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Discipleship in the New Age II - Teachings on Initiation - Part IX
Still another question could well be asked: What is the [384] attitude of the group during initiation if the individual members are undergoing different initiations? Is the group integrity imperilled? During the period of initiation, their attitude is one of focused, concentrated and deep meditation in which the inner attitude is given solely to the concept of Hierarchy. The disciple is not, at this time, occupied with the Ashram of which he is a part or with any questionings as to the nature of the Ashram into which he is now entering as an initiate - either as an initiate of the Earth initiations or, in the senior grades, as an initiate of the Sirian regime. He is - during the first four initiations - entirely centered in consciousness upon the larger whole wherein the Ashram to which he belongs is a part; he is attentive to the Christ, the Head of the Hierarchy, because he is the Initiator of the first two initiations which always seem to the neophyte of major importance. After the third initiation he is attentive to that "veiled Presence of awful Power who tests his fitness for working in the will of God." I would ask you to note the peculiar phrasing "working in the will of God," and to remember that that Will, centered or focused in Shamballa, is one of the great basic energies; the initiate has to learn to work in and through that Will. If, therefore, each initiate in the group is conscious of the initiation next to be taken, then subconsciously he eliminates all awareness of outer contacts and stands alone, and yet in group formation, before one or other of the two Initiators. The inflow of dynamic energy which comes to him through the application of the Rod of Initiation becomes a group inheritance and serves to galvanize, integrate and fuse the group into renewed activity and a deeper subjective union. 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." [385] I 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 focused 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 endeavor 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 realizes 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 realization 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.
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