Alice Bailey & Djwhal Khul - Initiation, Human and Solar - XI

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Initiation, Human and Solar - Chapter XI - The Participants in the Mysteries

The Lord of the World, the One Initiator, he who is called in the Bible "The Ancient of Days," and in the Hindu Scriptures the First Kumara, he, Sanat Kumara it is, who from his throne at Shamballa in the Gobi desert, presides over the Lodge of Masters, and holds in his hands the reins of government in all the three departments. Called in some Scriptures "the Great Sacrifice," he has chosen to watch over the evolution of men and devas until all have been occultly "saved." He it is who decides upon the "advancements" in the different departments, and who settles who shall fill the vacant posts; he it is who, four times a year, meets in conference with all the Chohans and Masters, and authorizes what shall be done to further the ends of evolution.

Occasionally, too, he meets with initiates of lesser degree, but only at times of great crises, when some individual is given the opportunity to bring peace out of strife, and to kindle a blaze whereby rapidly crystallizing forms are destroyed and the imprisoned life consequently set free.

At stated periods in the year the Lodge meets, and at [107] the Wesak Festival gathers under His jurisdiction for three purposes:

To contact Planetary force through the medium of the Buddha.

To hold the principal of the quarterly conferences.

To admit to the ceremony of initiation those who are ready in all grades.

Three other initiation ceremonies take place during the year:

For the minor initiations administered by the Bodhisattva, all of which are in the department of the Mahachohan, and on one or other of the four lesser rays, the rays of attribute.
For the major initiations on one or other of the three major rays, the rays of aspect, which are administered by the Bodhisattva, and are therefore the first two initiations.
For the higher three initiations at which Sanat Kumara wields the Rod.

At all initiations the Lord of the World is present, but at the first two he holds a position similar to that held by the Silent Watcher, when Sanat Kumara administers the oath at the third, fourth and fifth initiations. His power streams forth and the flashing forth of the star before the initiate is the signal of his approval, but the initiate does not see him face to face until the third initiation.

The function of the three Kumaras, or the three Buddhas of Activity at initiation is interesting. They are three aspects of the one aspect, and the pupils of Sanat Kumara. Though their functions are many and varied, and concern primarily the forces and energies of nature, and the [108] direction of the building agencies, they have a vital connection with the applicant for initiation, inasmuch as they each embody the force or energy of one or other of the three higher subplanes of the mental plane. Therefore at the third initiation one of these Kumaras transmits to the causal body of the initiate that energy which destroys third subplane matter, and thus brings about part of the destruction of the vehicle; at the fourth initiation another Buddha transmits second plane force, and at the fifth, first subplane force is similarly passed into the remaining atoms of the causal vehicle, producing the final liberation. The work done by the second Kumara, with second subplane force, is in this solar system the most important in connection with the egoic body, and produces its complete dissipation, whereas the final application causes the atoms themselves (which formed that body) to disperse.

During the initiation ceremony, when the initiate stands before the Lord of the World, these three great Beings form a triangle, within whose lines of force the initiate finds himself. At the first two initiations, wherein the Bodhisattva functions as the Hierophant, the Mahachohan, the Manu, and a Chohan who temporarily represents the second department perform a similar office. At the highest two initiations, those three Kumaras who are called "the esoteric Kumaras" form a triangle wherein the initiate stands, when he faces the Planetary Logos.

These facts are imparted to teach two things, first, the unity of the method, second, that the truism "as above so below" is an occult fact in nature.

At the final two initiations many members of the Hierarchy who are, if one might so express it, extra-planetary, and who function outside the dense physical and the etheric globe of our planet, take part, but a stricter enumeration is needless. Sanat Kumara is still the Hierophant, yet in a [109] very esoteric manner it is the Planetary Logos himself who officiates. They are merged at that time into one Identity, manifesting different aspects.

Suffice it to say, in concluding this brief statement, that the making of an initiate is an affair with a dual effect, for it involves ever a passing on of some adept or initiate to a higher grade or to other work, and the coming in under the Law of some human being who is in process of attainment. Therefore it is a thing of great moment, involving group activity, group loyalty, and united endeavor, and much may depend upon the wisdom of admitting a man to high office and to a place in the council chambers of the Hierarchy.

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