I was on vacation for a few weeks. I/We continue the journey of discipleship as well as true unbiased assessment of ourselves on that path. We took notes on the first two initiations. Before we take notes on third initiation and higher ones, it will benifit us to take notes on discipleship in the Aquarian age and how it will combine the old methods along with the new ones (such as working in groups). I shall comment (express why that point is so interesting at this time to my viewpoint) on the notes (enumerated in each of the posts) taken from the Blue Book "Discipleship in the new age volume one". The books (Vol 1 and 2) contain talks by one of the Masters of the Wisdom (DK/D.K./Djwal Khul/The Tibetan) to some members of His inner group, and also a series of personal instructions, given by Him to a group of His disciples.
1. "Many of these people were unknown to me when they were brought to my notice; some of them I have since met; others I have never met; some I knew well and could understand why they had been chosen, knowing that their dedication to the life of the spirit and their love of humanity warranted the choice; one or two were regarded by me as most unsuitable choices but later I altered my point of view and recognised that a wiser mind than mine was responsible for their inclusion in the Ashram. I learnt also that ancient relationships, established in other lives, were also conditioning factors and that some had earned the right to inclusion, even if their spiritual attainments seemed inadequate to the onlooker."
- This statement by Alice Bailey in the foreword reminds us of the idioms "don't judge a book by its cover." or "All that glitters is not gold." meaning one should not judge the worth or value of something by its outward appearance alone. We see that even a high initiate (3) Bailey herself humbly acknowledges that she failed to see earlier (why some disciples were chosen for the seed experiment) what could only be seen by an even higher initiate (5) DK.
2. In the old days, the Master gave His disciple a hint or a point upon which to ponder and meditate or He might indicate some need for changed habits of thought. Then the disciple went away—sometimes for years or an entire lifetime—and reflected and thought and attempted to alter his attitudes without any particular sense of pressure. Today, in our speedier times and when the demand of humanity for help is so outstanding, the hint has given place to explanation and the disciple is trusted with information, hitherto withheld. He is regarded as having reached a stage in his unfoldment at which he can make his own decisions and proceed with rapidity, if he so chooses.
- In todays fast moving world we can infer that one cannot just sit in meditation as an ascetic but he/she is required to understand that which is explained in the blue books and implement it in the daily physical life.
3. The day has now come when belief can (and does) give place to knowledge—a knowledge gained through the acceptance of a hypothesis in the first place, a conviction that this hypothesis is backed by adequate testimony and planned experience. The reasoning mind of the disciple can then take the successes and failures he encounters in his training and learn the intended lessons; he finds that progress upon the Path brings a man into closer, conscious touch with Those Who have walked this Way before and that the Way into the Hierarchy is a way of discipline, of increasing enlightenment, of service to his fellowmen and of a growing responsiveness to contacts and to individuals of which the average human being knows nothing.
- Through a rigorous discipline, thinking/contemplation/enlightenment and service, we are required to test the hypotheses (and suggestions by DK) scientifically/logically for their validity ourselves.
4. A second reason for publishing this book is the need to change the point of view of the general public as to the nature of these Masters Who take pupils and Who, whilst giving them the training needed to enable them to take initiation (as it is called), reach the mass of men through their means. So much stupidity has been demonstrated in writing and talking about the relationship of Master and disciple that it was felt both by me and this group of disciples that the sanity, the breadth of vision, the lack of authority, and the understanding evidenced by a Member of the Hierarchy could do nothing but good. We found also that He was quite ready for His instructions to be made public.
- Bailey states one of the reasons why DK and his group allowed some of the personal instructions be made public. These are so apt and applicable for us who are making the efforts now (or will be making in the near future) to walk this path.
5. A third reason was the desire to make clear a point which is continually emphasised by the Tibetan as it is by all Masters and which is of major importance to every aspirant. Only those who are beginning to come under the influence and the control of their own souls and are, therefore, mentally focussed and attuned, are eligible for the training offered by the Hierarchy. Devotion, emotional reactions and sentiment are not enough. Esoteric training is also an impersonal matter; it is concerned with the development of soul consciousness and with the expansion of that consciousness to include, and not exclude, all forms of life through which pulses the life and love of God. The true disciple is ever inclusive and never exclusive. It is this inclusiveness which is the hallmark of all true esotericists. Where it is lacking you may have an aspirant but you do not have a true disciple.
- The tendency to separate is the ancient habit of humanity (and we are all a part of it) yet a true disciple is differentiated by his ability to synthesize, unite and fuse.
I shall be restricting myself to around five points to keep the posts short and accessible for the future reference.
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