Course XLVII - Teaching 20: A Social Renunciation Program (September 15th, 1956)

When our Regulation says that we have to obey and respect the laws of the country in which we live, gives us a whole social renunciation program.
The Son that renounces has to stop thinking and feeling –he must “be”. Renunciation leads us to die outward as to our way to think, feel and act, in order to be beings, after we died like that. The important thing is “to be” –the spiritual realization– but this spiritual realization, this contemplation and action in our renunciation life, would be vain and useless if it were devoted only to our inner improvement; moreover, this inner improvement should be made from inside outward. This means that an essentially progressive soul feels from the initial start of the path that perfection is non-existent if you do not communicate this perfection to the whole Humanity. A Son with Renunciation Vow has a transcendental mission, in spite of being detached from the world: that the direct results reach the souls as social results.
Now, how to combine this power that arrives in the world with these two concepts of our Regulation, that we must obey and respect ideals of others? Apparently, if we are souls that wish to liberate, we have to make a revolution and to change laws, regulations and beliefs. But this looks like rebelliousness against established values; naturally, if we live a renunciation life, we want the inner perfection of the souls and to change the world. Apparently all this is opposite to the words of our Regulation, but it is not so.
The point is this: the outer law of men and governments of the world is external and therefore imperfect, and in the Teaching of time it must be substituted for the universal law, unique, inner, and of the soul.
As we obey, we carry over our shoulders the cross of men –that is as heavy as the outer cross. This laws lead man only toward destruction. There is a season of peace, but this peace is apparent. As worldly men speak show horror to war and say that war should not exist. Before the Second World War one talked to Sons of Cafh that felt horror of war. What happened? There was collective dissatisfaction, possibly influenced by the spirit, since if we emanate spiritual forces, this brings collective dissatisfaction to all, but since they are not educated for the spiritual Path, instead of feeling dissatisfied with themselves and led by this to renunciation –to the inner possession that is the only true one– since they cannot do this, direct their dissatisfaction outwards and communicate it to the world. That is why discontented people become bellicose.
Certain Sons have felt horror because an animal was chastised, even understanding certain habits of ours in America; but when the war psychosis started, they reasoned quite differently: they wanted to kill because they felt it was fair.
They have forgotten Christ’s words: “If your enemy slaps you, give the other cheek”. But peoples want to have their rights, and that is why peoples attack each other.
Every law leads to this, but we have to mend this radically, but not against the external law. Any law loses its value when man recognizes that he must expand his energy from inside outward. No matter if Paul or Francis is in the government, but we know that our own actions have exalted them to the government. All this can be good or bad, but it is the outcome of our actions.
The true law is the inner law. So, our Regulation does not contradict the spiritual law, because if we respect the laws of a country, but we are what we have to be within, then the world shall experience a transformation.
And just Renunciation shall transform the world.
We wonder if this is too much. No. All religions have proclaimed this. But let us listen rightly at the Regulation’s words. It says “to respect”, but not to be attached to the law.
Religion and Renunciation are opposite. Religion is the raiment of the spiritual Renunciation. Religions tell us that there was a flame there, and that this flame gave rise to a being, to an image. But when we say “to respect” we do not mean any attachment to it. Any religion is based on Renunciation, on the inner and spiritual reality; their founders are true envoys of God; but they did not give an outer regulation and did not found the religion. All is based on this, “in Buddha I seek refuge”, “In “Dharma (method) I seek refuge”, and “In Sanga I seek refuge”; this means that our spiritual realization is through the Teaching of the Masters. Dharma is method, not religion. “I adhere to Sanga”, “I found my spiritual life on total renunciation”. And those that come later make of this a religion, but the Buddha does not. He calls and does not reveal mysteries of the hereafter; he just explains how to liberate a soul in this lifetime and always by means of Renunciation. Buddha says that all is sorrow and suffering, and that you shall overcome pain only by surrendering yourself to God. The same happens in Christianity.
Christian Religion is a powerful structure. Christian peoples created the most destructive war in the Universe. If you think a little, you ask, “Does this make sense compared with the Sermon on the Mountain?” There Christ said, “He who wins, loses; blessed those that ask: the poor. Christ’s word is based on Renunciation; Take your cross and follow me; the one that wants to come behind me, leave his father and his mother; he has to fight against affective values and be founded on Renunciation. We are Cafh and make nothing more than to state what all great Masters said, but theological and religious explanations have distorted their words.
Our obedience and respect are only tools to understanding; because if certain Community tells that its path is good or that we should vote for certain President, not for this we must follow them. All this is valueless to us; the fundamental value lies in the unique inner law, and if we practice our Renunciation Vow, already we won partially the great battle for the salvation of the world. If this Renunciation comes true through sorrow and pain, then it shall be a fruit of salvation for the souls, and many other souls shall adhere to this, if we leave any possessiveness behind, if we go inwards, and if we die to any contradictory and changeable appearances that are colliding, and that come near and later move away. Our law is within. We should demonstrate human beings what is essential to them; we should beautify and save their souls –the one that loses his soul has lost all.
Our law should be based on Renunciation, which expands towards all beings. So our respect of lays and religions becomes a method and effort that instead of leading us to dissatisfaction and rebelliousness, makes us understand how the external laws change continuously.
Renunciation does not change –it is a spiritual truth.
Surprisingly those that we consider spiritual beings are carried away by dissatisfaction, injustice and worldly justice.
Renunciation makes us die to the world, detaches us from this community, and takes us out of this collective psychosis; Renunciation gives us peace and understanding: this ill can be removed in the future by means of true detachment from outer things, not by thoughts and speculations, but by a real, whole detachment.