Let us continue to look at the process of discipleship. When a person seems to possess the necessary qualifications to pursue the “Path” effectively, a Master may focus on that person for a period known as “probation”. During this time, the person will be closely observed. The pupil will not have direct communication with the Master and is unlikely to hear or see anything from him. Normally, no special trials or difficulties will be put in the aspirant’s way. The person will be carefully watched to determine their attitude towards the daily troubles of life.
For convenience of observation, the Master makes what is called a “living image” of the probationary pupil, that is, an exact duplicate of the person’s etheric, emotional, and mental bodies. He keeps this image in a place where He can easily reach it and places it in magnetic rapport with the person themself so that every modification of thought or feeling in the person’s own vehicles is faithfully reproduced in the image.
The Master examines these images every day. This allows Him to obtain a perfectly accurate record of His potential pupil’s thoughts and feelings with minimal effort. Based on this information, He can decide when to bring the potential pupil into a closer relationship, known as the Accepted pupil, which I will describe shortly.
Laurency states that during the entire progress of becoming an accepted pupil to taking the (i3), the master directly introduces himself to his pupil just three times. Why so few meetings? The answer lies in the Law of Self Development. We have to pull ourselves up by our own bootstraps. We can not be spoon-fed everything and expect to become Gods. We have to do the hard work ourselves. That is not to say that your teachers are not putting signposts into your life to guide you and whispering in your ear. Rather than being given answers, the pupils are asked questions in life, and they have to solve them.
When a disciple is accepted, there isn’t usually much of a formal ceremony. The teacher gives some words of advice, informs the new student about what will be expected of them, and sometimes, in a kind way, finds a reason to congratulate the student on the work they have already accomplished.
The live image created by the master of their pupil reflects not only flaws or disruptions; it reflects the entire state of the student’s awareness. It’s important to remember that the student must attain not just a passive but also an active virtue as a requirement for progress.
If a student on probation does something exceptionally well, the Master will briefly give them extra attention and may offer some form of encouragement or assign them additional work to see how they handle it. However, the Master often delegates this to some of his senior students, and in today’s environment, there is almost complete delegation of authority to senior pupils of the master.
The connection between the student and their teacher is mainly based on observation, with occasional interaction. The masters typically do not use special or sensational tests. Instead, they allow the student to lead their daily life, believing that their actions and behaviour provide adequate insight into their character and progress.
The average probation period is said to be seven years, but it can be extended indefinitely or, on the other hand, significantly shortened. It has been known to last for thirty years and has also been reduced to just a few weeks. During the probationary period, the person’s highest consciousness operates on the higher mental plane, according to Leadbeater. This tells us that the probationer has moved the focus of their monad into the 47:4 permanent molecule. This is effectively a prerequisite to begin one’s training.
When students are “accepted,” they become part of their Master’s consciousness to such an extent that whatever they see or hear becomes known to their Master. It doesn’t mean the Master sees or hears it at the same moment, although that often happens, but rather that it is stored in the Master’s memory as it is in the student’s. The Master can recall it at any time. Similarly, whatever the student feels or thinks is also within the emotional and mental spheres of their Master.
The teacher merges the student’s energy field with their own so that their abilities can be constantly active through the student without the need for the teacher’s direct focus. It’s important to note that the student shouldn’t just be an unconscious channel; instead, they must become an actively intelligent collaborator.
If, unfortunately, a thought should enter the pupil’s mind that is not appropriate, the Master immediately blocks it and prevents it from affecting him. Doing this briefly redirects his focus from his other tasks and requires some energy.
The bond between the student and the Master, which starts with acceptance, is permanent. This means that the higher aspects of the student are always in sync with those of the Master. Throughout the development process, the student becomes more and more similar to the Master. The student’s thoughts are frequently focused on the Master and His influence. As a result, while the student is open and responsive to the Master, they become less susceptible to negative influences.
It is not expected that a pupil should be constantly thinking only of their Master. Still, it is expected that the image of the Master should always be in the background of their mind, readily accessible and available whenever necessary in the ups and downs of life. While it is essential to have reasonable relaxation and change of thought for mental well-being, the pupil should be careful not to entertain any thoughts that they would be ashamed for his Master to see, even for a moment.
The process of attuning can only occur slowly. A living being is being shaped, and it’s important for the gradual internal growth to adapt the form to external influence, similar to how a gardener gradually shapes the limbs of a tree.
Despite the Master working with thousands of people at once and also engaging in higher work, the effect is as if He is focusing solely on the pupil, providing greater attention than we are capable of when we concentrate on just one person. The Master now delegates the task of adjusting the lower bodies to some of His older pupils while maintaining a continuous connection between His own vehicles and those of the pupil. This is how He helps His pupils the most, even if they may not be aware of it.
The accepted pupil becomes an extension of the Master’s consciousness so that whatever is done in the pupil’s presence is done in the Master’s presence. Although the Master may be unaware of these events when they occur, as mentioned earlier, they are stored in His memory afterwards. The pupil’s experiences thus exist in the master’s mind as part of His own knowledge as soon as He focuses His attention on the relevant subject.
The consciousness of a pupil and a Master are interconnected, such that even physical stimuli like a slight shock or noise in the pupil’s consciousness are also experienced by the Master. As a result, a wise pupil aims to prevent any form of shock, making them generally gentle and tranquil individuals.
A student is always connected with their master by a constant current of thought and influence, which expresses itself on the mental plane as a great ray or stream of dazzling light of all colours, including violet, gold, and blue.
When a student directs a thought of devotion to their Master, the result is a sudden brightening of the colours of the light bar and a clear flow of spiritual influence from the Master to the student. This is because the Master’s power constantly flows outwards in all directions, much like sunlight. The students’ thought strengthens their connection with the Master and creates a wider opening through which the vast ocean of the Master’s love can flow.
The bond between the student’s consciousness and their Master is so strong that, as mentioned in a previous discussion, the student can always perceive their Master’s thoughts on any given subject, which often helps them avoid making mistakes. This privilege must not be misused. It is a power of ultimate reference in questions of great difficulty. It is not intended that the pupil should save themself the trouble of thinking or of deciding ordinary matters which they are reasonably competent to determine for themself.
Similarly, at a higher level, the Initiate can align their thoughts with those of the Brotherhood and absorb as much of their profound awareness as they, at their level, are capable of comprehending. The Initiate must also make sure not to introduce anything disruptive into that powerful collective consciousness, which is functioning as a unified whole.
The Master has the ability to send thoughts to the pupil, either as a suggestion or a message, at any time. This can happen while the pupil is writing a letter or delivering a lecture. In the beginning, the pupil may not be aware of this, but they soon learn to recognise the thoughts of the Master. It is crucial for the pupil to be able to identify these thoughts, as there are other beings on the emotional and mental planes who may also make similar suggestions. It’s important for the pupil to distinguish where the thoughts are coming from.
If a master has thousands of disciples and can have this degree of intimacy with them simultaneously, how is that manageable? The answer must lie in the capacities a monad develops when they are a 45-self and can function in seven dimensions.
In the following presentation, we will continue our look at the interactions between the master and their pupils and just how powerful this relationship is.