First initiation: "Symbolically - The birth of the Christ in the cave of the heart." References - Blue Books IHS, LOM, TWM, DINA.
We saw that when man enters the hall of wisdom he sets his foot upon the path of initiation. The journey through the hall of learning is termed as "The Probationary Path" and it precedes the Path of Initiation or Holiness, and marks that period in the life of a man when he definitely sets himself on the side of the forces of evolution, and works at the building of his own character. He takes himself in hand, cultivates the qualities that are lacking in his disposition, and seeks with diligence to bring his personality under control. He is building the causal body with deliberate intent, filling any gaps that may exist, and seeking to make it a fit receptacle for the Christ principle.
The analogy between the prenatal period in the history of the human being and that of the development of the indwelling spirit is curiously interesting. We might look at it in this way:
1. The moment of conception, corresponding to that of individualization.
2. Nine months' gestation, corresponding to the wheel of life.
3. The first initiation, corresponding to the birth hour.
The Probationary Path corresponds to the latter period of gestation, to the building in the heart of the babe in Christ.
1. At the first initiation this babe starts on the pilgrimage of the Path. The first initiation stands simply for commencement. A certain structure of right living, thinking, and conduct has been built up. That form we call character. It has now to be vivified and indwelt.
2. At the first initiation, the control of the Ego over the physical body must have reached a high degree of attainment. "The sins of the flesh," as the Christian phraseology has it, must be dominated; gluttony, drink, and licentiousness must no longer hold sway. The physical elemental will no longer find its demand obeyed; the control must be complete and the lure departed. A general attitude of obedience to the Ego must have been achieved, and the willingness to obey must be very strong. The channel between the higher and the lower is widened, and the obedience of the flesh practically automatic.
3. The first initiation forms the crisis in the control of the physical body (just as the second initiation will correspond to astral, third to mental and so on. see my diagram of human principles from an ealier post).
4. At the first initiation the initiate becomes aware of the third, or lowest, aspect of the Ego, that of active intelligence. He is brought face to face with that manifestation of the great solar angel (Pitri) who is himself, the real self. He knows now past all disturbance that the manifestation of intelligence is that eternal Entity who has for ages past been demonstrating its powers on the physical plane through his successive incarnations.
5. At the first initiation he becomes aware definitely of the part, relatively inconspicuous, that he has to play in his personal life during the period ensuing between the moment of revelation and the taking of the second initiation. This may involve one more life or several. He knows the trend they should take, he realizes somewhat his share in the service of the race; he sees the plan as a whole where he himself is concerned, a tiny mosaic within the general pattern; he becomes conscious of how he - with his particular type of mind, aggregate of gifts, mental and otherwise, and his varying capacities - can serve, and what must be accomplished by him before he can again stand in the Presence, and receive an extended revelation.
6. There are certain aphorisms and injunctions which the applicant for initiation needs to study and obey (these are given as 14 rules for applicant in the IHS book) . There is a great distinction between the terms "aspirant to the Path" and "applicant for initiation." He who aspires and strives towards discipleship is in no way pledged to the same specific attitude and discipline as is the applicant for initiation, and he can, if he so choose, take as long as he desires in the treading of the Probationary Path. The man who seeks initiation is in a different position, and having once made application has to bring his life under a definite rule, and a strict regime which is only optional to the disciple. The rules given here are fourteen in number, and are gathered from a series of instructions compiled for those who seek to take the first initiation. As an example -
Rule 1: Let the disciple search within the heart's deep cave. If there the fire burns bright, warming his brother yet heating not himself, the hour has come for making application to stand before the door.
7. Four small initiations find their culmination in the initiation proper. These are the initiations on the emotional plane, called respectively the initiations of earth, fire, water and air, culminating in initiation the second. The first initiation marks the same point of attainment on the physical plane. Each initiation marks the attainment of a certain proportion of atomic matter in the bodies. The four initiations, prior to that of the Adept, mark respectively the attainment of a proportionate amount, as for instance: - At the first initiation one-fourth atomic matter, at the second one-half atomic matter, and so on to the consummation. The intuition (or buddhi) being the unifying principle and thus welding all, at the fourth initiation the lower vehicles go, and the adept stands in his intuitional body, and creates from thence his body of manifestation.
8. During this cycle of Seventh Ray of close on two thousand five hundred years, a specific number of men will pass on to the Path of Initiation, and take at least the first Initiation, thus transferring their centers of consciousness out of the purely human into the early stages of the spiritual.
9. You have been told that when the Buddha came and worked on earth, many aspirants entered the ranks of accepted disciples and many disciples took one or other of the major initiations. There was, therefore, a definite shift of the personnel of the Hierarchy and a great expansion towards Shamballa and, at the same time, towards humanity. When the Christ made his appearance on earth, there was a similar and still greater climaxing effort which culminated in the inclusion of disciples in the Masters' inner Ashrams. Hitherto, these Ashrams had been kept for those who had taken the first initiation. Before the time of Christ only those who had taken the first initiation and were initiate formed the Ashram. Owing, however, to the growing sensitivity of humanity, it was then decided that disciples could be admitted into the Ashrams and so be mentally and astrally en rapport with the inner group and begin to form part of the Master's sphere of directed influence.
10. The teaching upon the subject of initiation is given by all the Masters in three ways :
A. By Hints. These - if seen and followed - will evoke the intuition. Initiation is never taken unless the intuition is becoming active. Spiritual instinct, the lowest aspect of the intuition, indicates readiness for the first initiation; an illumined mind and spiritual intelligence are the definite sign that a man can take the second initiation, whilst spiritual perception or intuitive instinct signifies preparedness for the Transfiguration, the third initiation.
B. By the use of certain great Formulas and
C. Through the presentation of Points of Revelation
(See the books DINA for such teachings by DK and Red books by R.)
11. The ancient story of the Birth will become universalized and be seen as the story of every disciple and initiate who takes the first initiation and in his time and place becomes a server and a light-bearer. In the Aquarian Age two momentous developments will take place:
1. The Birth Initiation will condition human thinking and aspiration everywhere.
2. The religion of the Risen Christ, and not of the newly born Christ or of the crucified Christ, will be the distinctive keynote.
12. The first initiation is closely related to the planetary center which is humanity itself. It will produce, when over, an increased stimulation of the intellect as it expresses itself as ordered activity upon the physical plane. It is also closely connected with the third Ray of Active Intelligence. This third ray has been in objective manifestation since 1425 A.D. and will remain in incarnation throughout the Aquarian Age.
13. The first initiation can be described, in reality as: a. The grounding or externalization of the Christ principle in humanity as a whole and upon the physical plane. b. The flowering of the intelligence so that the initiate can work powerfully upon the mental plane and humanity itself be lifted up and aided throughout every part thereby. c. The coming into activity of the throat center and (because the third ray is closely connected with the first ray) the first faint orientation of the spiritual man towards Shamballa can take place, becoming more and more intensified and pronounced at the time of the third initiation.
14. The first initiation is purely the concern of the man's own soul, and the moment that that initiation has been taken, a measure of buddhic energy can enter and the process of transference of the higher ethers and their substitution for the lower can go forward. This, as you may well imagine, produces conflict; the personality etheric body rejects the incoming higher ether, and thus crises are produced in the initiate's life.
15. No one is accepted into the circle of the Ashram (which is the technical name given to the status of those who are on the eve of initiation or who are being prepared for initiation) whose physical appetites are in any danger of controlling him. This is a statement of fact. This applies particularly and specifically to those preparing for the first initiation.
16. The first initiation might be regarded as the goal and the reward of the mystical experience; it is fundamentally not an occult experience in the true sense of the term, for it is seldom accurately realized or consciously prepared for, as is the case of the later initiations, and this is why the first two initiations are not considered major initiations. In the mystical realization there is naturally and normally an emphasis upon dualism, but in the new area of unfoldment - visioned and later to be struggled for and attained, initiation by initiation - unity is achieved and dualism disappears. Students should therefore have in mind the following definite occult concept: The mystical Way leads to the first initiation. Having achieved its purpose, it is then renounced, and the "lighted Way" of occultism is then followed, leading to the lighted areas of the higher states of consciousness.
17. Key Thought of the first initiation in Christianity: "Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." (St. John, III, 3.)
18. There are many such amongst the sons of men at this time who have previously taken the first initiation, and a few who have taken the second, but who are nevertheless quite unaware of it, yet their centers and nervous organization carry proof to those. who have the inner vision. If initiation is taken for the first time in any life, the recollection of it extends to the physical brain.
19. These seven Words of the solar system, which form the logoic Word which we only know in its triple form as AUM, are revealed at the seven initiations -
At the first initiation is given the Word for the physical plane.
At the second initiation is given the Word for the astral plane.
At the third initiation is given the Word for the lower mental plane.
At the fourth initiation the Word for the higher mental plane is imparted.
At the fifth initiation the Word for the buddhic plane is given.
At the sixth initiation the Word for the atmic plane.
At the seventh initiation the Word for the monadic plane is given.
20. There are seven stages on the path of discipleship which are related to the initiations. The first stage (Little chelaship is related to the first initiation as they correspond to the physical plane) is the stage, wherein the disciple is contacted by the Master through some chela upon the physical plane. Here the disciple is closer to the aspirant, far from perfection himself and is also learning to serve. This stage of development covers the period of occult enquiry and esoteric investigation and usually is spread over several lives. The aspirant at this stage runs from one teacher to another, according to inclination, opportunity and necessity. He is an example of instability but is carefully watched by the disciple who has transcended this particular stage of volatility; his task is to see that the aspirant escapes from this "network of futility," as it is sometimes called, and that he gradually settles down to the later stage of interior investigation.
More on these stages is aptly covered in DINA volumes. I will end the post with the following words of advice from DK -
"The Path of Discipleship is a difficult one to tread, and the Path of Initiation harder still; an initiate is but a battlescarred warrior, the victor in many a hard-won fight; he speaks not of his achievements, for he is too busy with the great work in hand; he makes no reference to himself or to all that he has accomplished, save to deprecate the littleness of what has been done. Nevertheless, to the world he is ever a man of large influence, the wielder of spiritual power, the embodied of ideals, the worker for humanity, who unfailingly brings results which succeeding generations will recognize. He is one who, in spite of all this great achievement, is seldom understood by his own generation. He is frequently the butt of men's tongues, and frequently all that he does is misinterpreted; he lays his all - time, money, influence, reputation, and all that the world considers worth while - upon the altar of altruistic service, and frequently offers his life as a final gift, only to find that those whom he has served throw his gift back to him, scorn his renunciation, and label him with unsavory names. But the initiate cares not, for his is the privilege to see somewhat into the future, and therefore he realizes that the force he has generated will in due course of time bring to fulfilment the plan; he knows also that his name and effort are noted in the archives of the Lodge, and that the "Silent Watcher" over the affairs of men has taken notice."
Images are representing the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem (West) and birth of Buddha (East) indicating the First Initiation.
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