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Spiritual Politics

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Numerous authors in recent history have attempted to bring the Ageless Wisdom philosophy to the public’s attention: Alice Bailey, Annie Besant, Vera Stanley Alder, Benjamin Creme, Torkom Saraydarian and others. One such contemporary book is Spiritual Politics, by Corinne McLaughlin and Gordon Davidson.

Drawing upon their experience with various new age groups and philosophies, including Findhorn and the Lucis Trust, as well as their understanding of the Ageless Wisdom, and participation in political and economic groups, McLaughlin and Davidson have put together an analysis of the world’s political and economic problems, with suggested solutions, based on the Ageless Wisdom philosophy.

Spiritual Politics is divided into five sections: ‘The Book of Life’, ‘Evolutionary Governance’, ‘The Hidden Causes of World Events’, ‘The Divine Hand Behind Human Affairs’, and ‘Creating a New World Order.’

Groundwork for the book is laid in ‘The Book of Life’. Key concepts are examined which assist the reader’s understanding in later sections: the Ageless Wisdom throughout history, Ageless Wisdom principles — detachment, the soul, initiation; energy and thought; and the recognition that a divine purpose exists behind human affairs.

The second section, ‘Evolutionary Governance’, is an examination of the new wave in political relationships called transformational politics. It is based on two main ideas.

First, “the personal is political and the political is personal.” Politics is a collective manifestation of the sum of its parts. If we want to change the whole, we have to change the parts.

Secondly, we are called to move beyond narrow and separatist viewpoints, where polarities are emphasized, to view people and events in relationship to each other. This basic principle of the Ageless Wisdom views all people as interconnected.

In the third section, ‘The Hidden Causes of World Events’, the authors examine the underlying causes of global problems. Such causes range from mental ones — polarized/separative thinking, to emotional — fear and greed, to etheric causes — chakra imbalances, and the effects of karma.

In the first three sections of Spiritual Politics the authors examine human causes of world events. In ‘The Divine Hand Behind Human Affairs’ they look at causes which are transhuman. Discussion is given over in part to Hierarchical influence and the manner and methods by which the Hierarchy effect changes in the world. Other influences mentioned include Shamballa, devas, forces of darkness, the seven rays, and astrological correlations.

In the final section of the book, ‘Creating a New Planetary Order’, McLaughlin and Davidson seek to integrate the theory and philosophy of the earlier sections into a proposal for a new political and economic order. Those who have studied the Ageless Wisdom teachings know that meditation is only one aspect of the spiritual path. This section suggests opportunities for the other important aspect, service.

Spiritual Politics is a book for the beginner, one without a working knowledge of the Ageless Wisdom. It is quite effective as a workbook or guide for those seeking a path of service from a spiritual perspective.

A comparison

Spiritual Politics covers many of the topics discussed in Benjamin Creme’s books — The Reappearance of The Christ and The Masters of Wisdom and Maitreya’s Mission, Volumes One and Two. Similarities between the works abound. Differences exist, but they are more in detail and interpretation than general philosophy. In fact, there were so many similarities, I fully expected to see Creme’s books referenced in the notes or bibliography of Spiritual Politics. Strangely, extraordinarily, I did not.

Similarities between the authors’ viewpoints can be seen most clearly in the political and economic discussion. There are a number of examples which reflect this.

Generally speaking, their interpretations of the causes behind current problems are parallel, as are their suggestions for solutions. The authors concur that basic human needs must be met in order for the global crisis to improve. McLaughlin/Davidson speak in terms of a divine law: “The Law of Supply and Need says that resources should flow to help people provide for their own basic needs such as food, shelter, clothing, education, and health care.”

Creme says: “The number one priority will be the provision of adequate food for all the people; two, the provision of adequate housing for all the people; thirdly, the provision of adequate health care and education for all the people.” When these conditions are met, the stress and strain of living for millions of people will be alleviated. This will move the world towards stability in the political and economic fields.

Creme and McLaughlin/Davidson also have similar views on the international banking procedure whereby interest loans are made to developing countries.

The authors of Spiritual Politics say: “Major changes will have to take place in the structure of our global financial system. The practice of charging interest on the use of money was called usury in the Bible …. This financial system is especially devastating to poor countries, which try to drive up their rate of productivity and growth to meet the interest rate.”

Creme states: “… the year before last, $40 billion more went from the Third World to the developed world in repayment on loans than from the developed world to the Third World in new loans. It is nothing to do with aid. It is usury.”

Can economic disparity between the developed and developing world continue to exist? Both authors say no. Rich countries can no longer reap their bounty at the expense of the poor. The wellbeing of the developed world ultimately depends upon the wellbeing of the developing world. Towards that end the principle of sharing must be an integral part of economic affairs.

Benjamin Creme has said, since the early days of his public work, that sharing is the only hope for our deeply divided world. “If we accept the principle of sharing … and redistribute the world’s resources … we will have peace. It is the only way in which we will have secure and lasting peace.”

The authors of Spiritual Politics speak of sharing in terms of circulation and stewardship. “The key to right circulation is sharing. By sharing, concentrations of resources become beneficial to more people than just those who hold the assets … Guidelines for the stewardship of the planet’s resources are necessary … must balance the individual’s need for incentives with the need of the whole to receive a portion of the wealth.”

But it is not clear that the authors agree upon the urgency of the political and economic crisis, as seen in the following quotes.

In Spiritual Politics one reads: “Despite our concerns, the universe is unfolding in perfect timing … As more and more individuals around the planet awaken the fire within their hearts, the positive, loving energy field around the planet is strengthened.”

Benjamin Creme states: “Those of us now in incarnation have an extraordinary responsibility … We have to solve the problems of today and the immediate future, to decide for all time whether or not the human race will continue — to make the choice for justice, sharing, right relationships, and peace, or to destroy all life.”

Although other differences between the authors can be found, the key one lies in their ideas regarding the reappearance of the Christ and Masters of Wisdom. Benjamin Creme and McLaughlin/Davidson agree that the Masters of Wisdom exist and do return to the everyday world from time to time.

McLaughlin and Davidson offer a generalized discussion: “The World Teacher will come as a recognition of potency in leadership, through dynamic but logical changes in world affairs and through action taken by the masses of people from the depths of their own consciousness.”

The cornerstone of Creme’s entire work is that the reappearance of the Christ and the Masters of Wisdom not only occurs periodically, but is happening now. “For the first time since Atlantean days the Hierarchy of Masters will work openly in the world, known to us for what they are. He, Maitreya, is a mighty Avatar, equal to His daunting task … to guide and inspire the building of the new civilization. He will be with us for the next 2,500 years.”

Reincarnation and karma in the Bible

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Generally speaking people are unaware that there are definite references in the New Testament that unequivocably imply reincarnation. In fact many ask why, if the subject of reincarnation is so important — from the religious point of view — there is so little mention of it in the Bible. One obvious answer is that the reality of reincarnation, at least in the New Testament, was simply taken for granted, just as we take for granted that a healthy tree which has lost its leaves for the winter will get a new crown of leaves in the following spring. Let us examine the evidence which leads to this conclusion.

The first sign of a “taking for granted” of the doctrine is found in Matthew, 11:13-14; 16:13. Jesus is asking his disciples “Whom do men say that I, the son of man, am” (Matt. 16:13) and the disciples answer “Some say that thou art John the Baptist, some Elias and others Jeremias, or one of the prophets.” How could Jesus be thought to be any of these except in a past life? Elias and Jeremias lived centuries before. As for John the Baptist, since he had recently been put to death, there could not have been a reincarnation, but it seems that some people thought that his spirit could have inspired Jesus. If people could speak in this way they obviously took the doctrine for granted. That Jesus is actually asking the question shows he is aware of the doctrine and considers it valid. Jesus himself tells his disciples who John the Baptist really was in the past: “For all prophets and the law prophesied until John. And if ye will receive it, this is Elias which was for to come. He that hath ears to hear let him hear.” (Matt. 11:13-14). So Elias, according to Jesus himself, came back to earth in the personality of John the Baptist. This is repeated or confirmed in Matt. 17:12: “But I say unto you that Elias is come already and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed. Likewise shall also the son of man suffer of them. 13. The disciples understood that he spake unto them of John the Baptist.”

No polemic

There is here no equivocation, no polemic: the words are from the Master himself. As for his past identity, Jesus is not interested in discussing it. He was far more interested in finding out what his disciples thought: “Whom do ye say that I am?” (Matt. 16:15). And the answer of Simon that Jesus is the Christ, the son of the Living God, and that nothing else matters, pleases Christ who immediately makes Simon Peter the corner-stone of his church. The point is, it does not matter what we have been in the past and trying to recover our past identities represents an inappropriate clinging to the personality. The doctrine of reincarnation is only important at the personality level in so far as it teaches us that we are given many opportunities on this earth to perfect ourselves and work out our salvation. Over-emphasis on past lives has serious drawbacks. It may encourage sloth: “I’ll make an effort in the next life”. On the other hand it might cause personality attachment, “I was Julius Caesar” or “Cleopatra”, according to predilection. This merely bolsters the ego and is thus detrimental to the spiritual life which requires the ultimate elimination of ego-centredness.

The third reference comes as a question concerning a blind man. The disciples ask Jesus: “Who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind” (John 9:2-3). How could a man sin before he was born? Unless the sin was committed in another life. The apostles are not asking what kind of sin resulted in blindness, but who sinned, taking for granted that the act of sinning itself brought about this dire result. Furthermore, the sin could have been committed either by the man in a previous existence, or by his parents. This implies both that the sins of the parents are visited upon the children, which is a Biblical doctrine, and that the soul exists and therefore pays for the transgressions of previous lives. Jesus does not rebuff the apostles for asking such a question. If the doctrine had been alien to his mind, he would have told them that they were talking nonsense. He simply takes a different attitude. His answer “Neither hath this man sinned nor his parents, but that the works of God should be made manifest in him” (John 9:3) implies that the doctrine of karma (and therefore its corollary, reincarnation) is not always understood rightly and that the calamities that befall humans should not necessarily be laid at its door. Superficially we might take the meaning “that the works of God should be made manifest” as referring to his own healing ministry; that it can be shown that he, as God incarnate, can heal all, even blindness from birth. But I would tend to think that his answer has several levels of much deeper meaning, one possibly being that the man’s blindness (if we take it as a literal physical blindness) was not brought about by sin but by a deliberate choice by the soul for a certain crucial experience necessary for its development. Out of that experience the soul would emerge triumphant through its perfect faith and trust in the “Christ” — by which could have been meant the external Jesus Christ or as appearing the inner divinity to which Saint Paul referred when he said: “My little children of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you” (Galatians 4:19).

Crude palliative

That the doctrine of karma (and reincarnation) is all too often used as a crude palliative to resolve problems that appear unresolvable, may have been understood to some extent in Biblical times, even as it is nowadays in certain cultures and communities. This may be gathered from Leviticus where we find the following:

“And if a man cause a blemish in his neighbour as he hath done, so shall it be done to him. Breach for breach, eye for eye, tooth for tooth; as he hath caused a blemish in a man, so shall it be done to him again.” (Lev. 24:19-20; cf. Ex. 21:24. Deut. 19:21).

In this Jewish expression of the law there seems to be no room for the “transformation” of the man, the change of heart and mind that would automatically bring about a different reaction. Jesus seems to have tried to counteract this notion of an inexorable law that leaves no room for human change of attitude in his “new commandment” “that ye love one another”. This commandment superseded all the others and is the law of laws which conveys compassion, forgiveness and grace, and implies the possibility of transformation.

With regard to karma, an interesting passage is found in Luke concerning the “Galileans whose blood Pilate has shed in the midst of their sacrifices” (Luke 13:1). In his commentary, Jesus says: “Suppose ye that these Galileans were sinners above all the Galileans because they suffered such things? I tell you nay; but except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish.” (Luke 13:2-3). The implication is that calamity does not occur to some because they have sinned more than others, but that all of us have wrong attitudes and wrong attitudes lead us into misfortunes of one kind or another. To change one’s attitude, to transform one’s self, is the whole purpose of the many parables by which Jesus taught his disciples. The important point of the Gospels’ teachings is the transformation of the inner man, the psychological man. In its esoteric sense Jesus’ remark to Nicodemus “Thou must be born again” cannot be interpreted as referring to reincarnation, but to that inner transformation of man, equivalent to a new birth. That alone can transmute us into new beings capable of entering into that spiritual state called the kingdom of heaven. This is the main concern of the Gospels and of Jesus’ teachings.

Avatars down the ages

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The successive revelation to humanity of new aspects of reality has taken place throughout history and continues to do so, as the emergence of Maitreya, the Christ, demonstrates. In the West our knowledge is more or less confined to Christianity, but buried in most ancient myths and legends, and then later in holy scriptures, there are preserved records of the lives, presence and teachings of other, earlier teachers or Avatars.

Our focus on the achievements of Jesus in Palestine frequently blinds us to, or at least dims our appreciation of, the contribution of other Avatars and other faiths. This blinkered view of the unfoldment of humanity’s evolution makes the acceptance of the appearance of yet another teacher difficult for many Westerners. Each Avatar has brought some teaching which, correctly apprehended and gradually applied by humanity, expands our understanding and is the next step forward in our development.

Hercules
One of the first such teachers appeared so far back in time that it is impossible to say when he lived, but ancient legend carries the memory of His achievements: Hercules, a hero-teacher, portrayed “through the form of a pictorial and world drama (symbolic in nature) the concept oaf great objective, only to be reached as the result of struggle and difficulty.” (The Reappearance of the Christ, by Alice A. Bailey, Lucis Publishing Co.) He presented to humanity the concept of great tests and trials on the path back to the Father, the journey of evolution itself, epitomized and preserved in the Twelve Labors of Hercules. These are the tests all are subjected to prior to each initiation.

Vyasa
Vyasa was another great Avatar who brought to humanity the message that death is not the end. The impact of such an apparently simple concept was enormous, since it meant that the possibility now existed for identification with a higher immortal self rather than with the physical-plane life only.

The Buddha
There were many other lesser teachers between the time of Vyasa and the Buddha, but the Buddha was a major teacher who came to the East bringing enlightenment, the answers to the many questions which plague and puzzle humanity about its own existence. He came “to lay the foundation for a more enlightened approach to life, giving the teaching which would open the door to the work of the Christ who would, He knew, follow in His steps.” (Alice Bailey, The Reappearance of the Christ)

By giving out the Four Noble Truths, He answered man’s question: why? He taught that man’s suffering was of his own making, and that the focusing of desire on the material and the ephemeral caused all despair, hatred and competition, and was why “man found himself living in the realm of death — the realm of physical living…” His life, example and teachings prepared the way for the Christ. Coming approximately 500 years before the Christ, the Buddha was a manifestation of the Wisdom aspect of God, just as the Christ is the embodiment of the Love aspect. These two great Avatars continue to work together, the Buddha aiding and supporting Maitreya, the Christ, in His present mission to the world.

It is interesting to note that He who is known as the Buddha worked through His disciple, the Prince Gautama, in a way similar to that in which Maitreya, holder of the office of the Christ, overshadowed the disciple Jesus, who acted as His vehicle in Palestine. The Master Djwhal Khul says (in The Reappearance of the Christ by Alice Bailey) that, around about the time of the Christ’s return, the Buddha will send two trained disciples to reform Buddhism — this at a time when the Master Jesus will be taking certain initial steps towards reassuming control of His church. Buddhism, along with other religions, awaits the coming of another great teacher. He is known as Maitreya Buddha, the Fifth Buddha in the continuing line of divine revelation.

Krishna and Sankaracharya
Sri Krishna and Sankaracharya, two great Avatars, were both previous incarnations of Maitreya. Krishna appeared around 3000 BC, and Sankaracharya lived in about 800 BC. Sankaracharya gave “deep instruction upon the nature of the Self,” while Sri Krishna, by demonstrating the need to control the astral, emotional nature, opened the door to the second initiation. In Palestine, working through the disciple Jesus, Maitreya the Christ completed the work of the Buddha by manifesting the Love aspect of deity.

A comparison of all religions shows their common elements. “Eventually a new world religion will be inaugurated which will be a fusion and synthesis of the approaches of East and West. The Christ will bring together not simply Christianity and Buddhism, but the concept of God transcendent, outside His creation, and also the concept of God immanent in all creation.” Both approaches will come together in a new religion based on the Mysteries of Initiation and an informed knowledge of the Science of Invocation of Deity.

GAUTAMA FORESAW MAITREYA
“Now in those days, brethren, there shall arise in the world an Exalted One by name Maitreya (the Kindly One) an Arhat, a Fully Enlightened One, endowed with wisdom and righteousness, a Happy One, a World-knower, the Peerless Charioteer of men to be tamed, a teacher of the devas and mankind, an Exalted One, a Buddha like myself. He of His own abnormal powers shall realize and make known the world, and the worlds of the devas, with their Maras, their Brahmas, the host of recluses and brahmins, of devas and mankind alike, even as I do now. He shall proclaim the Norm, lovely in its beginning, lovely in its middle, and lovely in the end thereof. He shall make known the wholly perfect life of righteousness in all its purity, both in the spirit and in the letter of it, even as I do now. He shall lead an Order of Brethren numbering many thousands, even as I do now lead an order of Brethren numbering many hundreds.”
(Gautama the Buddha in DIGHA NIKAYA)

The nature of esotericism

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In its essence, esotericism is the art of consciously recognizing that all existence, manifested in its myriad variations of form and quality, is fundamentally based on energy. Not only are all forms of creation composed of energy, but every form of activity also arises from streams of energy activated by that all-encompassing law of nature — the Law of Cause and Effect. The function of the esotericist is to take cognisance of these energies and, as far as his mental and spiritual evolution allows, to learn how these energies may best be guided and controlled to the maximum advantage of humanity, thus implementing the precepts of the Divine Plan. In the early stages of his conscious development as an esotericist, the aspirant will only be aware of a limited range of these energies impinging on his system, but with growing sensitivity the observed range will increase, thus progressively expanding his consciousness and consequently his capacities for effective service. The beginner will at first be lost in a maze of interlocking and interacting energies. In due course he will, however, begin to distinguish between:

  1. Purely physical energy, consisting of energy and forces which have been transmuted and engendered in his physical system.
  2. Emotional forces and mental powers evoked by energies focused through the etheric body to these two planes.
  3. The impelling energies sent forth by the soul and therefore emanating from the higher mental and spiritual levels.

The esotericist must also learn to recognize the energies which determine the nature of his environment. He must come to the realization that all happenings and circumstances, and every physical manifestation of whatever nature, are but the symbols or reflections of events and activities occurring within the etheric worlds. These inner realms are the worlds of reality, and it is the task of the esotericist to penetrate the separating veils, to familiarize himself with the newly discovered conditions, and then to qualify himself for fresh fields of activity. The field of esoteric study should not remain limited to considering only those energies which are directly affecting the individual or his immediate environment. It will be of even greater significance to consider the more comprehensive energies affecting national and international politics and world events.

Each disciple should endeavour to understand the nature of these forces, enabling him to contribute his part, whether large or small, towards promoting favourable world conditions. It should always be kept in mind that all creation is but spirit in manifestation, and therefore every form of energy, whether it concerns the individual, the group or the nation, and whether in the field of religion, science, economics or of a political nature, has its spiritual aspect, and stands to gain by correct spiritual approach. Thus, wars are, for example, caused by energies which have accumulated until a point of saturation is reached, and these pent up forces are then both literally and figuratively released explosively. The time will come when it will be possible to determine the incentive esoteric causes of such wars, thus enabling them to be avoided or eliminated.

Esotericism therefore concerns itself with the many energies of the soul, and aims towards free access to and functioning in the subjective worlds. It serves as the mediating principle between life and substance, but is oriented to the spiritual rather than to the physical aspects. To attain these ideals, the disciple must have a reasonably well developed intelligence, and must definitely be mentally oriented, because it is essential that, while contacting and moving amongst these inner realities, he should be able to draw his own logical conclusions and arrive at a clear understanding of that which his consciousness may register.

Increased light, leading to illumination, is the inevitable result of all true esoteric activity, and under the guidance of the soul, this in turn intensifies the inherent light of all substance brought under the influence of the work. The soul-infused and dedicated esoteric student may therefore continue on his chosen way with confidence, and with the knowledge that as he proceeds, overcoming all obstacles on his ascending path, this path will be irradiated by ever brighter light. And as each disciple, through his own efforts, is endowed with greater light, it will become part of his responsibility to develop into a light-bearer in his own right, dispersing this light amongst his fellow men who, although still largely unknowingly, are yearning for this light to brighten the darkness by which they are surrounded.

Excerpted from the book Bridges by Aart Jurriaanse, ISBN 3-929345-11-0

The constitution of man

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Man is the manifestation in physical matter of the spiritual Monad, a single spark of the one spirit. The final objective as far as man, the individual, is concerned, is that his physical life and activities should be brought under complete and conscious control of the soul, the reflection of the Monad, or the Christ within. Through that control he must dominate circumstances, and make environment the instrument with which to manipulate matter. In this process he has to work in, with, and through energy or, as it is also known, electric force, which has to be applied and directed through three types of form, manifested as:

a. The mental body, the first aspect
b. The astral or emotional body, the second aspect
c. The physical body, the third aspect

The mental vibration holds the key to the situation, and by means of the will seeks to co-ordinate the functions of the physical body. In some respects it endeavours to link up the consciousness with the three forms, but it may also repulse and cause separation.

The astral vibration deals with the quality of the individual, determines his attractive or repulsive aspects, and also contains the psychic element. The dense physical level is where consciousness or spirit is reflected in the material form. The force holding the three forms together and allowing them to function as a coherent whole, is contained within the vital or etheric body which is controlled by the seven centres of energy; these centres are responsible for the vitalisation and co-ordination of the bodies, and they correlate these forms with the soul, the main centre of consciousness. The correct way of representing the constitution of man would be in the descending order of Monad, triad, soul, personality. But as this exposition is primarily intended for the average man who is still mainly self-centered, it will perhaps be better understood if the personality is used as the point of reference, and if his path of unfoldment is indicated in rising order, the path of return to the Father’s home. The principal items as set out below, will subsequently be considered in greater detail:

I. The Personality: The physical plane man or lower self. The personality is a triple concept, composed of:

1. The physical body, containing the dual aspects of (a) The etheric or vital body. (b) The dense physical body.
2. The emotional or astral body.
3. The mental body, including the lower or concrete mind.

II. The Soul: Also known as the ego, higher Self, inner ruler, the Christ within, or the son of mind.
The soul is not a body. It is the linking or middle principle, representing the relation between spirit and matter; the link between God and His form; the Christ principle. The soul is that which provides consciousness, character and quality to all manifestations in form, and it is therefore also the inner guide of the personality.

The degree of progressive spiritual unfoldment in man is an indication of the extent to which the soul is asserting its influence, until eventually the lower self is fully controlled by the soul, and the doors are opened to the higher spiritual influences to the energies from the Monad, the Father. The highest aspect of the soul is represented by the higher or abstract mind, which simultaneously is the lowest aspect, and therefore the connecting link, between the soul and the spiritual triad.

III. The Spiritual Triad: This is the triple reflection of the Monad, through which the Father functions at lower levels. It is expressed as:

1. Spiritual Will,
2. Intuition, Love-Wisdom, the Christ principle,
3. Higher or Abstract Mind.

The triad stands, on a higher level, in the same relationship to the Monad as the personality stands to the soul — the lower being the instrument through which the higher is functioning.

IV. The Monad: or pure spirit, the Father in heaven, reflecting the triplicity of deity:

1. Divine Will or Power – The Father.
2. Love-Wisdom – The Son
3. Active Intelligence – The Holy Spirit.

Direct contact between the Monad (the triad) and personality is only effected when man is nearing the end of his journey of experience in the three lower worlds, and when the gap in consciousness between spirit and matter has been bridged by the `lighted way’. The personality then becomes a direct instrument of service under the direction of the Monad, by-passing the soul, which then becomes redundant and is absorbed within the Monad.

Excerpted from the book Bridges by Aart Jurriaanse, ISBN 3-929345-11-0, further info: www.bridges-publishing.com

The process of evolution

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The process of evolution takes place alike on individual, planetary and on cosmic levels. As we progress in this, the human kingdom, we shall recognize that it is a very important kingdom in the scheme of this planet but is nevertheless a transitional phase between the animal and the spiritual kingdoms, and that the evolutionary journey which each of us is making takes place under laws which govern throughout cosmos. There is nothing in the whole of cosmos which, under the law of correspondences, is not proceeding under these same laws of evolution.

The basic impulse behind all evolution is that activity of the soul in incarnation which we call service. Service is nothing less than the demonstration in relationship of the Law of Love. It is the Love of God for Its creation which impels the Logos Itself to take incarnation and to demonstrate Itself through Its Body, planet Earth, with all the kingdoms, including ourselves.

We are, essentially, monads, sparks of God, demonstrating divinity at our tiny individual level. We have within us the potentiality of all divinity, and the process presented to us to demonstrate that divinity is rebirth. Rebirth is a process which allows God, through an agent — ourselves — to bring Itself down to Its polar opposite — matter — in order to bring that matter back into Itself, totally imbued with Its nature. It is an extraordinarily interesting and beautiful thing that is taking place in creation. It is amazing in its beauty, its intricacy, its logic, in the opportunity also for creative change, because it is not a fixed mechanical thing but an extraordinarily beautiful living process.

We are monads either of Will, of Love, or of Intelligence. The monads reflect themselves as souls, differentiating themselves into seven distinctive energies or ray types. The soul, the true Self, the inner man, demonstrates itself again on the physical plane, taking a personality of one or other of these energies, which may well change from life to life; a mental body, an astral body and a physical body, the rays of which may also change, running the gamut of these various types until it has built into its vehicle all the qualities of all the rays, synthesized in this solar system by the 2nd ray of Love-Wisdom. In this way, the soul can demonstrate itself as Love through its succeeding personality expressions more and more — until it is doing so totally.

The aim of the evolutionary journey (in the first place) is to bring the vibrations of the physical, astral and mental vehicles into frequencies so similar that the person is an integrated whole. There has to be this synchronicity of vibration to make possible the great crises of the evolutionary journey called initiation.

When the individual is ready for training for the last few laps of the evolutionary marathon, the soul brings its vehicle, the man or woman, into meditation of some kind. That very first time it might be a very fleeting experience, but sooner or later meditation becomes an important activity in the life.

The soul does this in order eventually to grip its vehicle in such a way as to form a link, a channel, through which it can send its energy and its nature into the vehicle and so work out its purposes. The soul, when it takes incarnation, does so with certain plans and purposes, and the incarnation is the opportunity for the vehicle to carry out the soul purpose. This occurs over and over again, and of course the nearer you get to the final straight, the end of the marathon, the more correctly, the more fully, will you be demonstrating the plans and the purposes, the will, of the soul. All that we know of purpose and meaning in life comes from the soul level.

Love and sacrifice

The nature of the soul is to love and to serve, and to sacrifice itself for the Plan of the Logos. The soul has no other purpose than to serve through love and sacrifice and it is indeed the self-sacrificial will of the soul which brings it into incarnation. Groups of souls come into incarnation together (however unaware the individual personality might be that it is one of a vast group of souls), each group expressing a particular type of energy and brought into incarnation specifically to handle that energy.

The ray energies come into manifestation cyclically. For the last 2,000 years, life on this planet has been dominated by the 6th ray of Idealism or Devotion. With its advent, enormous numbers of 6th-ray souls were brought into incarnation because they have the ability to express the qualities of that particular ray. We are now in a period when the 7th ray of Organization or Order is coming into manifestation. There are always several rays (never more than four) in manifestation at any given time, but the 7th ray will bring in very large numbers of 7th-ray souls and people with 7th-ray personalities who will be able to handle the new incoming energy. In the article written by my Master for Share International Vol.5, No.7/8, He talks specifically about the coming into incarnation of groups under a particular ray quality giving the possibility of the correct handling of problems. He begins with the esoteric truism that every period brings into incarnation those souls equipped with the ability to meet with and handle the problems of the particular time.

Every cycle obeys this law. Whatever problems we are faced with in the world we can be sure that in incarnation, or coming into incarnation in the immediate future, will be groups of souls equipped to deal with these problems. As the Master says, this is the guarantee of progress for humanity; it gives us hope and provides an insight into the working out of the Plan. We are faced today with extraordinary problems because we are at a transitional phase between one age and another. But as this age proceeds, in another, say, 300 years or so, groups of souls will come in who will meet a completely different situation. An altogether more stable one will pertain. These groups will be equipped with the knowledge, the insights, qualities and abilities to demonstrate more of our divine potential, above all the sense of Oneness, of fusion, which is the basic evolutionary aim of this coming cycle.

We are entering the ‘crisis of love’. This is the experience which the human race faces as it enters that period in its evolutionary journey when it will, as a whole, demonstrate the quality of Love and take its place in the Kingdom of Souls, the Esoteric Hierarchy. During the Aquarian age, the aim of the Christ, Maitreya, the Hierophant at the first two initiations, will be to initiate millions of people, in group formation, into the Hierarchy. Eventually, by the end of the age, the vast majority of humanity will have taken their places in the Spiritual Kingdom, the Esoteric Hierarchy, at some stage or other. Vast numbers will take the first and some will take the second initiation. This is an extraordinary event to be happening on a mass scale. It shows the success of the evolutionary Plan as it is envisaged by the Lord of the World, Sanat Kumara, on Shamballa, and carried out by His agents, the planetary Hierarchy.

As does everything in cosmos, evolution proceeds according to definite laws. The result of evolutionary experience and progress is to come into a deeper awareness of these laws and of the mechanism by which they govern the energies at the basis of all creation. God, it might be said, is the sum total of all the energies in the whole of the manifested and unmanifested universe and at the same time the laws governing these energies, and their interrelationship. God, as it says in the Bible, is a consuming fire. God is energy, fire; not one fire but many fires. Their interrelation and interaction creates the visible and the invisible universe. As we understand their working, we become manipulators of these laws. The Logoi of the various planets and great Beings like the Christ and the Buddha have evolved into awareness of these laws, have understood their workings and know how to manipulate them correctly, scientifically, in accordance with the Plan of the Solar Logos.