Let us continue and complete our look at the range of helpers who can assist us in our journey through this veil of tears. There is so much work for invisible helpers on the emotional plane that the aspirant must fit themselves by every means to assist in its performance. The work of the invisible helpers would only be done if aspirants were at the stage where it is the best work they can do. As soon as they pass beyond that stage and can do higher work, the higher work will undoubtedly be given to them.
It should be noted that when power and training are given to a helper, they are given to them under restrictions. They must never use them selfishly, never display them to gratify curiosity, never employ them to pry into the business of others, never give what at spiritualistic séances are called tests, i.e., they must never do anything which can be proved as a phenomenon on the physical plane to justify to others of their existence. They might take a message to a dead person, but not unless under direct instructions from their Master, or bring back a reply from the dead to the living. Thus, the band of invisible helpers is neither a detective office nor an emotional information bureau but is intended quietly to do such work as is given to it or as comes its way.
As an occult student progresses, instead of assisting individuals only, they learn to deal with classes, nations, and races. As they acquire the requisite powers and knowledge, they begin to wield the greater forces of the Akasha and the emotional light. They are shown how to make the best possible use of each favourable cyclic influence. I am not saying they read the daily horoscope, but they are aware of the changing ray energies impacting life for those they seek to help. They are brought into a relationship with the great Nirmanakayas and become one of their distributors of grace, learning to dispense the forces that are the fruit of their sublime self-sacrifice.
There is no mystery as to the qualifications needed by one who aspires to be a helper: to some extent, these have already been incidentally described, but it may also be helpful to set them out fully and categorically.
(1) Single-mindedness, sometimes called one-pointedness; the would-be helper must make helping others their first and highest duty: the work the Master would have them do must be the one great interest of their life.
Furthermore, intelligent discrimination is needed between valuable and useless work and between the different kinds of practical work. The economy of effort is a prime law of occultism, and every student should devote themselves to the very highest work possible. It is also essential that the student should, on the physical plane, do the utmost that lies in their power to further the same great ends of helping their fellows.
(2) Self-Control.—This comprises complete control of temper so that nothing seen or heard can cause actual irritation, for the consequences of such irritation would be much more severe on the emotional than on the physical plane. If a person with fully awakened faculties on the emotional plane were to feel anger against a person on that plane, it would do them severe injuries. Any manifestation of irritability, excitement or impatience in the Emotional World would at once make a helper a fearsome object so that those they wished to help would fly from them in terror.
As described in a previous presentation, a case was recorded where an invisible helper worked herself up to such a state of excitement that her emotional body significantly increased in size, vibrating violently and flashing fiery colours. The newly dead person she was hoping to help was horrified to see the huge, flaming, flashing sphere rushing at him. He took it for the theological devil and fled in terror, his terror being increased by the would-be helper persistently following him.
In addition, control of nerves is essential so that none of the fantastic or terrible sights that may be encountered can shake the student’s dauntless courage. As previously stated, it is to make sure of this control of nerve and to fit them for the work that has to be done, that candidates are always made, now as in days of old, to pass what is called the tests of earth, water, air and fire.
The student has to realise that in the emotional body, the densest rock offers no impediment to their freedom of movement, that they may leap with impunity from the highest cliffs and plunge with absolute confidence into the heart of a raging volcano or the deepest abyss of the fathomless ocean. These things must be sufficiently realised for the student to act instinctively and confidently. I am not sure about you but I would give jumping down the throat of a volcano a miss.
Further, control of mind and desire are needed: of mind, because without the power of concentration, it would be impossible to do good work amid all the distracting currents of the emotional plane; of desire, because in the Emotional World to desire is very often to have, and, unless desire were well controlled, the student might find themself faced with creations of their own of which they should be ashamed; no inflatable dolls allowed.
(3) Calmness.—This means the absence of worry and depression. Much of the work consists of soothing those who are disturbed and cheering those engulfed in sorrow; a helper could not do such work if their aura were vibrating with continual fuss and worry or grey with the gloom of depression. Nothing is more fatal to occult progress or usefulness than worrying over trifles. The optimistic view of everything is always nearest to the divine view and, therefore, to the truth because only the good and beautiful can be permanent, while evil by its very nature is temporary; unruffled calm leads to a joyous serenity, making depression impossible.
As stated previously, depression is exceedingly contagious and must be eliminated by one who aims to become an invisible helper. Such a person would be characterised by absolute serenity under all possible difficulties and radiant joy in helping others.
(4) Knowledge.—The more knowledge a person has in every direction, the more helpful they will be. They should fit themselves by careful study of everything that has been written about the emotional plane and emotional work in occult literature, for they cannot expect others, whose time is already fully occupied, to expend some of it in explaining to them what they might have learnt for themselves in the physical world by taking the trouble to read books or watch informative YouTube presentations. There is perhaps no kind of knowledge of which use cannot be found in the work of the occultist.
(5) Love. — This, the last and most significant of the qualifications, is also the most misunderstood. Emphatically, it is not gibbering sentimentalism, overflowing with vague and gushing generalities, which fears to stand firm for the right lest it should be stigmatised by the ignorant as “uncaring”. What is wanted is love strong enough to act without talking about it; the intense desire for service which is ever on the watch for an opportunity to render it, even though it prefers to do so anonymously; the feeling which springs up in the heart of a soul who has realised the great work of the Logos, and, having once seen it, knows that for them there can be in the three worlds no other course but to identify themself with it to the utmost limit of their power — to become, in however humble a way, and at however great a distance, a tiny channel of that wondrous love of the divine which, like “the peace of God, passeth man’s understanding”.
It will be recalled that for two people on the emotional plane to communicate with one another emotionally, they must have a language in common; therefore, the more languages an emotional plane helper knows, the more helpful they can be. That counts me out, then. I have worked or travelled through over 60 countries, and fortunately, everyone I met coincidentally spoke English!
The standard set of attributes for an Invisible Helper is not impossible; on the contrary, it is attainable by every person, though it may take time to reach it. Everyone knows of some sorrow or distress; whether among the living or the dead does not matter. When going to sleep, a resolution should be made to do what is possible while asleep and in the emotional body to help that person. Whether the memory of what has been done penetrates the waking consciousness is of no consequence; it may be taken as a certainty that something has been achieved, and someday, sooner or later, evidence will be forthcoming that success has been attained.
When a person is fully awakened to the emotional plane, the last thought before going to sleep matters less because they readily have the power to turn one idea into another in the Emotional World. In their case, the general trend of their thoughts would be the critical factor, for equally, during day and night, their minds would likely process information in their accustomed fashion.
That brings us to the end of our look at our invisible helpers. One of the most significant things to understand about these invisible helpers is that they are more than likely to be “us”. If we make an effort to focus our intention to help others, not just when we are awake, but when we “sleep”, we can actively engage in helping other monads, both living and dead.