hindus, who revere the Buddha as an avatar of Vishnu, the second aspect of Divinity. In fact, this echoes the esoteric understanding, as the Buddha is regarded as a second ray Avatar, the ray of Love/Wisdom – itself a dual ray, as the name suggests. What sets apart the esoteric understanding of Wesak is the involvement of the other main second ray Avatar, the Christ. While the Buddha is the chief representative of the Wisdom aspect of the second ray, the Christ is the chief representative of the Love aspect. It is the active cooperation of these two great spiritual Brothers that makes this Festival of such supreme importance in the spiritual year. In fact, it is the only moment in the spiritual year when the Buddha emerges from the high planes on which He normally resides, in order to make direct contact with the Hierarchy, and through them, Humanity, and the three lower kingdoms. We are told that He performs this annual act of service "at great cost" to Himself.

Indeed, to quote from a Wesak Festival talk given in 2007: "It’s quite awe-inspiring to consider the level of sacrifice, through self-imposed limitation, that Lives as great as the Buddha and the Christ endure in order to help humanity and other kingdoms of nature progress. And yet, paradoxically, we are told that whenever divine will is ruling the consciousness, sacrifice, as we understand it, isn’t experienced. The factual nature of God transcendent and God immanent in the heart of every planetary life is the living experience of the Great Ones and consequently they know no separation. Through their directed blessings, humanity is evoked and, in each human heart, a lighted bridge of realisation between God transcendent and God immanent steadily grows. In this way, myriad strands of lighted substance establish themselves into a vast network of light linking the human and divine kingdoms of nature.

The Wesak Festival is a powerful annual reminder of God Transcendent seeking expression through each individual heart. Tonight and during the festival and conference period, we intensify our efforts to act as a bridge between the kingdoms and to stimulate the growth of lighted connections."

This bridge is sometimes referred to in the Ageless Wisdom as the antahkarana, and the passage above justifies the assertion that Wesak is the supreme festival of the antahkarana, at least as far as humanity is concerned: and the Buddha and the Christ, by Their joint act of Transmission and Reception, are acting as the core of the planetary antahkarana, and standing at a point of supreme spiritual tension – Christ reaching upwards to His great Brother, and the Buddha reciprocally reaching downwards. In fact, both great Beings will be doing both – the Buddha also reaching up to connect with the Centre where the Will of God is known, Shamballa; and the Christ also reaching down to connect with Humanity and the lower kingdoms. In doing so, They are exemplifying what we should be doing – reaching upwards to the spiritual heights, and reaching downwards as "a strong hand in the dark" to all who suffer. This is why we are enjoined during the festival to focus both on the opportunity of forming a group channel for the inflowing spiritual forces, and on the needs of our fellow human beings. It is these two thoughts alone that should occupy our minds and hearts on the actual day of the festival.

Later on, we will reflect a little more on what is asked of us during Wesak, but for now, let us consider the nature of the actual event that is said to take place every year at this time. Alice Bailey describes it thus:

"There is a valley, lying at a rather high altitude in the foothills of the Himalayan-Tibet ranges. It is surrounded by high mountains on all sides except towards the northeast, where there is a narrow opening in the mountain ranges. Up towards the northern end, close to the neck of the bottle, there is to be found a huge flat rock…

At the time of the full moon of Taurus, pilgrims from all the surrounding districts begin to gather; the holy men and lamas find their way into the valley and fill the southern and the middle parts, leaving the northeastern end relatively free. There, so the legend runs, there gathers a group of those great Beings Who are the Custodians on Earth of God's Plan for our planet and for humanity. By what name we call these Beings does not greatly matter. The Christian believer may prefer to speak of Christ and His church,. The esotericists of the world may call Them the Masters of the Wisdom,. Or we can call Them the Rishis of the Hindu Scriptures, or the Society of Illumined Minds, as in the Tibetan teaching. They are the Great Intuitives and the Great Companions of our more modern presentation, and are the aggregate of perfected humanity who have followed in Christ's steps and have entered for us within the veil, leaving us an example that we should do as They have done. They, with Their wisdom, love and knowledge, stand as a protective wall around our race, and seek to lead us on, step by step (as They Themselves were led in Their time) from darkness to light, from the unreal to the real, and from death to immortality. This group of knowers of divinity are the main participants in the Wesak Festival. They range Themselves in the northeastern end of the valley, and in concentric circles (according to the status and grade of Their initiatory development) prepare Themselves for a great act of service. In front of the rock, looking towards the northeast, stand Those Beings Who are called by Their disciples ‘the Three Great Lords.’ These are the Christ, Who stands in the centre; the Lord of living forms, the Manu, Who stands on His right; and the Lord of Civilisation, Who stands on His left. These three face the rock, upon which there rests a great crystal bowl, full of water.

Behind the grouped Masters, adepts, initiates and senior workers under God's plan, are to be found the world disciples and aspirants in their various grades and groups (either "in the body or out of the body" to quote the words of St. Paul), who constitute at this time the New Group of World Servers…

As the hour of the full moon approaches, a stillness settles down upon the crowd, and all look towards the northeast. Certain ritualistic movements take place, in which the grouped Masters and Their disciples of all ranks take up symbolic positions, and form on the floor of the valley such significant symbols as the five-pointed star, with the Christ standing at the highest point; or a triangle, with the Christ at the apex; or a cross, and other well known formations, all of which have a deep and potent meaning. This is all done to the sound of certain chanted words and esoteric phrases, called mantrams. The expectancy in the waiting, onlooking crowds becomes very great, and the tension is real and increasing. Through the entire body of people there seems to be felt a stimulation or potent vibration which has the effect of awakening the souls of those present, fusing and blending the group into one united whole, and lifting all into a great act of spiritual demand, readiness, and expectancy. It is the climax of the world's aspiration, focussed in this waiting group. These three words – demand, readiness and expectancy – best describe the atmosphere surrounding those present in this secret valley.

The chanting and the rhythmic weaving grows stronger, and all the participants and the watching crowd raise their eyes towards the sky in the direction of the narrow part of the valley. Just a few minutes before the exact time of the full moon, in the far distance, a tiny speck can be seen in the sky. It comes nearer and nearer, and grows in clarity and definiteness of outline, until the form of the Buddha can be seen, seated in the cross-legged Buddha position, clad in His saffron-coloured robe, bathed in light and colour, and with His hand extended in blessing. When He arrives at a point exactly over the great rock, hovering there in the air over the heads of the three Great Lords, a great mantram, used only once a year, at the Festival, is intoned by the Christ, and the entire group of people in the valley fall upon their faces. This Invocation sets up a great vibration or thought current which is of such potency that it reaches up from the group of aspirants, disciples or initiates who employ it, to God Himself. It marks the supreme moment of intensive spiritual effort throughout the entire year, and the spiritual vitalisation of humanity and the spiritual effects last throughout the succeeding months. The effect of this Great Invocation is universal or cosmic, and serves to link us up with that cosmic centre of spiritual force from which all created beings have come. The blessing is poured forth, and the Christ – as the Representative of humanity – receives it in trust, for distribution.

Thus, so the legend runs, the Buddha returns once a year to bless the world, transmitting through the Christ renewed spiritual life. Slowly then the Buddha recedes into the distance, until again only a faint speck can be seen in the sky, and this eventually disappears. The whole ceremonial blessing, from the time of the first appearance in the distance until the moment the Buddha fades out of view, takes just eight minutes. The Buddha's annual sacrifice for humanity. is over, and He returns again to that high place where He works and waits. When the Buddha has again disappeared the crowd rise to their feet; the water in the bowl is distributed in tiny portions to the Masters, initiates and disciples, and They then go Their way to the place of service. The crowd, who have all brought their little cups and vessels of water, drink of them, and share with others. In this beautiful ‘water ceremony of communion’ we have presented for us, in symbol, an indication of the New Age which is today upon us, the Aquarian Age, the age of the Water Carrier. It is the age of the ‘man bearing a pitcher of water,’ as Christ said in that episode preceding the communion service which He initiated. In this ceremony is perpetuated for us the story of the universality of God's love, the need for our individual purification, and the opportunity to share with each other that which belongs to all. The water, which has been magnetised by the presence of the Buddha and of the Christ, carries certain properties and virtues of a healing and helpful nature. Thus blessed, the crowd silently disperses; the Masters and the disciples return with renewed strength, to undertake another year of world service." (adapted from the booklet The Wesak Festival: A Technique of Spiritual Contact)

Before we go on, let’s pause once more for a brief silence – we may like to picture for ourselves something of the ceremony just described – and then we will say together the Great Invocation, which can be found on your meditation sheets in the Distribution phase: we will conclude with one OM.

From the point of Light within the Mind of God
Let light stream forth into the minds of men.
Let Light descend on Earth.

From the point of Love within the Heart of God
Let love stream forth into the hearts of men.
May Christ return to Earth.

From the centre where the Will of God is known
Let purpose guide the little wills of men –
The purpose which the Masters know and serve.

From the centre which we call the race of men
Let the Plan of Love and Light work out
And may it seal the door where evil dwells.

Let Light and Love and Power restore the Plan on Earth.

OM

For the Hierarchy, Wesak and the subsequent Festival at Gemini, which is sometimes called the Festival of the Christ, is really one event in two stages, for They are able to maintain such a concentrated level of spiritual tension over such a period. Indeed, we might suggest that the whole three months of the spiritual festivals constitute one event in the consciousness of the Christ, as each festival emphasises a different aspect of His special relationships to the life and consciousness that work out through all the different kingdoms. At Easter, His relationship with the Hierarchy as its Leader is emphasised; at Wesak, His connection with the kingdoms higher than the Hierarchy comes into focus; and at the Festival of Goodwill in Gemini, it is said, ".Christ has for nearly two thousand years represented humanity and has stood before the Hierarchy as the God-man, the leader of His people and ‘the Eldest in a great family of brothers’." (Problems of Humanity p.164). And through Humanity, the Christ is also linked with the three lower kingdoms. So the three spiritual Festivals could also be described as the three Festivals of the Christ, which underlines the centrality of the Christ’s role in the planetary chain of being.

For us, of course, maintaining spiritual tension over three months isn’t possible, but again, it is something we have to attempt, for it is only by making repeated effort that we can hope to achieve. Thus, we are asked to make the whole month of May an "intensive holy month of accelerated service". And within that month, we are asked to hold the Festival over five days. After two initial ‘days of preparation’, we maintain the day of the festival itself as a ‘day of safeguarding’ whilst the two succeeding days are called the ‘days of distribution.’ This day of safeguarding is to be a day of silence, by which is meant "an inner peace and silent solemnity that can be preserved unbroken though the individual may be serving through speech and spoken interest". It is thus "a day of service carried forward entirely on esoteric levels, and of complete self-forgetfulness in the remembrance of humanity and its need. It means that after due preparation, dedication and upward striving for the first two days, on the day of the Festival itself we simply regard ourselves as the recipients of, or the custodians of, as much of that inflowing spiritual force as we can possibly hold. As channels, we must be prepared to forget ourselves in the service of touching, containing and holding force for the rest of humanity.

On the two succeeding days, the focus of our attention will be steadily turned away from ourselves but also from the inner subjective planes to the outer world, and our efforts will be to pass on, or to pass through, that measure of spiritual energy that may have been contacted. Our work in this particular and peculiar field of cooperation will then be ended." (adapted from the booklet The Wesak Festival: A Technique of Spiritual Contact)

It may seem strange, from the exoteric point of view, to consider that the key ingredient of the day of safeguarding is a holy and controlled silence. Yet from the standpoint of esotericism, right silence is the true matrix of possibility from which flows all created forms. Thus, the ability to touch and maintain such a silence is of essential importance.

Regarding the esoteric importance of silence, a talk given in 2008 contains the following reflections: "The Buddha’s visible, if brief, approach to humanity at the time of the Wesak festival engenders great expectancy and spiritual tension throughout the assembled group. The moment of His approach is characterised by a great Silence, brimming with vitality and significance, and the greatest service we can render during this highpoint of the spiritual calendar is to prepare to hold the inner connection throughout the mundane interactions of daily life, by being as pure a channel as we can. As with anything we set ourselves determinedly to do, so often it seems that unexpected obstacles rise up to challenge us. It was the Buddha himself who gave humanity the key to overcoming this challenge through the lesson of detachment through discipline, dispassion and a growing ability to discriminate between the real and the illusory.

Particularly at Wesak we need to extricate ourselves from the world of desire through a period of sustained inner silence and by taking the stance of the detached observer. We can emulate Sanat Kumara and the Planetary Logos Who are referred to as ‘silent watchers’ – in our case, watching the flow of our thoughts and feelings but remaining detached from them as we prepare for active engagement with the energies released at the time of the Taurus full moon."

The time of the full moon is tomorrow morning at 5:03am British Summer Time; the Tibetan tells us that the exact hour of the Wesak full moon is "itself of tremendous importance", a remark that should encourage us to do everything possible to link up at that time, early though it may be. So let us turn now to our meditation, using the seed thought for the three spiritual Festivals: "Let the group stand with the new group of world servers as a great ‘army of implacable spiritual will’ in a time of decision."

WESAK FESTIVAL

Dominic Dibble
London, May 2009