Throughout this series of presentations, the term “disciple” has cropped up repeatedly. Brief descriptions have been given about this word but the time has come now to delve into this subject in greater detail. The first thing to clarify is that what is going to be discussed is not meant for disciples of the Planetary Hierarchy themselves. They are under direct instruction on how to interpret the ideas about reality and any axions they may stumble across in esoteric literature. So what is the purpose of this series of presentations? It is to facilitate a basic orientation around the concepts of discipleship. This is not going to be a manual on how to become one. We have to realise immediately that we are all very far from achieving the goal of becoming a disciple. If we think otherwise, we are delusional. However, there is merit in knowing where we are all eventually heading and it is worth knowing the requirements for walking this path.
The most important requirement on any path towards an understanding of the meaning and laws of life is common sense. We are confronted with a maze of theologies and philosophies. How are we to find our way through this morass? By using our common sense. We must learn to be sceptical of everything that does not correspond to our own insights and experiences. We must always filter things by our own level of understanding. There is no use pretending you get something only to be left clueless. Scepticism is vital if you do not want to get pulled into a warren of ‘fake’ esoteric sects, set up by the Black Lodge, deliberately to mislead Humanity. Therefore, always test what is in front of you and never accept things uncritically. Remember, all roads lead towards unity. If anyone is offering exclusivity, turn round and run.
There are many kinds of discipleship and degrees within discipleship. However, once a disciple, always a disciple. This does not mean you always know you are a disciple. The first time you are accepted, you defiantly know, but in subsequent incarnations, this knowledge has to be renewed and that is person-specific. The underlying tenant in a disciple’s life is always to live for others. To serve Humanity and not yourself. Just acquiring esoteric knowledge is not enough, nor is reaching the stage of sainthood, (48:2). Achieving Universal Thinking and reaching the 4. Compassionate stage (47:5) is also not going to be enough. Remember, candidates for becoming a disciple of the Black Lodge have also achieved this level of evolution in their envelopes of incarnation. Just to make matters more complicated, the requirements to become an accepted disciple are continuously being tightened up, as the overall level of development of Humanity rises.
Alas, it is often the case that an aspirant who consciously and purposefully strives to become a disciple, thinks they are going to achieve their goal rapidly. It is just as erroneous to think that once you are a disciple, your next step is to enter the 5th Kingdom of Nature. An aspirant’s progress is as variable as the number of aspirants. If you had to list the two major hurdles that any aspirant is likely to come up against it is, 1) the amount of karma you still have in your kit bag and 2) the lack of the requisite qualities to become a disciple in the first place. So, how long is the path to discipleship? The rhetorical answer is, how long is a piece of string? Once you are accepted as a disciple, then the number of incarnations needed to take the (i3) is usually seven to twelve. Here is the rub, you don’t get accepted unless you are able to achieve this goal in this requisite number of incarnations. The advantage for the disciple is that they can rattle through these remaining incarnations in rapid succession if they choose to do so. Sounds good in practice but remember, these incarnations are likely to be the toughest in your entire journey through the 4th Kingdom of Nature and that is saying something.
How often do you meet people who have entered this sect or that, accepted some esoteric doctrine and therefore consider themselves disciples? Let’s take someone who is a Theosophist. This is one of the few groups that are not positively misleading their members. Through careful study, an aspirant may have liberated themselves from many of the ruling illusions and fictions. It is still a very long way from here to become an accepted disciple. If one is brutally honest, most students of esoteric doctrines have not progressed beyond being focused in their emotional, 48:1 permanent atom. The minimum stepping-off point for discipleship is being centred in your 47:4 permanent molecule. Laurency, wryly points out that if you think you are ready for discipleship, then you must have a) located the, approximate, eight other members of your soul group that will form the nucleus of your teaching circle and b) are you in telepathic communication with them? If the answer is ‘no’, then keep taking the tablets. So be warned. Just because you have heard about discipleship and you have become a vegetarian, or given up alcohol and smoking, does not mean you are about to receive the call. Realise that you are in for the long game and if you manage to get accepted in several dozen lifetimes, consider yourself lucky!
OK, so you have heard about discipleship. You have read the books and bought the T-shirt and are prepared to offer yourself up as a candidate. Do you know what you are signing up for? Have you really got any idea about the conditions that apply and the price that has to be paid? You may say, “I am willing to sacrifice everything”, but what have you ‘actually’ got to sacrifice? The sacrifice is the entire capacity of the 1st-self. Everything you think you are, you have to jettison. How many have got that far along the path? Laurency tells us that aspirants, who are old initiates, and who would theoretically possess the qualifications, as a rule, usually fail the simplest of tests they undergo. Why? Because everything you learn theoretically has to be put to the test and into practice in order for you to retain the lesson learnt. Even those at higher stages of evolution forget that they know nothing of higher realities. They may think they can spot a “noble” soul but things could not be further from the truth. ‘Outsiders’ know nothing.
The works of Alice Bailey, according to Laurency, are for disciples who are close to becoming 2nd-selves. The risk of misinterpreting what you read is high. You may think you have the mental capacity to understand what is written, but the reality is different. There are profound meanings that we are not ready to grasp. Even within discipleship, there are many grades. Ideas have energy and they affect us in ways we do not understand yet. Esoteric knowledge must be used in purposeful work. A student must know what they know and what they don’t know. Vague assumptions and supposed intuition are not good enough.
Formerly, disciples were taught individually. After the publication of esoteric knowledge through the likes of Blavatsky and Bailey, the stream of aspirants has increased dramatically. This is because many who had received some teachings before are waking up to the fact. This has meant that the Hierarchy has found itself with a teacher shortage. The solution has been to form small groups with a common consciousness. Formerly, teaching was slow and gentle. The master would initiate teaching processes of manifestation by putting his charge into a form of hypnosis and this would activate their chakras. The pupil could watch images that were drawn out of the Emotional World, at the atomic level (48:1). However, every teacher has their own method. Group teaching is a different process and more powerful. An individual would not be able to grasp the material. This process allows the group to come into direct contact with the Planetary Hierarchy. The Hierarchy is composed of monads of grades 45 and higher. Forty-six and 47-selves are not members. The soul group is usually led by a 46-self, who is a disciple of a 45-self.
Christ/Maitreya said, “if I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true”. What this means is that no initiate of any grade would announce themselves to you for who they are. Remember that the next time someone tells you they were contacted by a master. They knew this because they were told so by the master! Laurency wisely tells us that “we will reach furthest, who do not know where we stand, because all speculation of ignorance in that respect will mislead us”. We “follow the light we have” and leave the rest to our guardian angels, who know the path and can lead us along it.