Masters

“A faint far horn was blown—I listened—and the hollow North grew thunderous and sweet with sound!

“From vaulted caves of ice, where the lone sea boomed, wild echoes of voices sprang.

“Voices, everywhere voices; snarls of vengence, shouts of defiance, wails of anguish;

“Women white-bodied and splendid, veiled with shining hair, lay faint on dead lover’s breasts.

“Symphonies infinite, wide as despair, sad, deep as regret, arose from the pit; all waking moved and sang and fought again.

“In the golden rose-shot mists of lover’s land, and wandering in horror strange as sweet, I cried:

“‘O dreams of Darkness, who hath conjured you to match me with a soul unmated,

“‘I, who fain would be alone, and yes, unloved, to follow out my life’s desire in paths of wisdom found?’

“And in the dim light they turned and lifted their hands while the sea snarled on, and in a sound which whelmed me like an ocean’s roar, they cried: “The Master.’” - Wagner

TO-DAY there are living in their physical bodies a number of men and women similar to the “Saviours of the World,” and in their atmospheres are atoms that resist the impressions of this earth. If we could contact their cloaks or Shekinahs we could hasten the development of some of our atomic structures. Also working silently and unknown are groups of people united to their own inner energy. These attract many who wish to join their administration.

Such people are in the Western part of Europe as well as in the East, and they work in their own areas. In their atmosphere much that is latent within us can be brought to birth. In the West some have given up their whole existence to the call and need of humanity to help it relate itself to its lost inner possessions.

We little realise what goes on in the world. We take things for granted and only at times of great distress do we call out to the Reality. Our thoughts revert to the past; to the days when great Initiates and prophets lived, not realising that they are still living in our midst, though seldom recognised.

Much occult literature has been written on this subject; but we think it as part of an imaginary world to have exalted views and idealise such great people. Thirty-six such men are now living among us who have attained a high degree of consciousness; though they vary in their receptivity to their Innermost and Reality. And should these men reveal themselves to the world they would be crucified by the very forces they seek to help.

The personal appearance of these Masters vary greatly. We have been told how they are supposed to look, and idealised pictures are sold by some societies for students to meditate upon. But idealists often make serious mistakes; and if the truth were told people would be greatly surprised.

Out of his body a Master appears as he desires; but in his physical body he is similar to the inhabitants of his country. I well remember my surprise when I first met my teacher: the merry laugh he gave me and the pleasure he took over his cake and ice-cream. My ideal of a Master fell from the skies; yet when one learns and begins to understand the great work he has done to bring about industrial relationship between capital and labour in the United States, one realises how great a man he is. He remarked to me: “To-day you must work from the top downwards; from the cause of things if you wish to help humanity, not from the bottom upwards as the Master Jesus did.” Also: “Keep your feet on the ground, live in the world, sense its activities and become its instrument. Then you can help humanity and give it enlightenment.”

This is why the physical body must be made strong; for it is the stepping-stone to the greater Reality. Get knowledge. Go where wisdom is found. Do not meditate on the way. The East is the East, and to build with material different from your own is to destroy that which you have laid down as your foundation. The Masters unite in saying: “Where your soul is planted bring to birth other souls as well. The seed is planted in the Earth; destroy it not with the seeds of other earths.” We have often noticed that teachers coming from the East to the West seemingly lose their clear atmosphere and become subject to their new environment.

I have never been told to address any of these great Initiates by the title Master: “We are nothing, the WORK is everything,” was the answer of a Master when I asked how I should address him. He added further as he looked at me and held out his hand: “Call me friend.” With this reply a great stream of energy swept over me and I felt that my real work had become implanted into my mind.

It makes no difference where one is born to gain the attention of a Master. Though unknown at first to the student, desire and prayer bring about a physical change, and the body and mind are severed from conditions that formerly possessed them. The light that shines above the brow of the aspiring student is recognised by the teacher, who calls its rays to his own mental atmosphere. It is by this symbol that the teacher recognises the student’s intelligence; for by a “Man’s light is he known.” This attraction comes from an intense desire to be of assistance to others and from a willingness to give up everything in order to gain a knowledge of the Reality. It is this aspiration and longing that brings the assistance of a teacher.

If we are really in the presence of a teacher he does not demand anything from us; yet his presence is sensed as something that gives us a new conception and impresses our atmosphere with a newer and more developed consciousness.

The world is divided into sections and each teacher has his own division wherein he is best suited to work; and the cry of the seeker is not passed over by the teacher in his section.

The teachers vary according to the density of the mental atmospheres in which they work; for they have to adjust their bodies according to their locality, and they adopt a vibratory balance and train themselves and their sensory systems to accord with their environment. If you looked into the face of the Atlantean or the great soul working in Russia, who looks like a Finn, you would realise what wonderful work they were doing, and what great strain their physical bodies must bear.

The great teachers will develop us if we are really in earnest; but we are often blinded by our own individuality, and desire to carry out its expression rather than react to the force of the sun in our mental atmosphere.

No teacher should be accepted who cannot demonstrate his ability to transfer his activities to his pupils. Many who teach cannot do this; and often surrender themselves to the mental atmospheres of others, so that they can be given the instruction needed, being unable themselves to contact their own spheres of intelligence.

The pupil expects when meeting a teacher that all obnoxious conditions will be swept away, and that he will be given powers and knowledge of wonderful things, be placed immediately upon the Path towards adeptship, be taught how to produce phenomena and be en rapport with the gods and Mahatmas. He does not realise that he must first shape and chisel his own stone; that he must construct his own foundations and build upwards with his own hands; and that he is not permitted to talk freely about those things he cannot demonstrate.

Though these great teachers know that the supply is limited, they do not take pupils willingly; for their atmosphere is not pleasing to them, and they have learned from experience that the student is apt to become conceited when immersed in their atmosphere. Being placed in condition that stimulate his mind, and having contact with a higher intelligence within his own mental atmosphere, the student begins to feel elevated to a knowledge not revealed to his fellows.

The teacher’s individuality expresses itself in the student’s atmosphere, and the teacher is responsible for the student’s activities in those spheres wherein Nature balances the mind-body’s atmosphere. Later on all intercourse is severed, and the student must rely upon his own efforts. This is a dark period for him. He is not mentally individualised and must progress along his own Path.

After the teacher has contacted the student’s mind with its higher counterpart’s activities he is sometimes sent to another teacher—for each one is a specialist—till the student is slowly absorbed into the centre of his own self-created universe and into the tri-unity of Nature.

The student cries OUT into the material world for a Master to accept him; but he will receive no answer; for the mind generates discord and the vowel sounds will not reach him. But if the student asks INWARDLY he will receive a reply; for the teacher can answer his pupil from any distance.

It will probably surprise the reader to know that many Masters live by the sweat of the brow. In Egypt there are two: one who intermittently carries on a humble vocation, and another, whose age we do not know; for his atmosphere expresses eternity and his name has been mentioned in ancient religious books. In America a great Initiate has at times worked in the fields as a labourer; but where his feet have trodden a more vital life springs up. To witness how he holds great forces in check and governs destructive minds would take a great author to describe.

We have records in our history of the death of sixty-two such men. That is: they met their deaths according to the methods of their day; but all were similar to crucifixion.

Does history know who it was drew the armed hosts of Mediaeval Europe to perish in the sands of Syria and Palestine in order that the wheat might again spring up in Europe and its youth be protected?

The history of these sacred men remains to be written. During these Crusades Initiates were among the Muslims as well as among the Christians. Women have taken a high place among the Initiates. Many teachers have left small occult schools, varying in different degrees of worth, behind them. A school may be latent for centuries until the world is again ready for its new manifestation.

It is through such people that the principles of the religions have been preserved from great antiquity, and the time will come when each race will return to its own racial stem of religious instruction, and Nature will return man to his own parental stem: his source of determined expression, and he will be tolerant to those who differ from him in religion.

Men who do things and do not borrow their ideas from the past and have consciously or unconsciously inwardly related themselves to a future period of development, are master minds. These increase the wealth of the world and are usually interested in the future welfare of their nation. They possess the greater wisdom of their inner planes, and when we meet them out of the body we find them working far in advance of their time.

The Yogi dominates himself before he dominates the thought-world of other minds. A positive attitude is needed for the student, as we have stated elsewhere; for a positive mind promotes the growth of other minds and does not sap their vitality. Yet the Yogi does not seek to dominate any mind about him; but as he lives his own truth his influence impresses thousands. Just as a great book can attract the minds of its readers to the author’s atmosphere.

There is always an atomic link between a creator and his public; his creative atoms permeate his manuscripts and the atmospheres of his readers. Thus is the reader unconsciously carried into the remotest places of Heaven and Hell through atomic influences.

We have the power of projecting our atoms into any substance that interests us, and a student can easily read the records of a family by projecting his mind into the surroundings of the fireplace; for generally when people’s minds are at leisure they concentrate and unconsciously magnetise this spot.

A teacher who has attained to Nature’s consciousness and his inner systems can link up those same qualities in a student; for an accepted pupil always has the right to challenge his teacher to demonstrate the things he teaches.

Students with artistic, poetical, or literary tendencies can be linked by their teachers to their sources of inspiration; for they are largely elemental in their atoms.

There have been many instances of a great teacher radiating a light through his pupils that has had a far-reaching effect upon the world. Socrates is an example. When the Delphic Oracle was asked: “Who was the greatest soul that Greece has produced?” the reply was: “Socrates.” For Socrates contacted many of his pupils to their inner spheres of creative activity.

Some years ago there retired to Philadelphia a great surgeon, and the master minds in industry and commerce when in great trouble would call and spend the night at his house. They were told to say nothing about their worries, but in the morning when this Master accompanied them to the station they would suddenly exclaim: “I have it!” And a light dawned on their minds showing them how to solve their problems. One of such instances occurred to myself, for I came away with a link in my consciousness from which I have never been severed.

There is a strange attraction that will draw a student into the atmosphere of those more developed than himself and through apparent chance meet such people.

Certain students are trained to step out of their bodies and allow their teachers, who may be physically in some distant country, to step in and do things that are beyond the student’s strength. This is called an Avesa. The pupil is fully conscious of this operation, for the radiation given his physical body is like the birth of a new consciousness; as though he were suddenly ushered into splendour and brightness from out a dark age of conflicting emotions in the astral world. He feels a peace never felt before.

Sometimes an Initiate’s body is used by the Reality for deeds of healing and many heavy burdens are removed by this atomic energy liberated at the descent of the Innermost’s power. Jesus said when a woman touched the hem of His robe: “Who touched My clothes?” For he felt that the energy of the Christ consciousness had withdrawn Itself from Him.

When we stand in the presence of our Innermost and demand our freedom it will come suddenly to us; a freedom the world knows nothing about; a freedom from bondage no matter where and how we may be placed in this world. For having released ourselves from our lower objective nature we know what freedom means for the first time. In The White Brother, elsewhere mentioned, we have said that the soul desires three things: freedom, love, creation. This freedom comes when our Master atom enters our Silver Shield, and this ascent of a higher intelligence severs us from many weights that have dragged us down to our animal nature and our body feels a lightness never sensed before. This sudden illumination awaits us when our Silver Shield is sufficiently strong to provide a temple for its presiding genius who is the wisdom intelligence of our mental plane. This great Being is a lawgiver, and in the secondary system guides and administers the law within its territories. He represents a half-way station between our objective selves and our Innermost.

In ancient occult literature they speak of seven steps or seven rungs of a ladder. When we reach our secondary system we arrive at our second rung. When the Master atom ascends its throne we are on the third rung; and when we enter Nature’s consciousness we arrive at our fourth rung; for the Master atom does not release itself from the seminal fluid until we have become conscious of the determinative energy in Nature.

As man is only four-sevenths developed into the image that the Nous atom represents, many occultists will tell you that they have arrived at their fourth step, whereas they are really but standing on their first or second. Only to those related to their higher centres will be revealed the other three steps; for we may not write about them. Only a trained mind can witness and understand the terror of love and law these states present to him. This is symbolised by the story of Moses meeting his Master Melchizedec. [The Comte de Gabalis]

In the development of a nation the Transformation atoms have to be brought to birth in order to bring to man its periods of mental culture and enlightenment. It is through man’s Master atom that the great literature of an age is produced: works the world proclaims as masterpieces. During the Elizabethan age in England we have an example of such a mind that drew upon its Master atom, and such was the supply of information that several writers—to whom he taught shorthand—even took down his table talk. This constant stream of illumined intelligence has lit the dark places of this world.

The Master with this development radiates these Transformation atoms of his Silver Shield into the atmosphere of his pupils who are in harmony with him. Many students have been awakened by the atoms of their teacher implanted within their aura. This cloak is often handed down to the student when the teacher departs from his physical body. It can also be placed upon the student’s shoulders for a moment when it is needed, and he will then know his teacher’s atmosphere and intelligence. There is an old hermetic saying in our literature: “Love will take your atoms to the most distant star.” For love is one of the greatest powers to direct a thing.

The Master’s cloak starts this impulse to vibrate his student’s body into greater activity. Students naturally think how happy they would be if this occurred to them; but this is really a most painful operation. The Master’s love atoms radiate into the student and this is what he enjoys; then the teacher sadly smiles and he suddenly realises how heavy his teacher’s burden is; a burden carried alone. The teacher often bears this in order that others may be free from those conditions that retard their development.

Ignorance has led people to think that a teacher can remove conditions that infect their atmospheres and “Bring their souls to birth,” by the simple demonstration of his hidden powers. They do not understand that the teachers take on conditions and then clear their atmosphere of this debris. They demand everything, never realising that the teacher has his own work to do and that he does not always have the power to clear his atmosphere; for sometimes these forces do not manifest when called upon, and having a physical body he is often inflicted by conditions of others until he can adjust his vehicle to his own subtle, tremendous voltage.

In the history of the Initiates we seldom read of much sympathy rendered to a teacher’s body and mind. People expect all and seldom think of him as a human being. Mary Magdalen was one who knew men. She recognised the human side of Jesus and ministered to His body and mind; for she had suffered and knew the evil of her day. Sometimes when out of the body a teacher will show the student the good in these women and assist them when they are in despair.

Mankind is generally cruel and selfish, and in their trouble and pain men call upon Jesus to relieve them of their burdens, and no just prayer remains unheeded. But they do not think of trying to assist the Master to whom they pray, to help him with his burdens. And this they can do by the pressure of their love.

The government of the Master atom’s administration is similar to the government of a nation under the protection of a Master mind.

The following are some of the principles needed for a master mind:

(1) Be above the thoughts of the minds of men.

(2) Be above the mastering thoughts of evil and master the composite bodies of your own evil thought-creation.

(3) Be always master of your own mind.

(4) Be above the minds of the masters who create mastering thoughts of evil, and make your mind master of them; for above the minds of evil thoughts your master’s stand ready to aid you.

(5) Be walled about by the good minds of the master’s spheres.

(6) Attract about you men with master minds; their forces will protect you.

(7) Command the forces of your master’s higher spheres, for they are able to master the minds of the men of evil who are ever near a master of magic; for these can dominate the minds above and below the spheres of man.

(8) Be master of your soul; for the soul has power over matter.

(9) Be master of your thoughts; for thoughts are mastering things.

(10) Be alert for your master’s voice as he is alert for yours.