Entering the Master’s Ashram

Earlier in this book and in Book 1 I discussed the fact that I was blessed by having contact with certain greater intelligences, or Masters of Wisdom. The Master DK gives more than hints to the careful reader who truly wants to make progress and serve the Masters. He outlines three means to help the struggling aspirant become fit for application to one of the ‘inner ashrams’ of the Masters. These 3 methods are:

1. Sanctified Service
2. Love demonstrating through wisdom.
3. Intellectual application. (pg. 282 LOM)

The Master DK earlier also specified that, “the choice of a pupil by a Master is governed by past karma and old association…by the ray on which they both may be found, and by the need of the hour.” (pg. 274 LOM) This is a huge statement that few aspirants are even aware of. Let us discuss #1 Sanctified Service, here the Master DK is very clear in the instructions he gives out.

“The word ‘sanctification,’ as you know, in the basic sense signifies the complete surrender of the whole being to one object, the Lord or Ruler. It means the giving wholly to the one the devotee aspires to. It means the consecration of the whole threeforld man to the work in hand. It entails, therefore, the application of the entire time and self to the bringing of each body under the subjugation of the Ego (Soul), and the complete mastery of each plane and subplane. It involves the comprehension of each evolution and form of divine life as found on those planes and sub-planes, with one aim in view and only one – the furthering of the plan of the Hierarchy of Light. The method followed is that of the intensest application to the work of rounding out the bodies and of making them fit instruments for service. It is perhaps the hardest way that a man can tread. It leaves no department of the life untouched. All is brought under law.” (pg. 283 LOM)

It involves the comprehension of each evolution and form of divine life as found on those planes and sub-planes, with one aim in view and only one – the furthering of the plan of the Hierarchy of Light. The method followed is that of the intensest application to the work of rounding out the bodies and of making them fit instruments for service. It is perhaps the hardest way that a man can tread. It leaves no department of the life untouched. All is brought under law.” (pg. 283 LOM)

Read this quote over slowly, digest it and then analyse what the Master DK is teaching us. This is not the type of instructions many hopeful New Agers expect. It is a stern 5th Ray and 6th Ray with a 1st Ray sub-ray teaching expressing definite demands that are necessary to become a worthy disciple of the Masters. The Master DK does not use platitudes to paint a rosy picture of the spiritual path. What teaching is hidden within the words of this quote? The first sentence gives us a definite direction of what is needed. The Master DK uses the word ‘surrender’ and to a ‘Lord or Ruler’. First we have to understand who we have to surrender to. Who is this ‘Lord or Ruler’? He doesn’t give any indication.

The Master DK doesn’t give any kind of teaching anywhere else in his writings about any ‘Lord or Ruler’. So what do we do? We have to search, ponder, and be open to unusual possibilities that take us out of our comfort zone.

For instance, I found mentioned in a very early Theosophical writing that the patron Buddha of the Trans-Himalayan Arhat School, of which the Master DK is a member, is Avalokiteshvara. Also Avalokiteshvara is the patron deity of Tibet. His statues are everywhere in Tibetan temples and paintings. Tibetan’s consider Avalokiteshvara to be the Lord of Love and Compassion.

Could this be an example of one of the Lords or Rulers that the Master DK is referring to? If you do extensive research into this Buddhist deity you generally find various descriptions of its form and that it is a Lord of Love and Compassion. This fact alone is a good starting point since the Master DK focuses a great deal of his teaching on ‘service’.

Avalokiteshvara being the Lord of Love and Compassion must come under the 2nd Ray of Love Wisdom of which the Master DK talks about as the synthesizing ray of our world system.

If Avalokiteshvara is this Lord or Ruler, then how do we surrender to it and what are we surrendering too? These are not easy questions to understand. Also in Treatise on Cosmic Fire, the Master DK mentions in a footnote that, “OM MANI PADME HUM” is the most sacred mantra given out to humanity. What he doesn’t mention is that this mantra is the mantra of Avalokiteshvara. Could this be it? Many times he mentions that he uses blinds that open for those who can see beyond the words.

The Master DK then points out that we must give our entire being to this effort all day and every day. How is this possible? Further he mentions that we have to master every aspect of our being, of our life and also have knowledge of the other evolutions on the planet. This is a tall order and really must only apply to the truly dedicated individual who is willing to make sacrifices.

They may meditate but generally their meditations are based on simple Buddhist forms of meditation such as watching the breath or as it is popularly known, ‘mindfulness meditation’. He is also writing for the occidental who is based on the Judeo-Christian tradition and therefore has almost a phobia regarding a spirituality based on multiple forms of god.

Thus in the teachings given out by the Master DK via Alice A. Bailey there is no reference to the pantheon of deities of Eastern schools of philosophy. Yet as the Master DK points out, the aspirant has to read between the lines plus use the intuition to reach deeper into the teaching.

For instance, “sea of storm and passion will be superseded by the sea of glass, which directly reflects the higher intuition, and mirrors it with perfect accuracy, being unruffled and immovable” (LOM pg. 283) – the italicised part of this quote is a perfect description of the characteristics of Aksobhya Buddha one of the Five Dhyani Buddhas of Transformation.

The Wisdom of Aksobhya is ‘mirror like’ reflecting all in the universe and his power is unshakable and immovable. Thus through meditation on Aksobhya as a living Buddha energy, uniting with it through a strong discipline, perseverance, and surrender then the aspirant will attain to the qualities of Aksobhya and in the process transform the personality.

In this way the aspirant, who now is a disciple, will also attain a degree of mastery of the ego, as it says in the quote, “therefore, the application of the entire time and self to the bringing of each body under the subjugation of the Ego” becomes a suitable vehicle for conscious service to the Hierarchy.

There are other quotes in the Master DK’s teaching that point to some of the other Five Dhyani Buddhas. These are more the ‘rulers’ referred to in the main quote above. Once you penetrate into the core teaching of these five Buddhas the knowledge becomes practical and can be used in so many ways every day.

For example, if your mind is unruffled or unshakeable then such passions as anger and envy will not rise when such a situation is encountered during the work day. Thus in time the astral body becomes calm and more reflective of the higher mind and not so prone to fluctuations and reactions to external events.

It is a long process of self-discovery through trial and error, pain and moments of great joy entering a world where words cannot truly capture the experiences. As the quote above points out, it’s not easy, “perhaps the hardest way that a man can tread”. It is very hard where every aspect of your being is strained and tested as to its worth. That’s why initiates are ‘made’ not ‘born’. To learn more read my blog on The Secret Science on this website.