78. ALICE BAILEY - Discipleship in the New Age,Vol. II - 19. SECTION THREE - TEACHINGS ON INITIATION - PART 7

SECTION THREE - TEACHINGS ON INITIATION - PART 7

There is one point which is oft overlooked, but which I gave to you earlier, and that is the mental approach to initiation. So much emphasis has been laid upon the love quality of the Hierarchy, on its being the expression of the second divine aspect, that the hierarchical mentality (if I may use such a phrase) is frequently forgotten; yet it is a law—closely related to initiation—that "the work of the initiate is carried forward within the ring-pass-not of the Universal Mind." I [Page 385] would have you give these words calm and mature consideration.

The planetary Logos works—as far as His manifestation, the Earth, is concerned—from cosmic mental levels; all that is manifested through His Creative Word is His focussed thought and His fixed mental intention. In order to create a material world, He directs His thought from what can be regarded as the concrete levels of the cosmic mental plane; the whole process is one of precipitation, consolidation and irradiation.

All the initiatory processes through which the disciple must pass are primarily concerned with the thought of the supreme, incarnating Deity; that thought demonstrates as the will-to-good. The disciple's progress from one initiation to another imparts a gradual unveiling of the divine Purpose, as it expresses itself through the hierarchical Plan and manifests that quality of love (the will-to-good) which gives to the Purpose and the Plan warmth, its magnetic appeal, and the major attribute of healing. It might be said that the Purpose of the planetary Logos, as it emanates from His high place under the impact of His will-to-good, is redemptive in nature.

This theme of redemption (which underlies all the initiatory processes) is hidden in the karmic responsibilities of Sanat Kumara; stage by stage, initiation by initiation, the disciple arrives at an understanding of redemption. First of all, he learns to bring about the redemption of his threefold personality; then the concept enlarges along paralleling lines as he seeks the redemption of his fellowmen; later, he shares the redemptive work connected with all true hierarchical endeavour and becomes an "active part of a redeeming Ashram." At the later initiations, and after the fifth Initiation of Revelation, he sees with a new clarity some of the karmic liabilities which have led the planetary Logos to create this planet of suffering, sorrow, pain and struggle; he realises then (and with joy) that this little planet is essentially unique in its purpose and its techniques, and that on it and within it (if you could but penetrate below the surface) [386] a great redemptive experiment is going forward; its prime implementing factors and its scientific agents are the "sons of mind who choose to be the sons of men and yet for all eternity remain the Sons of God." These "sons of mind" were chosen, in that far distant time when the fourth kingdom in nature came into being, to carry forward the science of redemption. There is a true historical and spiritually esoteric significance in the words in The New Testament that the "whole creation groaneth and travaileth together in pain until now, waiting for the manifestation of the Sons of God." St. Paul is there referring to planetary purpose and to the determined insistence of the Sons of God that eventually—as they brought about the redemption of substance, of matter and form, and thus proved the possibility of that redemption through their own transfigured personalities—their reward should be their eventual manifestation as expressions of divinity. For this purpose and with this goal in view, they instituted the great evolutionary process of initiation, thus producing a continuity of revelation and of enlightenment. In reality, the period of time at which the final initiation is undergone is simply a climaxing, triumphant demonstration of the realisation and purpose of all past experiences; it is fulfilment (by the One Initiator) of the first promise ever made to the "sons of mind" when they originally started their redemptive work, and is "a sudden blazing forth of the individual glory and its merging at initiation with the glory of the whole."

These ideas may give you a fresh viewpoint anent initiation, and if you can ponder and think correctly, they will aid you in entering somewhat into the Mind of God, thus permitting you to penetrate at least into that "area of promise" upon which all spiritual hope, all expectancy and the dynamic intention behind the evolutionary process depend. The "halls of initiation" (to speak again in symbols) in which the initiate demonstrates his redemptive quality are the true "promised land." The whole story of the Jewish people is based upon a recognition of this fundamental truth; it is, however, distorted by them into a form of individual and racial possessiveness, owing to the profound materialistic [387] selfishness of the race. They give to the entire, eternal hope (which is the hope of all the sons of mind) a material and racial distortion and a purely material objective—the objective of territory. All this is, in its turn, founded upon the arrogance, the aggressive nature and the lack of true perspective which are basic characteristics of the Jewish people, in spite of many exceptions.

The "area of promise" wherein the divine thought is projected, directed and held true to the originating impulse of the planetary Logos is to be found on cosmic levels and remains there unchangeably. It is that which holds Sanat Kumara, in His Council Chamber at Shamballa, standing steadfastly by all those lives which are undergoing redemption and by all those who are the agents of the redemptive process until "the last weary pilgrim has found his way home." These agents are the sons of men who will—each and all—demonstrate eventually "within the courts of Heaven" and at the place of initiation, the nature of their high calling; they will prove to all who can grasp the significance of the demonstration that they have only "become again in full expression what they have always been." Now the removal of the veils of matter permits the inner glory to shine forth and—the redemptive work now being finished—"they can walk with glory in creative undertakings." I am quoting some words which the Christ used (at an initiation held not so long ago) when addressing a group of new initiates.

ON HINTS

We will now proceed to a consideration of the hints which I have already given to you. They are seven in number. With two of them I have already dealt. They were:

Hint I. . . . The changes brought about in the Hierarchy have been the result of the work of the disciples of the world.

Hint II. . . . Human planning today is one of the first indications of the emergence of the will aspect.

[388]

Five hints remain to be considered, and I list them here, not in the question form as given earlier, but in their original wording. I would ask you to read them several times straight through with concentrated thought and to note how closely they are related to each other, and how they cast a light upon the initiatory process which is unique, synthetic in value and enlightening. As I have told you, they are each of them subject to seven interpretations, but for our purposes we will confine ourselves to the study of them from the angle of accepted discipleship, i.e., of the disciples working in an Ashram and preparing for service and for initiation.

Hint III. . . . Disciples in all Ashrams have a task of "modifying, qualifying and adapting the divine Plan" simultaneously. Why is this so? Why is the Plan not imposed?

Hint IV. . . . The initiate knows because he works. What does this hint mean to you?

Hint V. . . . The key to the correct interpretation of a hint lies in its association with the idea of direction in time and space.

Hint VI. . . . The disciple must recognise the hint which is related to his point in consciousness.... My one effort is to indicate the relation between initiation and revelation.

Hint VII. . . . One of the marks of readiness for initiation is the ability to see the expanding and inclusive Whole, and to note the law which is transcended when the part becomes the Whole.

In connection with the sixth hint, I pointed out that revelation—induced by right orientation and right thinking—is part of the training of the initiate. Many thus in training delay their progress by not recognising the revelation when it arises above the line of their spiritual horizon.

You will note that the hints themselves frequently deal with the nature of a hint, because a hint is in reality and when properly considered, the seed or germ of an intended revelation. The Master knows well what is the next revelation [389] which will be in order for the disciple in training; through hints He sows the seed of revelation, but it remains for the disciple to discover that which the hint is intended to produce, and to nurture the seed until it flowers forth in the beauty of revelation.

In seeking to elucidate these hints for you I am not doing work which you should do. I am, in fact, only marshalling for your benefit the ideas, information and concepts which are already to be found in your subconscious mind—placed there through meditation, study and experimental critical living. Having done that, I leave it to you to proceed alone and unaided towards the moment of revelation. You talk of a series of initiations, but the Masters talk in terms of a series of revelations, and Their work with Their disciples is to prepare them for revelation. Bear in mind, brother of mine, that revelation is hard to take and to hold—a point oft overlooked. It is exhausting to the personality of the disciple, but it is of no service unless the personality recognises it; it is excessively stimulating and the initiate passes through three stages where a revelation is concerned: First comes the stage of ecstacy and of supreme recognition; then darkness follows and almost despair when the revelation fades and the disciple finds that he must walk again in the ordinary light of the world; he knows now what is, but it is at this point that his test lies, for he must proceed on that inner knowledge but dispense with the stimulation of revelation. Finally, he becomes so engrossed with his service, with aiding his fellowmen and with leading them towards their next revelation that the excitement and the reaction are forgotten. He then discovers to his surprise that at any time and at will—if it serves his selfless interests—the revelation is forever his. Ponder on this.

Let us now study the remaining hints:

Hint Three. "Disciples in all the Ashrams have the task of `modifying, qualifying and adapting the divine Plan' simultaneously. Why is this so? Why is the Plan not imposed?"

[390]

You will note immediately the relation of this hint to the first one given. The concept of responsibility underlies the significance of this hint, and in connection with it I would remind you that—from the angle of the esoteric science—the sense of responsibility is the first and the outstanding characteristic of the soul. In so far, therefore, as a disciple is in contact with the soul and is becoming a soul-infused personality, and is consequently under soul direction, so far will he undertake the task presented to him in this third hint. The "modifying, qualifying and adapting" process is carried on through the medium of an intellectually focussed personality and is aided by the comprehension of which the concrete mind is capable. It is a result of the activity of the soul upon its own level and is related entirely to the hierarchical group intention and to the furthering of the divine Plan.

The apprehension of this Plan by the disciple will necessarily vary according to the disciple's point in evolution. In the very early stages of discipleship, his capacity to "modify, qualify and adapt" is small indeed, but each expansion of consciousness fits him increasingly to do this. You would find it of interest to study again the stages of discipleship as outlined in Volume I of Discipleship in the New Age. You would note how each stage (when it is a factual experience) enables the disciple to see the Plan from the angle of the Ashram and of the Master with increasing clarity; finally, there comes the time when the disciple arrives at the very heart of things and is so close to the heart of the Master that the hierarchical planning becomes something in which he shares and to which he contributes.

There are two thoughts which should be here considered. First of all it should be realised that the disciple, under the Law, has to master the technique of spiritual compromise, and secondly that the three words: modify, qualify and adapt, have definite reference to the three worlds wherein the Plan must manifest. There are two kinds of compromise, brother of mine. There is the compromise in which the balance is attained for the sake of expediency, and this is usually on the side of the least desirable, the more material and the easiest. There is also the compromise which swings decision (and [391] decision is always involved in the furthering of the Plan) over towards that which concerns the spiritual values, and which will eventually bring about the greatest good for the greatest number. It is this art of compromise which the disciple has to learn, for little is gained by the imposition of the spiritual values. The compromise to be established by the disciple lies between the recognition of the stage reached by average humanity and the immediate aspects of the Plan which the Masters feel should be presented to, and recognised by, everybody.

The value to the ashram of a trained and functioning disciple lies in his ability to "see with the Ashram" that activity which is required, and the technique and mode of bringing about still another development within the eternal Plan; to this must be added the disciple's understanding of the civilisation and the culture of which he is a part and a comprehension of the field in which his endeavour must lie. Being a functioning human being and a part of the great panorama of life, he can interpret to the Ashram what he sees of extended evil, what he notes of humanity's striving towards the good, and the "revealing voice" of the speechless masses; his suggestions as to the immediate mode of turning the hierarchical ideas into ordinary human ideals are of importance to the Master of his Ashram. His value in this aspect of the hierarchical work is that he is not a Master, that he is necessarily closer in touch with the daily life of ordinary human beings, and that the field of his activities is with personalities, whereas the Masters and the senior initiates work with souls. When a disciple is a truly soul-infused personality, he can give to the Master most valuable assistance. There are, it should be pointed out, three types of hierarchical workers:

1. Souls; i.e., those initiates who have taken the fourth Initiation of Renunciation and in whom the soul body, the causal body, has been destroyed. They are the Custodians of the Plan.

2. Soul-infused personalities; these are the disciples and the initiates of the first three initiations, through [392]whom the "souls" work in the carrying out of the Plan.

3. Intelligent aspirants who are not yet soul-infused personalities but who recognise the necessity of the Plan and who seek the welfare of their fellowmen.

The highest group formulates the Plan; the second group "modifies, qualifies and adapts" the Plan to contemporary human requirements and thus ensures the gradual and steady continuity of the Plan; the third group are the agents who carry this Plan to mankind and seek to make it workable, guided by spiritual compromise—the compromise evidenced by the second group.

Disciples, as they grasp the Plan and are spiritually informed as to the steps to be taken to modify the Plan upon the mental plane so that its acceptance by humanity is intelligently progressive and is not dynamically imposed with consequent disastrous effects, are the primary agents. They accept the responsibility for the needed compromise, for it is their responsibility and not the responsibility of the Masters. The various aspects of the Plan—as presented to them in the Ashram—are then modified and rearranged so that the Plan becomes a series of sequential steps and is not the violent impact of an unrealised idea. It might be said that the spiritual compromise of the disciple (working with the Plan) transforms the basic idea (through mental modification) into an acceptable ideal.

When the process of modification is completed, the idea—in the form of an ideal—descends to the astral plane, the plane of the emotions. There it becomes tinctured with the quality which the working disciple believes will make the best appeal to the masses of men with whom he may be working, and particularly to the aspiring intelligentsia.

Today two qualities are "tincturing" the ideal of the coming civilisation for which all disciples are working: Freedom and spiritual security. This is true even if the man who talks in terms of security omits the word "spiritual." It is that for which they nevertheless seek. Then later, the ideal, "duly modified and qualified" is presented to the world of[393] men upon the physical plane, is there adapted to the differing fields of thought, to the diverse types of consciousness, and to the nations and groups with which the New Group of World Servers is working. This triangle of workers is enfolded on all sides by the world of souls and of men; its apex reaches to the highest levels of the Hierarchy; its second point is anchored in the New Group of World Servers; its lowest point penetrates into the masses of men. You have, therefore:

There is a straight line of spiritual descent from the Masters into the ranks of men, and—in the New Group of World Servers—the task of "modifying, qualifying and adapting" is carried forward. Mistakes are often made, because this triple work is dependent upon clear vision and a balanced judgment, but in spite of everything, the work goes on and (in the long last) that which is the divine idea does emerge as an accepted ideal and, in due time, is the means of carrying the entire human family onward along the Path of Evolution.

Hint Four. "The initiate knows, because he works. What does this hint mean to you?"

The entire story of evolution is covered in these few words. The Christ put it in other words when He said "If any man shall do His will, he shall know"; under the occult law, doing ever precedes knowledge because knowledge is gained through experiment and experience. The disciple or aspirant works always in the dark, particularly in the[394] early stages of his unfoldment, following a deep and hidden instinct towards right activity. By that hard and persistent performance of duty, under the pressure of conscience at first, under the impulse of his awakening soul, and under the influences of the Master, he moves forward from darkness to light; he discovers that obedience to his spiritual instincts leads him inevitably into the realm of knowledge, and that knowledge—when acquired—is transformed eventually into wisdom. He then becomes a Master and walks no longer in the dark.

Aspirants usually bitterly resent the many cycles of darkness through which they seem to go; they complain of the difficulty of working in the dark and of seeing no light anywhere; they forget that the ability to work in the dark or in the light is all one inherent capacity. The reason for this is that the soul knows nothing but being, and light and dark are—to the soul—one and the same thing. Above everything else, knowledge comes through conscious experiment, and where there is no experimental activity no experience can be gained. Knowledge is the reward of both these factors—a knowledge which is not theoretical but which is proven, factual, and the intelligent result of hard work; it is also the result of frequent distress (rightly handled) and of spiritual anticipation.

The above is true of the life and work of the individual aspirant as he tackles the problem of his own lower nature and prepares for the stage of becoming a soul-infused personality; it is true also of the working disciple, seeking knowledge and wisdom as he works out the hierarchical Plan as best he can. He must perforce experiment and gain practical experience; he must learn the meaning of both success and failure, and the knowledge which can be gained thereby. Knowledge comes at first through the struggle to move forward into greater and clearer light; then it comes as the aspirant (seeking soul expression) learns to forget himself in the need of others as they demand whatever light and knowledge he may possess; wisdom takes the place of knowledge when, in the transmuting fires of struggle, pain and [395] hard work, the aspirant transforms himself into the working disciple and is gradually absorbed into the ranks of the Hierarchy.

There are other and deeper meanings than the above, but I have here indicated to you the way to fuller knowledge; the latent significance will inevitably reveal itself, as you work through experiment and experience and from experience into a manifesting expression of divinity.

Hint Five. "The key to the correct interpretation of a hint lies in its association with the idea of direction in time and space."

I wonder, brother of mine, if you can realise that a hint is not a hint as long as it fails to give you direction and the power to move forward. A hint is not a static point of information. Correctly approached, it becomes the dynamic, underlying next step forward upon the Path of Return. It is there that the words "in time and space" come to have significance. One of the first things which a disciple has to learn is correct timing, both as regards his own experimental spiritual life and in relation to the work which he may be doing under hierarchical impression in the world of everyday affairs. It is one of the hardest lessons to learn, particularly during the stage wherein the disciple can be easily swayed by impulsive, emotional enthusiasm; it is a peculiarly hard thing for people upon the sixth Ray of Idealism or Devotion to grasp.

Disciples, in their novitiate, make more mistakes as regards time than any other; that would naturally be expected, because time is only a word for daily, eventual living. I would have you note the word "eventual" in its connotation with current events. Time is naught but a succession of events, as registered by the physical brain consciousness; these events are apt to have undue and too powerful an effect upon the disciple. Once, however, he can think of events as aspects of time, he not only begins to develop a needed continuity of consciousness, but he develops also a sense of proportion which has a stabilising and sound effect. Students [396] would do well to take the words "direction in time and space" and use them as a seed thought in meditation. The reward would be great.

It is wise to remember that "space is an entity"—as H.P.B. expressed it. When he so defined space, he gave humanity one of the most important hints it has ever received. The realisation of the existence of this entity leads to a practical recognition of the aphorism that "in Him we live and move and have our being." It explains the necessity for the esoteric teaching anent planetary centres and the planes as states of consciousness. The disciple then begins to study himself in relation to this "all-enveloping Entity," to ascertain the "direction" from which the various energies (which empower his life and motivate his actions) come, and to familiarise himself gradually in "the location of these power stations and of those radiant centres of light which—founded by the divine Creator—are the sources of life and the origin of light and knowledge." Thus is it expressed in the ancient archives which, at times, I attempt to translate for you.

Direction. Time. Space. With these concepts in mind, occult information begins to assume a new and deeply esoteric importance. They can be studied in two ways by the disciple (and it is for disciples I write):

1. As indicating the direction in time and space from whence motivating energy and illumining love can make an impact upon the receptive disciple.

2. As indicating (again in time and space) the direction in which the energies, manipulated by the disciple, must go as he learns to cooperate with, and work out, the hierarchical Plan. This is the positive and not the negative aspect of these words.

The disciple moves always in a world of energies; they make an impact upon him from many and varying directions. He has to learn which energies should be rejected and those to which he should be receptive; all these energies are moving in space and are in reality the life-aspect of the space-entity; all are determined by the time factor with which the disciple [397] must familiarise himself. On the other hand, the process is reversed at times. The disciple learns to use energies—located and found by him in space—within a set time and then to direct them accurately (via the ajna centre) into the work and into the group which is under hierarchical influence, through his own immediate efforts. Ponder on this, for in these words lies hid much illumination.

The remaining two hints will be covered in my next communication, and then the teaching upon the Hints will be concluded. The teaching upon the Formulas was concluded in the earlier instruction because enough had been given anent these abstruse forms to serve the purposes of instruction during the coming cycle.

POINTS OF REVELATION

We have already dealt with two of the points of revelation and have therefore considered the two which have reference to the first two initiations; these are taken upon the physical and the astral planes respectively. At the second initiation, the initiate begins for the first time (though in the most elementary form) to employ the will aspect and—in the revelation accorded—he takes a major step toward the third Initiation of the Transfiguration. This connotes the transfiguration of the personality and its liberation from the alluring imprisonment of the three worlds. Now he faces that great transitional initiation and is confronted with the revelation which has been expressed for us in the following words:

The Monad is to the planetary Logos what the third eye is to man.

These are mysterious words and can only be understood if brought into relation with the previous revelation, involving the Will and the Law of Sacrifice. It should be remembered that the Law of Sacrifice (in its destroying aspect) is dominant during the second, the third and the fourth initiations.

1. At the second initiation of the Baptism, the control of [398] the astral body is broken; it is sacrificed in order that the intuition, the higher counterpart of the "propelling aspiration" (as it is sometimes called) may assume control.

2. At the third Initiation of Transfiguration, the control of the personality in the three worlds is broken in order that the Son of Mind, the soul, may be substituted finally for the concrete and hitherto directing lower mind. Again, through the Law of Sacrifice, the personality is liberated and becomes simply an agent of the soul.

3. At the fourth Initiation of Renunciation, the destroying aspect of the Law of Sacrifice brings about the destruction of the causal body, the soul body, in order that the unified soul-infused personality may function directly under the inspiration of the Spiritual Triad—the triple expression or instrument of the Monad.

The significance of these "destructive episodes which produce the freeing of the prisoner of the planet" (i.e., the divine, spiritual man) lies in the fact that, after the fourth initiation, the light of purpose is the sole controlling factor in the career of the initiate; he enters then upon a stage wherein he steadily approaches closer to the "centre where the will of God is known." It is an elementary revelation of the divine Purpose which is given at the third initiation; only the first stage of that mysterious all-embracing Purpose is at that time revealed; the remaining six initiations progressively reveal (to the Master) the all-enfolding Purpose.

Earlier I told you that three words should be considered in relation to the Points of Revelation: Procedure. Location. Objective. All three of them are of use here in considering the nature of the impending revelation.

The recognition of these Points of Revelation falls automatically into two main procedures or planned processes:

1. The procedure carried forward under the impulse of the Law of Sacrifice which "destroys all hindrances, breaks down all impediments and removes all individual [399] obstacles, thus releasing the initiate into that vortex of force in which he learns the method of handling the planetary correspondence of that which he has individually overcome." These words should be carefully studied in relation to the second, the third and the fourth initiations.

2. The procedure carried forward at the remaining five initiations; in these initiatory processes there is a "spiritual absorption of the initiate into the circle and into the cycle of the Universal Mind"; the initiate is then "caught up and liberated into planetary fields of endeavour wherein the will must be employed as the Monad may direct."

You can see from the above how abstruse all this advanced teaching must necessarily remain—veiled and protected in order to protect and guard the initiate. This dual procedure in relation to the crucial moment in each of the initiations is always most scrupulously guarded. The moment "wherein the initiate, standing upon the point within the triangle and not upon the square," sees (in a flash of time) the great aligning procedure which will carry him from the immediate point of revelation on to the final glory, must and will be forever protected.

The location of this particular point of revelation is on the mental plane; through the alignment of the concrete, lower mind, the Son of Mind and the abstract mind, a direct channel for vision is created. The medium of revelation at this initiation is the antahkarana, which is rapidly being constructed and can thus prove the connecting link and the esoteric mode of vision. The instrument of reception is the third eye which—for a moment—is temporarily suspended from its task of directing energy upon the physical plane and then becomes a stationary, receptive organ, turned inward toward the higher light. The head centre is therefore involved, and a secondary alignment takes place between the ajna centre, the head centre and the soul body. All this takes place at a high point during the third initiation; for the first time in his personal history the initiate is completely [400] aligned and can function straight through from the head centre to the highest point of the Spiritual Triad. You have, therefore, the reason for the sudden inflow of transfiguring glory.

This is the objective of the initiation, and the triangle of procedure, location and objective is created, flashes into being, and then—at the close of the initiatory process—fades out, leaving however a permanent, new, spiritual and instinctual trend towards monadic perception and livingness.

You will note, therefore, how this information—by pointing out the attitude of the third eye during this initiatory process and its new function in relation to the Monad—throws fresh light upon the work of the Monad. This third eye is now receptive to light from the highest source, is arresting in its outward-going activity and functions like a lens for the reflection of light and for the attaining of the highest possible inner vision for the particular point in evolution reached. All this embodies an activity which (except in the case of the highest initiates) remains very mysterious. However, a study of the use of the third eye at the third initiation will bring illumination of the teaching that the Monad is to the planetary Logos what the third eye (in its initiatory function) is to the disciple of the third degree of initiation.

The Monad is the source of light, not only to the human family, but it is the receiver of light from the threefold Sun; it is the lens through which the light of the solar Logos can flow to the planetary Logos, preserving and holding steady in that light the vision, the purpose, the will and the creative intention of the planetary Logos.

More along this line I may not convey to you. I can only give veiled suggestions and formulate for you certain phrases or seed thoughts which (if duly considered and reflected upon) will begin to train your perception and develop the third eye, enabling it to reorient itself and change its function when the right time and the correct emergency come.

I have told you that these points of revelation are the germ or seed of a certain invocative potency; this is especially true and correct where the teaching anent the third eye is concerned. Initiation is not an abstract, mystical process to [401] which the disciple is subjected upon some one or other of the subtler planes, the knowledge of which must gradually seep through into his consciousness. This may be partially true of the first two initiations (the Sirian initiations of the threshold), but all the remaining initiations involve the whole man and "three periodical vehicles," producing a steady fusion of these three, an increasing reaction to the Light of the World, and an ability to register in the physical brain (if the initiate is functioning through karma, decision or service in the physical body) that which is undergone; in this registration process the third eye is acutely involved. From the time of the third initiation this third eye is subjected to training and begins to function in the two following ways:

1. It is (in a measure) a correspondence to the concrete mind, with its capacity to interpret environment and experience.

2. It can also act as a lens or a light-gatherer from the inner and higher worlds.

You will note, therefore, the fresh significance that these ideas give to the three stages which accompany the points of revelation: the Stage of Penetration, the Stage of Polarisation, and the Stage of Precipitation. The inferences to be drawn I shall leave you to work out for yourselves after due study of the teaching.

Passing on to the fourth Point of Revelation, we find it covered in the following words:

"Purpose itself is only an energy, released within the Council Chamber at Shamballa. There it must take shape."

This point of revelation carries the initiate to one of the highest points of contemplation; we are here concerned with his sudden apprehension—at the fourth Initiation of Renunciation—of another phase of the divine, conditioning Will. He has begun to recognise and to interpret—even though in [Page 402] an elementary fashion compared to what he will recognise at the ninth initiation—the destroying aspect of the Will as it expresses itself through the Law of Sacrifice. Now, for the first time (as a result of destruction), he can begin to grasp the essential building aspect of this same Will and to appreciate his future function as a creative Builder. The building here to be carried forward, I would remind you, is not the building which is distinctive of the second divine aspect—that of Love-Wisdom. It is strictly connected with that of the first aspect of Purpose, Power or Will; it deals with the processes which precede the actual creative building, the drawing up of the blueprints (if I may use such a term) "within the confines of Shamballa," where high spiritual Beings must lay Their plans. This is a different process to the creative building process, and is related to a mysterious undertaking which is carried forward under the "Law of Assembly."

The energy which is employed and with which the initiate at this time makes his first and very temporary contact is that which the planetary Logos employs as He gathers into His ring-pass-not that extra-planetary substance which must progressively be used, as the world of being and of forms makes progress under the Law of Evolution. It must be remembered, for instance, that the planetary forms are now composed of a much higher substance than in primeval days. It must also be remembered that a great process of elimination is forever going on, accompanied by a paralleling process of substitution. That which is rejected and which is occultly thrown out as no longer serving the purpose of the planetary Logos is replaced by that which "will measure up to the purpose of the Father." It is this concept which has been travestied and distorted by the Christian teaching anent the "vicarious atonement." This grew out of a basic confusion between the Law of Sacrifice and the Law of Assembly, and took place when any understanding of the nature of the Father remained a supreme mystery; the whole process was then interpreted in terms of the first and highest Aspect of the essential Trinity, of which man knew nothing, instead of in terms of the second Aspect, the building, magnetic [403] aspect of Love. We are—if it could be but realised—in process of re-interpreting and re-arranging what can be called "the doctrinal structure underlying the relation between knowledge and wisdom." This involves the destruction of old concepts such as the trinity of manifestation, and the assembly of those new and more correct ideas which must inevitably be substituted for the old, as the unfoldment of the first aspect is presented to the initiate upon the Path. This, through certain later activities, will gradually seep downwards into the consciousness of humanity, and the new world religion will be founded upon a deeper spiritual perception of the Father or Life Aspect, in place of the rapidly crystallising vision of the Son or consciousness aspect.

You get a clue here to the teaching which I have oft given to you, that the higher processes of spiritual unfoldment must consciously give way to a much higher phase of perception, for which we have, as yet, no word. In relation to consciousness, we speak constantly of initiation; in relation to this new process of simultaneous perception and interpretation, we employ the rather vague word "identification."

The process in which the initiate is now permitted to share during and after the fourth Initiation of Renunciation (which is presented to him in a successive series of points of revelation) is made possible by his submission to the Law of Sacrifice. This, in its turn, brings his consciousness under the influence—in developing stages—of the Law of Assembly. This is a law to which I have not yet made reference in any of my previous instructions. The initiate can now—through appreciated and comprehended revelation—add to his work with the Plan and its building technique, a capacity to work with divine Purpose and with those substances (etheric in nature) and those energies which permeate the cosmic etheric body (the four higher planes of our cosmic physical plane) under a law which is set in motion by the Father, but which makes the building activity of the Son possible, so that it is utterly in line with divine Purpose.

Another angle of this process, revealed by the point of revelation attained in the fourth initiation, is that there is then indicated the very highest point of the process of redemption, [404] because the energies released within the Council Chamber of Shamballa are "the living substance which is substitutory in nature and which is made available to the progressing point of light." That point in the divine consciousness which can be called (for our purposes) the Unit, Man, redeems sequentially the substance of which all forms are made and brings into manifestation the higher counterpart of that substance, released—for man's use—at Shamballa. This is a deep mystery and I fear it is not possible for me to express these ideas with greater clarity. However, under the Law of Correspondence or Analogy, the initiate can gradually come to a true perception of the significances involved. These points of revelation emanate from the world of significances, and not from the world of meaning; they cast light, if truly interpreted and in due time, upon that world of meaning, thereby redeeming and liberating the forms in the world of appearances.

You have therefore, in this suggested point of revelation, the same three sequential methods of apprehension of truth as is to be found in all such revelations. What are these methods?

There is, first of all, the recognition of a great procedure which must, under the Law of Assembly, be responsible for the bringing in of extra-planetary energies as the redemption of the worlds of being and of form is carried forward by the second divine aspect. Of this procedure I can tell you naught. The place or the location of the procedure of assembly is made clear. It is in the Council Chamber of Shamballa. I would, however, brother of mine, call your attention to the fact that Shamballa is simply a word conveying the idea of a vast focal point of energies which are assembled and brought together by the planetary Logos in order to create a manifestation adequate to His unfolding intention and planetary service. The objective is equally clear; it is the assembly of that which has in it energies of redemption. Just as the Science of Redemption, under the hierarchical Plan, is the technique employed to redeem the world of appearances, so—on a much higher level—the Law of Assembly [405] produces the Science of Energy which is the redemptive process (in a sense which you cannot possibly understand) influencing the work of those who labour for redemption in the world of meaning.

Again you see how all this comes under the three stages of Penetration, Polarisation and Precipitation, for it is related to the assembling of the redemptive energies brought into our ring-pass-not through the activity of Beings at Shamballa Who can penetrate into extra-planetary spheres and then focus (within the Council Chamber at Shamballa) the energies thus assembled. They can then precipitate them into the ring-pass-not of the Hierarchy, and consequently hasten the redemptive work and carry the energies from the highest levels of the cosmic physical plane down to the lowest level of outer, dense physical manifestation.

The agent of this process is the energy of the intuition or the energy of pure reason. This is the mental quality "within the ring-pass-not of the Universal Mind" which is increasingly employed by the higher initiates in the work of assembling energies. This energy is perceptive of the stage of redemption attained in the world of appearances as the Hierarchy applies the redemptive energies; it is also perceptive of the quality and the stage of activity which the new energies to be assembled must possess.

I would call your attention to the fact that this point of revelation is related to the plane of pure reason or to the buddhic plane; this is the lowest of the cosmic etheric levels; it is therefore a plane of "transitional ejection"—a level from which the new and assembled energies are "let loose upon the world of outer forms." This process has been greatly facilitated since the entire Hierarchy shifted its location (since 1925 A.D.) from the higher mental levels to the buddhic plane, thereby making direct and unimpeded etheric reception possible. This is one of the significances of the words which we read in The New Testament that "the veil of the Temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom"—a symbolic way of expressing the unveiling of an unimpeded channel. This was made possible by the Christ as the [406] Avatar, working in cooperation with the Master Jesus, and also by the point of evolution reached by the humanity of that time.

We will leave the fifth point of revelation at this time and consider it in our next instruction. It is one of tremendous importance, for it concerns the highest aspect of the Will and covers the synthesis of the energies of the five planes of human and superhuman evolution. This synthesis precedes the work done on the two highest planes of divine unfoldment, and comes to its focus and its full expression at the time of the sixth Initiation of Decision.

PART X

For years we have talked about group initiation, and it remains as yet, for you, an unsolved problem. The phrase, "group initiation" is only used by the Members of the Hierarchy in reference to the first two initiations—initiations of the threshold, from the angle of the Lodge on Sirius. After these two preparatory events, the initiate—at and after the third initiation—reaches the point wherein he "undergoes initiation" in his own right (as the phrase runs), for he can now be trusted to ask nothing for the separated self; his personality is tempered and adjusted to group conditions; increasingly he is manifesting as a soul-infused personality, and the antahkarana is being rapidly created and effectively used. To phrase it otherwise: as the number and expressions of soul-infused personalities grow and initiates of the third degree increase numerically on Earth, what will be the result? Three great happenings will take place with spiritual and focussed intention; they are today taking place, which is the point I wish to bring to your attention; it is this conscious intention which confers potency in the life of each disciple and initiate.

1. The Kingdom of God or of Souls, distinguished by the potency and therefore by the aura and radiatory emanation of love, is definitely anchored on Earth, and is penetrating [407] ever more fully and successfully into the three worlds of strictly human endeavour. There have always been outposts of this kingdom among men; there have ever been individuals in all parts of the world—in the world religions or in other constructive groups—who were linked consciously to their souls, and consequently linked to the Hierarchy. There have always been those in every land who developed and expressed the Christ consciousness; this is loving understanding and intelligent, living service, no matter by what words or terminology they expressed the tremendous spiritual event of which they were aware. But—from the standpoint of the world populations—the fourth kingdom in nature dominates in every field of thought and of activity, and not the Kingdom of God or of Souls.

Today, as a result of a spiritual awakening which dates from 1625 A.D., and which laid the emphasis upon a wider, general education and upon a revolt from the imposition of clerical authority, the radiation from the world of souls has greatly intensified and the Kingdom of God is becoming a corporate part of the outer world expression, and this for the first time in the long, long history of humanity.

The effect of this radiation or magnetic aura is now so extensive that we need no longer talk in terms of bringing in the kingdom or of its manifestation on Earth. It is already manifesting, and its aura is co-mingled with the mental, astral and etheric auras of mankind. Recognition only is required, but (and this is a factor to be noted) recognition is being withheld until the kingdom of souls can be safeguarded from the narrow claims of any church, religion or organisation; many will claim (as they have ever done) that admittance into the Kingdom of God is to be found through their particular separative group. The Kingdom of God is not Christian, or Buddhist, or to be found focussed in any world religion or esoteric organisation. It is simply and solely what it claims to be: a vast and integrated group of soul-infused persons, radiating [408] love and spiritual intention, motivated by goodwill, and rooted in the human kingdom, as the kingdom of men is rooted in and is a break-away from the animal kingdom.

2. The antahkarana is now being built by all soul-infused personalities (or constructed unconsciously by all struggling to attain spiritual orientation and stature), and is rapidly becoming a strong cable, composed of all the many threads of living light, of consciousness and of life; these threads are blended and fused so that no one can truly say: "my thread, or my bridge, or my antahkarana." This, in ignorance, they ofttimes do. All soul-infused personalities are creating the human antahkarana which will unite, in an indissoluble unity, the three aspects or energies of the Spiritual Triad and the three aspects of the soul-infused personality in the three worlds. In time to come, the phrase "life in the three worlds" will be discontinued; men will talk in terms of "life in the five worlds of the manifested Kingdom of God." Think in these terms today if you can, and begin to grasp somewhat the significance of the truth therein embodied. In the beautiful Eastern symbology, "The Bridge of Sighs" which links the animal world with the human world and leads all men into the vale of tears, of woe, of discipline and of loneliness, is rapidly being replaced by the radiant Rainbow Bridge, constructed by the sons of men who seek pure light. "They pass across the bridge into the Light serene which there awaits them, and bring the radiant light down to the world of men, revealing the new kingdom of the soul; souls disappear, and only the soul is seen."