The idea of a “Spiritual Hierarchy” working behind the scenes may be difficult for some of us to wrap our heads around, but we have been actively engaged with this reality since the beginning of time. This inner knowing or awareness has been, up to this point, mostly based on hope and faith, and a need to understand the purpose of life to mean or be something more than just ourselves. I think what we can all accept is that we are indeed impelled forward by some kind of unknown force, and we wish to become more consciously aware of our role and level of participation. The reality of a spiritual existence beyond the physical becomes more factual within our experience as we understand ourselves to have a higher spiritual counterpart we know as the soul. Unfortunately, the idea of a higher self remains speculative for the majority, but it doesn’t have to be. If we consider love, for example, we know it is a real thing within our experience, because we can feel it, and we have a strong desire to make its presence known more consistently in our life. We cannot, however, necessarily know what it is exactly, or why we intend to let it help us make our life and world work better. We cannot “see” love, but we know it is real and part of our reality, nevertheless. Perhaps we could view the soul as being this very force of love moving through us. You see, our willingness to work with and understand love is, in and of itself, an acceptance of a higher part of ourselves. The knowledge and wisdom we seek is imparted by this soul, through an ever-expanding life experience. We learn and grow because of this Divine Imperative. It is a universal progression in which we participate, and it is our Spiritual Hierarchy that is the embodiment of the love we seek to understand.
My friends, this group of spiritual existences working behind the scenes on our behalf is a group consisting of our individual souls. It is a group consciousness, working together in common purpose and objective. This is the “Spiritual Hierarchy” spoken of through the ages by all the various religious institutions, philosophies, and all the great thinkers of our time, both past and present. In a way, we can view this hierarchy of souls to be the archetype of who we, as humanity, are becoming. You can see, then, this is definitely a joint venture. Within this Divine Archetype exists our entire potential. Yes, the potential to become more. To become more aware of this higher part of ourselves, and what it wishes to impart, is our every goal. It is what propels us forward in the grand journey of life. The reality of these great spiritual beings remaining behind the scenes for so long, is due to the simple fact that we were not ready to receive them. This has changed, however, for we have matured greatly in our love, understanding, and have developed an increased ability to create better life and world conditions for ourselves. We are cooperating with a higher plan, and this cooperation is more consciously realized today than ever before. As we continue to see ourselves as a soul and a physical being simultaneously, in constant mutual interplay, the Spiritual Hierarchy can proceed coming forward from their high and hidden place, and join us here, in an effort to enhance our spiritual growth and development. We know we could use a little help, am I right? We can accept the help being offered now, through our humility, and create a better world for everyone. With our willingness and cooperation, we can accept that we are loved and supported beyond comprehension. Much change is upon us, and we understand that we must participate in order to provide ourselves with a new direction, and a new orientation toward truth and a higher spiritual reality. What is true wisdom anyway, but an awareness of what needs to be done? We know, beyond any doubt, the need for us to love one another more fully. This will encourage us to know the purpose of togetherness. Together, we can and will create new institutions, across the board, in all parts of our world, so the fact of the equality of all souls can become a physical reality. The Spiritual Hierarchy of our planet Earth intends to help us achieve this very important goal, as we allow them to assume the leadership they have clearly earned. Our humility guides us, always. Let’s take a look at a few details of this Spiritual Hierarchy of souls I speak of, in order to familiarize ourselves with what has been happening behind the scenes, and what will one day become part of the actual physical world in which we live.
The Work of the World Teacher, the Christ
The World Teacher, known to Christians as the Christ, is the spiritual advisor for all of humanity. His work incorporates the spiritual education and development of every human being, regardless of any current, temporary religious affiliation. As I have mentioned, there is only one spiritual being who assumes this great role in any world period. This world period, from our perspective, is some 2,500 years. It should be clear, then, that the work of this World Teacher is still upon us today, as His work began a little over 2,000 years ago at the inception of the Age of Pisces. Obviously, we now find ourselves in a new world period, the Age of Aquarius, but it is just a beginning. The work of the World Teacher remains the same spiritual being through this period of transition, so we can look forward to the Christ being our guide for many years to come. The work of the World Teacher involves all forms of education, healing and, most importantly, the development of the love principle within the heart of humanity. It also involves the development of wisdom within the mind, which is created through an intelligent application of love within the life experience of each human being. It needs to be made clear that the word “Christ” is just one of many names or labels to designate the World Teacher in any world period. It is not to be confused with the development of Christianity. In this way, the work of this great teacher can be seen to include all religions, faiths, and ways of life. The current confusion and misunderstanding in world thought is an unfortunate outcome of religious exclusivity, as provided by human ignorance. It can be said, however, that Christianity was intended to be an outpouring of the actual life and teachings of this Great One, as a spiritual impetus and motivation toward betterment, for all of humanity, not just a chosen few. It might be more appropriate to call Christianity “Churchianity”, as the teachings of the Christian Church today bear little resemblance to the actual message of the Christ. This is tragically unfortunate, for it has led to a complete misunderstanding as to our actual spiritual reality, and who we are as spiritual beings. This gives new purpose and meaning to His inevitable return, and a new level of spiritual education for humanity is the intended outcome. The truth of His spiritual work and purpose will be revealed by Him in the near future. All is well, my friends. Having attempted to clarify this matter, it must be understood that the World Teacher, or the Christ, stands at the top of the Spiritual Hierarchy. He is the Master of all the Masters, the teacher of both souls and humans alike. He is considered to be “the eldest of all brothers and sisters”, as He was the first to achieve enlightenment through our very own human kingdom. This is proof that each of us will also achieve. “You will become like me, and much more” were his exact words. Will we listen this time? I think we will.
The Ashrams, Masters, Initiates, and Disciples
In terms of the Hierarchy, there are of course varying levels of awareness and achievement, for not all souls are at the same point in the evolutionary process. If you recall the ancient phrase, “As Above, So Below”, we can see the same to be true of humanity. Every individual has a different level of achievement based on their experience. This experience involves mental ability and unfoldment, emotional stability and understanding, the capacity for love and compassion, and success in the creative aspects of human living. Although our souls are indeed much further along in their development within their own sphere of activity, they also continue to evolve, and yes, even a Master continues to grow and expand beyond his or her current capacity. This is true of every life form or spiritual entity, from the lowest to the highest. We can consider the above labels of Master, Initiate, Disciple, etc., to indicate the level of consciousness developed by the individual soul. It would be more understandable for us to view the word ashram to designate a group. Likewise, a disciple would signify a spiritual student in training. These are words we can relate to in a more practical way. An initiate is one who has developed abilities of spiritual awareness outside our normal physical, emotional and mental fields of activity. The initiatory process itself involves five major expansions of consciousness that admit a person/soul into greater areas of ability, awareness, experience, and expression. *Technically, there are nine initiations available within our planetary system at large, but the higher four are beyond the scope of humanity’s particular evolution at this time. These initiations involve a spiritual evolution far beyond the human evolution we are discussing today.* These five initiations, available to humanity, can be viewed as guideposts to our ever-expanding spiritual self. A Master has taken all five of these initiations and is no longer required to participate in the physical portion of evolution such as we are, although they do make physical appearances in their effort to teach humanity and further the Greater Plan. A disciple, or spiritual student, is an individual who is actively involved in their own spiritual process and progression. Discipleship is our spiritual path and is the intended goal for humanity. Initiation, or higher spiritual advancement, is always undergone in group formation. Real achievement is never accomplished alone. You can see, therefore, the need for us to look beyond our own self-interest and activity and become more group aware and inclusive in all endeavor. As we begin to understand ourselves as not only an individual, but also part of a much larger group, that is humanity, we begin to understand our true nature and purpose. For the most part, our spiritual evolution happens naturally, over a long period of time. In this way, we do not need to worry about getting things right all at once or be concerned about all the details. Each of us will achieve freedom from limitation eventually! All we have to do is the best we can and understand life to be one of an unfolding process. It’s always about growing! There does come a point on our path where we do want to become more consciously involved, and this indicates the path of discipleship, and the welcomed path of initiation, which leads to the freedom we seek. If you are curious as to where you might be, it is likely you are either an aspirant, one who is seeking more self-knowledge and getting ready to walk the path of discipleship, or you are actively and consciously part of this path already. You will know. If you were an initiate, or a Master of the Wisdom, it is unlikely you would be reading these words. I, too, am just beginning to fully understand. I can say with relative certainty that I am a disciple in one of these greater groups or Ashrams and have my place and work within its greater whole. You, too, will find your place in due time, it is a guarantee. The most important part of our development is a consistent humility and self-honesty as we proceed. We cannot grow without knowing who we are and where we are. We all want to get to that better place, but we need to exercise wise caution, always. We do, brothers and sisters, want to be prepared for that which we seek.
The Externalization of the Hierarchy
Before we part ways, fellow companions, just a few more words, lest you find yourself reading a book! Our Spiritual Hierarchy has seven major ashrams or groups, and they have specific lines of work and types of energy they employ. There is a Master who stands at the head of each of these seven groups or departments, with six “lesser” Masters underneath, for a total of forty-nine. Within the major seven, we have hundreds, possibly thousands of initiates, and many millions of disciples. Many of these are already with us today in our physical world. The Masters, and the World Teacher Himself, will make their presence known to us, but the time is not yet. These seven groups or ashrams have their physical correspondences, or reflections, within our seven major departments of human living, such as government, religion, the sciences, etc. Our physical institutions have always been impressed or guided by their higher counterparts since the dawn of creation. It has come time now, however, for this guidance to happen in a more direct manner. Of these seven ashrams, it is the second ashram of “Love and Wisdom” that is of supreme importance to humanity today. We will see, therefore, vast improvements to our education in all its various aspects in the coming years. We will also see a major overhaul of all religious institutions, as they have lost their true meaning, and no longer impart through their teachings the practical value we so need today. All the institutions of our world will undergo transformation, as we need them to be more adequate vehicles for the new level of spiritual education we are ready to receive. This is how we will prepare for the coming of the “Enlightened Ones”. This process of externalization has been occurring for over one hundred years already and will continue over the next many years. We must understand these “Wise Ones” to have once been part of humanity itself. They achieved their great love and understanding by evolving through humanity, just as we are. This is how we will know them. Our next phase of spiritual education, and the fact of an existent Spiritual Hierarchy, is immanent. For this, we have long awaited. To all skeptics out there, you did not arrive at your current level of intelligence, your current ability to love, or your current level of creative faculty all by yourself. There are many who are involved in our development. It is time to view our reality as a group adventure. And to the religious zealots of the world, we cannot wait until we die to know the will and love of God. We cannot allow faith to be the only reality, and then deny what we wish to be true within our physical existence. There is no common sense or truth to be found in such a manufactured reality. We can only know these things through a conscious realization of our experience here. God is both omnipotent and omnipresent. This is our glory. Once again, welcome, Great Ones, we’re so pleased you could join us!
*If you require a more detailed analysis of the Spiritual Hierarchy, the path of discipleship, or the initiatory process itself, I cannot provide it here. This, for three reasons. First, certain techniques and methods of this process would have no practical value to average humanity. Second, it would be unwise to impart such information until many more of humanity have the physical, emotional and mental equipment to receive it, and subsequently, use it properly. Only increased soul awareness can provide these requirements. Third, I do not have enough experience of my own to impart anything of great value to you. However, if you feel ready, the Ageless Wisdom Teachings are available for public viewing, through the work of the Master Djwhal Khul and one of his students, Alice Bailey. “A Treatise on the Seven Rays” is what you’re looking for. This is my background and study, and I have found it to be an invaluable tool to understanding myself, the spiritual path, and the universe of which I’m a part. I encourage you to find the essential knowledge of your own soul as well. There are several volumes to this work, and it is the most current spiritual teaching available to humanity. The next phase of this incredible work is already on the way!
**I understand that the spiritual work, no matter where it is found, can appear somewhat vague in its presentation, including my own. Even the work of the Master Khul in the Alice Bailey writings is also somewhat veiled. There is a good reason and purpose for this approach. The reality, my friends, is that the revelation we seek can only be found within our experience, as we continue to pursue life to the best of our ability. The truth of light, love, and purpose can be found in our own hearts and minds. It takes courage, honesty, and willingness in order to succeed. Having said this, you will find the work of the Master Khul to provide plenty to think about and, one day, adequately apply in your life. If you find that particular work too difficult, there are many other avenues you can pursue. The takeaway here is to not give up or be discouraged in your pursuit of greater understanding. Life will indeed find a way! I encourage you, no matter what you choose, to find a group of like minds to share your studies and experiences with. The added value and richness to your life cannot be overstated.
All my love and support, be well