ESOTERIC THOUGHT
ESOTERIC THOUGHT
The Teachers Return...
infringement, and the sooner the externalization and the transforma - tion of our world can take place. For those who ask, they’re here to guide, teach us who we truly are, and inspire us to build a new civilization. But this does not absolve us from personal and collective responsibility, for it is humanity itself that has to build it. There will be more help than ever, but only if we take the opportunity and act on it. The Choice This is a message of hope in the darkest hour of humanity: the hope for the emergence of a new civilization out of the ashes of the old. Not blind wishful thinking but aspirational vision rooted in true percep- tion of reality, and the promise of humanity. Despite the acceleration of the crises and the old order breaking, and perhaps the death of the civilization looming, this is not a time for Armageddon but for renewal, not apocalypse but resurrection, not the end of time but the end of a cycle and the beginning of a new one, a new ethos for a new age awaiting actualization. It’s time for a new vision of humanity, of what it is and where it’s going. A new path that stops leading to the disintegration and de - struction of not only the human species, but all life on this planet, and starts weaving the frayed fabric of humanity back together again. It remains humanity’s choice as to which path it takes. Does it heed the birth pangs of a new world in the making and rise to the occasion, or does it turn away from the opportunities of the moment that this crisis is offering, to fall deeper into an abyss? The choice is ours. Nothing will be imposed, our free will never be infringed. It is inviolable in the eyes of the Masters, for it is how we grow. The Plan is the perfection and unity of humanity. It is this that the Great Invocation, given to us by the Hierarchy, calls forth in its coda: “Let Light and Love and Power restore the Plan on Earth.” Sheida Kourangi is a long-time student of the Ageless Wisdom teaching and holds an MA in Liberal Studies from Dartmouth College. Her work ex - plores the intersection of philosophy, science, esotericism, and global affairs. She welcomes comments and questions at skourangi9@gmail.com; for more information, please visit www.share-international.org.
exclusive to esoteric teachings. It is a recurring theme that was also expressed about 5,000 years ago in the Bhagavad Gita , one of the most sacred texts of all time: “Whenever there is a decline in order and a rise in chaos, I manifest myself. To protect the good, to dissolve the destructive, and to firmly re-establish harmony, I arise age after age.” ( Bhagavad Gita 4:7–8) This is not a religious phenomenon any more than God is a property of religion. Consciousness is an evolving spectrum. Everything in creation evolves towards a greater degree of awareness and expansion of con- sciousness, from the lowliest and most rudimentary element to the highest vistas of beings that fall outside the range of our imagination. Evolution moves toward perfection through a gradual process of union of the higher and the lower, and ultimately matter and spirit, which is how we spiritualize the matter of our own bodies and the planet itself, and fulfill the purpose of the Plan and our incarnation in form. Human nature is threefold: the personality, the soul or the higher self, and the Monad , which is the spark of divinity within each and every one. The personality itself is made of three bodies: the physi - cal, astral or emotional, and mental. The physical body is also made of the dense physical, as well as the etheric physical: a state of finer substance beyond the reach of science and ordinary vision for the mo- ment. It is where the chakras and auras are to be found, and those with etheric vision can testify to it. Humanity is not the apex of evolution as science believes. It is one step along the way, but a critical one. Ageless Wisdom propounds the notion of a “Spiritual Hierarchy” that stands behind humanity in its evolutionary unfoldment. Ni- etzsche astutely observed that man is a bridge, not a goal. The unique - ness of humanity as the fourth kingdom in nature is that it is the gate- way to the fifth kingdom: the Spiritual Kingdom, or Kingdom of Souls, composed of beings who have become perfected for this planet — a concept almost wholly unfamiliar, and a state impossible in our world. The term “hierarchy” refers to varying degrees of embodied light and realization, and wisdom resulting from the expansion of con - sciousness, not any external authority. Thus, it denotes a gradation of experience of those who have advanced further on the evolutionary path and have gone beyond the human stage. They are perfected be- ings — perfection being a relative term — who have overcome all the limitations of the physical body and no longer need to incarnate but choose to stay behind to serve humanity. These are the elder brothers of humanity, often referred to as the “Masters of Wisdom” and “Lords of Compassion” — not as exceptions but teachers and examples of hu- man destiny, here to show us not only how to realize our divine nature but to manifest it, which is the promise and fulfillment of this new age. The term “Master” is not an honorary one but a very technical stage of the evolutionary process. It refers to someone who has gained mas- tery over the self, a kind of self-overcoming and control over their ve- hicles. Not master over someone else. Mere awakening and realization are not sufficient. They must be ex - pressed and manifested in all aspects of one’s life. Toward the end of our sojourn on this planet, the teaching holds that there are five initiations corresponding to particular levels of ex - pansion of consciousness and degrees of control gained over our phys- ical, emotional and mental bodies, as well as the stage of alignment with the soul and the highest aspect of our nature: the Monad. The fifth initiation bestows mastery where the person is no longer bound by the dictates of the physical realm. This is no mystical idea but a real achievement with concrete ramifications: the person overcomes death and all the limitations of the physical body and is now in a complete body of light, free from the pull of matter. The idea of avatars and Masters is known to many, especially those
familiar with the Eastern tradition. However, unlike the saints and enlightened figures known in the East, these Masters live among us incognito for the time being, in various spiritual centers around the world. At the time of Atlantis, as some believe, enlightened beings walked among us, but technology at that time had far outweighed the spiritual and moral development of the people, not unlike today. The ensuing battle between the forces of light and darkness, which destroyed the civilization, forced those beings to retreat until humanity was ready. Now, after 98,000 years, the Spiritual Hierarchy of our planet is be - coming externalized. Yet the unprecedented significance for this moment in our history is the return of not one but a whole group of teachers. The Masters are the custodians of the Plan of evolution and of the cosmic energies entering our planet. They have guided the development of humanity from behind the scenes for thousands of years and are only now quiet- ly integrating into our world, one by one. People who have advanced our culture in every department of life, like Socrates, Einstein, Madame Curie, Abraham Lincoln, Leonardo da Vinci, Beethoven, Bach and Mozart, have at times worked under the inspiration of these Masters, even if unconsciously. They are ex - amples of human potential and destiny, not random acts of nature. The World Teacher Since 1975, some of these beings have been entering the world and are living among us, Creme informs us. At the head of this group is the Teacher for this New Age: the World Teacher for the whole of human - ity, regardless of sect or creed. The usual appearance of the World Teacher has been through over- shadowing a disciple. Jiddu Krishnamurti is believed to have been one such disciple, being prepared to be the next vehicle for the World Teacher. However, plans changed, and after World War II, in 1945, the World Teacher, whose personal name is Maitreya , announced that this time he himself would come. And on July 19th, 1977, he en - tered the modern world in London in his self-created body, the Maya- virupa . He is not a religious leader but a spiritual teacher for all humani- ty, here to teach us the art of Self-realization and usher in the Age of Aquarius as the water-bearer. He is the embodiment of the Love as - pect of the divinity, known as the Lord of Love, as Buddha was the em- bodiment of the Wisdom aspect. Helena Roerich describes this in her published letters: “The Teaching of the Lord Maitreya will be spread all over the world and it will proclaim the New Era – the era of the awakening of the Spirit, which is also called the era of woman.” Buddha announced the coming of Maitreya Buddha over 2,500 years ago in a discourse recorded in the Pali Canon: “In those days, brethren, there will arise in the world an Exalted One named Metteya, an Arahant, Fully Awakened, abounding in wisdom and goodness, happy, with knowledge of the worlds, unsurpassed as a guide to mor- tals willing to be led, a teacher for gods and men, an Exalted One, a Buddha, even as I am now.” ( Dialogues of the Buddha , trans. T.W. and C.A.F. Rhys Davids) Amidst the seeming darkness prevalent in our world today, extraor - dinary light is emerging, and we each have a part to play. According to a message from Maitreya, “All are needed, every one. No one is too small or young to take part in this Great Plan for the rescue and the rehabilitation of our world. Resolve to do this and be assured that My help will not be withheld.” (Maitreya, Message No. 13) This information is shared only in the spirit of creating a climate in which Maitreya and his group can enter our lives at the earliest possi - ble time without infringing our free will. The more a climate of hope and expectancy is created, as Creme put it, the less the possibility of
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by the powers that be. The keynote is unity, whether it’s between dif- ferent races, religions, parties, and nations; and the bringing together of the polar opposites: East and West, and areas of our lives such as science and spirituality into a new synthesis. For without right human relations, which requires sharing and justice, there can never be last- ing peace. Ultimately, it is about implementing spiritual ideals on the physical plane and spiritualizing the matter of our universe and the solar sys - tem. The realization of the oneness of life has to become anchored and manifested through right relationships, not only between humans but also toward nature. Everything is on a spiritual path, on the path of becoming in full embodiment that which it already is in potential. The spark of divine in all that exists goes through the evolutionary process to fulfill and embody what it is in essence. There is a reason for our physical reality, not just an illusion to suffer in. We are only the acorn, and the oak in potential. The Spiritual Hierarchy According to Ageless Wisdom teaching, humanity has never been without guidance. At the beginning of every cosmic cycle, a teacher heralds the new age: Rama, Krishna, Buddha, Christ or Messiah, come to reveal a new aspect of the Plan of evolution for our planet. Throughout history, in times of great need and crisis, a teacher has been sent forth to help humanity along the way. This is the cy- clic manifestation of divinity for our collective evolution and is not
66—PATHWAYS—Fall 26
PATHWAYS—Fall 26—67
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