Discipleship entails a loving heart and a keen, alert mind. The loving heart has always been emphasized, plus devotion, by the churches and the esoteric groups. This is a basic truth and necessity, but a keen, alert and trained mind is of equal importance. The Masters reach the world of men through their disciples; that is the way They choose to work. They are seeking, therefore, intelligent, [283] self-controlled men and women - with vision and with a self-imposed, spiritual discipline - through whom that work can be carried forward. Intentionally, therefore, we make the work difficult and keep the standard of requirements high because we, too, are looking for people who can use their minds or who show at least a willingness to develop and use their mental processes. The need of the more emotional and aspirational types and of the devotees can well be met in other groups and esoteric schools, and is thus being met.

Running through all the work of the Arcane School is the theme of service. Service to one's fellowmen is the hallmark of a disciple and the key also which opens for him the door of initiation. Therefore, all who enter the School and face the new cycle of training find us saying to them: Study, think and prove to yourself and to us that you have grasped the teaching by writing your study papers; learn to meditate and so make a contact with your true spiritual Self, the soul, and make service the expression of what you know. These three things should be your main spiritual preoccupation during the time spent in the earlier degrees. You will find that, as each year slips away, your grasp of the way into the Hierarchy grows steadily and your entire life will be taking on fuller and richer meaning. It is the world of meaning that we are trying to penetrate. You will then find that the succeeding degrees will open their doors to you, for you will be found to have covered the necessary preliminary work, to have assimilated a certain measure of technical and academic knowledge, to have certain spiritual contacts and arrived at certain great recognitions.