A discussion of the requirements of these two initiations, which
lead to liberation from strictly human experience, and prepare
the initiate for further spiritual evolution on one of the Seven
Cosmic Paths.
After
the soul has assumed full responsibility for the 'transfigured
personality', a period of intensive training is entered and an
unbelievable amount of knowledge is rapidly absorbed and accumulated.
The initiate must now learn thoroughly to grasp the laws of the
three lower planes, and how to wield them intelligently for furthering
the hierarchical scheme of evolution. He must become versed in
esoteric technicalities, and has to develop fourth dimensional
vision. He is not only working constantly at expanding his spiritual
nature, but he is simultaneously learning to direct the activities
of the building devas.
With
the Fourth Initiation the initiate is at last brought face to
face with his own Monad, his "Father in Heaven", who so far has
only been known as the spiritual Entity inspiring the soul. As
a result of this direct contact between the Monad and the soul-infused
personality, the functions of that vague concept, the Soul, which
for aeons has served as the intermediary between the Monad and
its instrument of manifestation in the three lower worlds, now
becomes redundant. The soul is consequently absorbed within the
Monad and disappears as a separate entity, and in its place naught
is left but the energy of Love-Wisdom, and the dynamic Divine
Will as directed by the Monad.
The
Fourth Initiate therefore is directly controlled by his Monad,
by means of the 'Bridge of Light' (the Antahkarana). For as long
as the initiate has to function or appear in the three worlds
of men, he avails himself of a 'personality' which to the average
man will have a perfectly normal appearance. The form side of
existence is, however, no longer needed as a medium for gaining
experience; from now on it will only serve as an outer mask through
which the initiate or the Master may unobtrusively work among
men to fulfil his spiritual purpose.
This
personality or body of expression will therefore not be the product
of physical procreation, but will be self-created by the focussed
Will and Purpose of the Monad, and it will thus not be subject
to the normal laws of nature. This body of manifestation will
not in any way limit the initiate or hold him prisoner; by means
of the applied Will it can at any time and according to the requirements
of circumstances be 'dissolved' or made to fade away from human
vision; it can be radically changed in outer appearance, or can
be transferred at a moment's notice from one part of the world
to another.
With
the Great Renunciation everything that used to shackle the disciple
to the material world is relinquished in order that the energies
and powers which the initiate controls may be applied to the benefit
of mankind as a whole. He is now dominated by the energy of the
will-to-good. He is still aware of the experiences gleaned from
his numerous physical incarnations, but he has discarded all that
proved insignificant, retaining only the essence which has been
transmuted into wisdom. As the purified distillation of the past,
his destiny now faces new realms of experience and spiritual adventures,
which will lead him from human evolution to Spiritual Evolution
and ultimately to the choice of one of the Seven Cosmic Paths.
Initiation
of Revelation
According
to human standards, man has attained perfection when he is ready
for the Fifth Initiation. This also marks the time when the initiate
has gained sufficient wisdom, love and spirituality to be admitted
to the acknowledged ranks of the Masters of Wisdom. The Initiation
of Revelation will place in the initiate's hands the power to
wield Light as the carrier of Life to all in the three worlds;
to his vision will also be revealed the next step to be taken
upon the Way of Higher Evolution. The Way is then revealed to
him in a totally new light, and it therefore signifies the true
emergence of the initiate from the tomb of darkness of material
being, and the entrance into the world of Reality and of Spiritual
Being which lies beyond all that man has hitherto sensed or known.
These are of course realms of thought and being which are as yet
far beyond human conception and comprehension, and these representations
are only briefly expressed to round off the picture which has
so far been sketched. It is realized that to the man in the street
these thoughts of the Tibetan's will be just ludicrous nonsense,
or the more sympathetic might regard them as the whimsical phantasies
of a fanciful dreamer!
The
Seven Cosmic Paths
As
pointed out before, the Path of Evolution is never ending. When
from the human standpoint liberation has been achieved after the
Fifth Initiation, new realms of expansion will be revealed to
the initiate. The realms to be trodden will ultimately include
the whole cosmic sphere, and are divided into Seven Cosmic Paths
of Evolution, each Path being determined by one of the Seven Cosmic
Rays of Energy. Each initiate has the free decision to follow
whichever Path he chooses, but the probability is that, as a result
of the Law of Attraction, the initiate's choice will be strongly
influenced by his vibration as induced by his Monadic Ray. Some
of these Paths may keep the initiate linked to the Hierarchy and
to Earth service for many aeons to come, whilst others may lead
to wider planetary activities within our solar system, or even
to outer-planetary or cosmic activities. The final decision as
to the Path to be followed must be made at the consummation of
the Sixth Initiation - the Initiation of Decision. From this decision
there will be no turning back.
Reprinted
with the kind permission of Share International Magazine.
