I understand that we can live perfectly well even if we ignore the existence of a white Brotherhood, or excluding the possibility of an initiatory Hierarchy that takes care of the destiny of the humankind, as opposed to a black Hierarchy that confuses, deceives and loses it. Therefore we can set aside the events of an initiatory Order made of Masters, Initiates and various degrees of Disciples (elders, accepted, on probation, etc..) whose teaching is based on the most appropriate topics of the initiatory science, which, through the Tradition perpetuated the Art of ‘developing Oneself'. In this way it has contributed to develop the conscience and therefore the consciousness and intelligence of the human being, initiating men and women.
I understand that we might also, just as easily, set aside the Idea of good and evil, attributing it to the misleading human nature. By doing so, though, we forget that good and evil are not casual phenomena of life but that they are often the result of free choice. This Freedom of choice is far from being comparable to the Free Will , due to its unconscious imperfection. Although their differences are regularly ignored, they remain.
Free choice originates from the casual combination of attractions and rejections. These emotions only consider the present contingent aspect. On the contrary, the farsightedness and wisdom that characterize the Free Will come from the animic intelligence (buddhic plane).
Perhaps the people who are not able to conceive such a hierarchy are not able either to recognize the different graduation of the scale of values of which Masters, Initiates (instructors) and Disciples are only a physical and formal expression. Therefore it is not so much the Master or the Pupil that we must consider, but the scale of values that they represent. This scale starts from the most common step of instinctive and ‘passional' promiscuity (pos-session - sex; see note 1), up to the apex of spiritual conscience that any good esotericist should try and recognize.
Individual values are the bases of consciousness. But we often forget that opinions have an absolute value only for the person that formulates it whilst, objectively, they are the lowest step in the intellectual scale of values. When subjective (personal) values are placed at the center of psychic and conscience activity, we risk intellectual anarchy and monothematic egocentrism.
In actual fact, the chaos of languages is the legacy of a monothematic and individualistic, ignorant and unconscious view that has separated the humankind, breaking its cultural habits into billions of little conflicting and separating opinions. The touchstone was not the truth, but what some influent person preferred to believe or idealize.
Monothematic egocentrism and intellectual anarchy are the main problems that afflict and divide the humankind; they separate the sentient being from the inner Path, which brings wellbeing and advantages in the physical form as well. I think that these topics should not be underestimated or rejected, but rather faced by researchers (of truth) with the utmost thorough care.
Nevertheless, I am also aware that my problems of yesterday are today's problems for many researchers. The approach of the super-sensible is not an easy choice. On the threshold of this journey deceit is common; ‘mistrust' seems to be the quickest medicine to sedate any ‘legitimate doubt' that might overcome the traveler.
Therefore as soon as possible we should replace mistrust and suspicion with attention, reinforced by more and more efficient knowledge. Knowledge is indeed the best warranty against deceit, dream and imagination. ‘To know and to learn' depends on the mistakes and snares of the individual journey.
But just as recognizing a Master is not necessary, accepting to work for individual progress is not a dogma either; at the most, disclaiming opportunities will become another karmic debt to be accomplished.
Note (1) of the Translator: in Italian ‘ possesso ' (possession) is made of pos and sesso (sex)