World of the Soul
Author's Introduction
Chapter 1: The Search for Truth
Chapter 2: The Soul
Chapter 3: Life and Form
Chapter 4: The Constitution of a Human Being
Chapter 5: Awakening to the Soul
Chapter 6: Masters of the Wisdom
Chapter 7: Spiritual Hierarchy
Chapter 8: Hierarchies of Life
Chapter 9: History of the Soul
Chapter 10: The Path of Initiation
Chapter 11: First Initiation
Chapter 12: Second Initiation
Chapter 13: Third Initiation
Chapter 14: The Continuity of Revelation
Chapter Ten
The Path of Initiation
The process of evolution — both material and spiritual evolution — is leading each and every human being toward the world of the soul and the Spiritual Hierarchy. All people are unfolding their spiritual nature or will eventually do so, and the end result will be entrance into the fifth kingdom of nature and the revelation of all the capacity and potentiality of the soul. The transition from the fourth kingdom of humanity to the fifth kingdom of souls is the path of initiation and of spiritual unfoldment.
The path of initiation is the process of revealing the Monad, the Spirit aspect of the human being. It might be put this way:
- Average humanity is seeking to unfold the powers of the mind, and thus coordinate and align the threefold personality nature. The result is the awakening of the Abstract Mind.
- The aspirants, meditators, and esoteric students of the world are seeking to unfold the Love aspect, and thus bring the soul into outer expression. The result is the awakening of the Spiritual Intuition.
- Initiates are seeking to express the will and purpose of their Monad, and bring matter and Spirit together into one whole. The result is the awakening of the Spiritual Will.
In this manner the three attributes of the soul come into full expression, and consequently a still higher aspect, the Monad, may then be contacted and expressed.
These processes of unfoldment are sequential, but they overlap a great deal. A normal human being does not suddenly awaken the Spiritual Intuition, and meditators students do not suddenly stop being students and start being initiates. All evolution is progressive, and builds upon past work. Thus those who are on the path to the soul are often seemingly ordinary people of the world yet at the same time may be initiates of a certain degree.
Initiation is a purely personal matter between one's self and one's own soul and Master. It is not a public matter. No true initiate announces that they are at this or that initiation, or has attained this or that contact with the Spiritual Hierarchy or with the Masters. Initiation is a purely private issue. A person may seem to be very ordinary and yet be a high initiate — the human eye cannot discern who really is or is not an advanced member of the Brotherhood. The only sure distinction may be made by observing those who publicly claim that they are initiates — they are surely not so. Anyone who claims that they are an initiate, or offers initiation to the public for a fee is, at best, misled. A true initiate never puts on airs, never presents what is not mysterious as a "mystery," and never is authoritarian in word or deed. A true initiate may often seem to be the most ordinary of all people, and may therefore successfully hide their status from the world — allowing them to do the inner, spiritual work that they are called to do undisturbed by the adulation of the crowds and the seekers of mystery and psychic powers, or even more likely, the condemnation of the credulous and the miracle seekers. A true initiate always allows others absolute freedom of thought; no obedience is ever expected except out of free will and a desire to obey the true Master — the Master within your heart, the spiritual soul, and the mind of truth.
There are, of course, many fine esoteric schools which offer "initiations" as a part of their study. The leaders of these schools would, however, be the first to admit that the initiations of the Spiritual Hierarchy — or of the "inner School" — follow on their work, of which theirs is of a preparatory nature. Their "initiations" are, in the last analysis, only meant to prepare us for the greater, future event, and may be valuable tools for that preparation.
The initiations that we are discussing here, that constitute entrance into the Spiritual Hierarchy and the Kingdom of Souls, are progressive unfoldments of our own true nature. They are the revelation of the inner Spirit or Monad. They set us free from the limitations, sorrows, and pains of the lower nature. They unfold the powers, potencies, and potential of our Divine nature. They give us entrance into a higher world, a world of freedom, liberation, and expansiveness, and a world of Intuition, Spiritual Will, and essential Being.
This process of transition from the human kingdom to the spiritual Kingdom of Souls operates under natural laws, and these laws can be known, understood, and followed. When they are followed, our evolutionary process is speeded up, the soul makes its presence ever more felt in our lives, and the result is the revelation of the Spirit aspect within us — a transfiguration of the soul that unfolds our Divine nature and sets us free.
These initiations are a part of nature — they are a natural consequence of there being a transition between the human kingdom and the Kingdom of Souls. We can see a lower correspondence of this when we discussed the "door of individualization." There, many ages ago, a way was opened such that animal-man could enter the human kingdom, attain self-consciousness, and develop what we now call the personality nature. This all occurred, to put it one way, through Divine Law and Order. It was all a part of the natural process of evolution, under a Divine Plan that called for the awakening of human life.
Today we may enter another door between the kingdoms, the "door of initiation." Again this is all a part of a natural process. If the concept of evolution has any meaning, then human life is not yet the pinnacle of the evolutionary process; there must be a way beyond, a road to travel, and a path to liberation. The five initiations that lie between the human kingdom and the Spiritual Hierarchy is just that path. Each step of that path has a direct relationship to some aspect of our human nature. Each step of that path links us up to some aspect that was previously unrevealed and unmanifest. Each step of that path takes us closer and closer to expressing who and what we really are.
Initiation is difficult and hard work. Few like the idea of working hard for their spiritual development these days; this is the era of instant gratification, where enlightenment may, so they say, be achieved by the pressing of a button, by the following of a certain ritual, or by providing the teacher with an adequate amount of cash to induce him to reveal the hidden secret. But a real initiation cannot be obtained from someone else; we have to do the work ourselves. Initiation isn't something that you do, it is something that you become. And initiation cannot be bought at any price less than the absolute sacrifice of the lower self and all its urges, desires, and ideals. It is only those who are willing to work on themselves and make real changes in their lives that achieve initiation. It is only those who, seeing the emptiness of form and the meaninglessness of desires, see no other choice than to transcend the limitations of the material world and therefore enter a higher world.
There are those who imagine that spiritual growth need not come through pain and suffering, need not come at a high price, and need not involve sacrifice. Why not, they say, simply proceed upon the path in joy? The answer, if any answer can be given, is to suggest an experiment. Let the questioner attempt to do the tasks suggested in this book. Let the questioner attempt to discipline the body and deny it the things it craves. Let the questioner deny the emotional vehicle its own desires, substituting in their place the will of the soul. Let the questioner attempt to control and subdue all thought-forms, and deny the mind its desire to control all action, substituting in its place the Spiritual Intuition. Let the questioner attempt to coordinate the personality and soul so that they are in harmony with each other. Then it will be all too clear that the path of initiation is neither easy nor quick, and that it requires hard effort and determined persistence. This is because the lower self rebels at the impression of the soul; like a wild animal, it is not accustomed to direction by any will other than its own. Yet it is our spiritual task to bring the lower self into harmony with the higher self, and unify personality and soul into one spiritual Whole.
Nevertheless it is true that the end result is joy; the revelation of the unquenchable joy of the soul. The end result is bliss; a Oneness with the world and all creation that makes life complete and whole. The path may be a path of thorns, of persecution, of pain, suffering, and agony, but the end result is freedom from all personal suffering and liberation from all human cares.
Initiation is a path of increasing responsibility. The average person is responsible for their own families, their own businesses, or their own worldly groups. Through the initiatory process the responsibilities grow — the influence of our soul becomes all out of proportion to our apparent status in life. We become capable of accepting more and more responsibility until we are adequate to be responsible for an entire field of service. Thus the Masters are organized into groups within the Spiritual Hierarchy, and each group is responsible for a certain field of activity, such as education, religion, politics, science, art, and so forth. An initiate is someone who is growing to the point where they can handle that kind of responsibility and work effectively in the field of world service.
If, therefore, we are successful in unfolding the qualities of our soul and expressing the nature of Spirit, then we will simultaneously find that our responsibilities have been increased as well. We will find that we have a wider sphere of service, a broader realm of work, and increased responsibility for the salvation of the world and the advancement of planetary consciousness. Initiation can be considered the recognition of the Hierarchy of the work done by the individual. When we succeed in living the life of the soul to its fullest, when we unselfishly serve and love humanity and the planet, when we discipline our lower self to make this work successful, then the Spiritual Hierarchy acknowledges this work, and initiation is a possibility. When we have lost sight of ourselves and our personal needs by a preoccupation with the need of others and the need of the planet, then the soul is liberated.
Initiation is, therefore, not some kind of gift that is acquired for being good. Initiation is not for the benefit of the personality at all. Rather, through the process of initiation, the personality is disciplined and conditioned by the soul to express soul powers and soul purpose. Initiation is, therefore, an achievement of the soul and not the personality nature; initiation is experienced by the indwelling soul, our true self. When we contact, identify with, and live in our true self, then initiation becomes possible and the soul grows ever stronger in our lives.
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Author's Introduction
Chapter 1: The Search for Truth
Chapter 2: The Soul
Chapter 3: Life and Form
Chapter 4: The Constitution of a Human Being
Chapter 5: Awakening to the Soul
Chapter 6: Masters of the Wisdom
Chapter 7: Spiritual Hierarchy
Chapter 8: Hierarchies of Life
Chapter 9: History of the Soul
Chapter 10: The Path of Initiation
Chapter 11: First Initiation
Chapter 12: Second Initiation
Chapter 13: Third Initiation
Chapter 14: The Continuity of Revelation