Second: The next great energy which is making its potent contribution to the present world situation is that of the second Ray of Love Wisdom, Christ's ray. This energy is poured into the world through the second great planetary center which we call The Hierarchy. The energy which is concentrated in this center and which is manipulated by the initiates and the Masters is making one of its cyclic impacts upon the Earth and - as I explained in Volume II of A Treatise on the Seven Rays - is also making one of its major cyclic Approaches to humanity.

The energy flowing through the Hierarchy at this time - the energy of love - is seeking to blend with that which is flowing out of Shamballa and is needed in order to make the desired application of it. The problem of the Hierarchy at this time is to produce a wise and adequate fusion of the Shamballa and the hierarchical energies and thus temper destruction and bring to the fore the spirit of construction, setting in motion the building and rehabilitating forces of the second ray energy. The Shamballa energy prepares the way for the energy of the Hierarchy. Thus it has been from the beginning of time, but the cycles of the Hierarchy, though relatively frequent, have not coincided with those of Shamballa, which are rare and infrequent. As time progresses, the impact of the Shamballa force will be more frequent because men will develop the power to stand and [19] withstand it. Hitherto it has been too dangerous an energy to apply to mankind, for the results have worked out destructively, except in the first great Lemurian crisis. Its work has, therefore, been confined almost entirely to the Hierarchy Whose Members are equipped to handle it and to assimilate it correctly and also to use it for the benefit of humanity. Now the experiment is being attempted of permitting man to receive it and, its impact, free from the mediation of the Hierarchy. It may prove a premature and abortive effort but the issues are not yet determined and the Lord of Shamballa, with His assistants and with the aid of the watching Members of the Hierarchy, are not discouraged over the initial results. Humanity is responding unexpectedly well. There has been much success along this line but the results do not appear with clarity to intelligent human beings because they refuse to see anything except the destructive aspect and the disappearance of the forms to which they have hitherto anchored their emotions, their desire, and their mental perceptions. They fail, as yet, to see the irrefutable evidence of constructive activity and of true creative work. The temple of humanity in the New Age is rising rapidly but its outlines cannot be seen because men are occupied entirely with their individual or national selfish point of view and with their personal or national instincts and impulses. I would here like to call your attention to the fact that the instinctual life of nations is something which remains to be studied scientifically and is a phase which leads inevitably to the individualistic life of nations - a matter of more immediate interest.

The new forms are, however, being built and the Shamballa potencies, plus hierarchical guidance, are working towards ends which are definitely planned and which are working out favorably. The potency of love-wisdom, [20] transmitted by the Hierarchy, is playing upon modern humanity in a more intimate and close manner than ever before. The Directors of the Hierarchy are seeking to evoke an intelligent response from men and an indication that they are conscious of what is happening. Most of the response to the Shamballa activity is characterized by fear and terror, by sensitivity and distressingly developed reactions to the forces of hate and separation. Only a few, here and there, really grasp the vision of the future and realize what is going on, seeing truly the beauty of the emerging plan. It is with these few that the Members of the Hierarchy can work because they (even when lacking understanding) bear no ill-will or hatred to others. Love is a great unifier and interpreter.