Question… one of the serious questions is: which rays do I belong to?

Answer: amongst the many systems to recognize a ray, the safest one is to observe actions. When we watch a child playing we can recognize his main characteristics; in the same way if we observe the behavior of a Postulant we will know his spiritual inclinations (which are the hidden qualities of the Aspirant). In order to discover a child’s attitude we need the help of a psycho-therapist and in the same way for an Aspirant’s attitude we need an Initiate; even better if the latter operates on the ray of Instruction (the 2nd Ray, called Love-Wisdom).


Question. I’ll be more explicit: may I really have been in contact with the part of me I guess being ‘higher’? ….

Answer: Look, without going into what you by yourself call ‘hypothesis’, what characterizes the contact with the Higher Ego (but there are several as much dominating) is, so to speak, a sense of illumination, namely impersonal intelligence. We can perceive it because we are able to understand the hidden sense of things that used to express only their exterior meaning. Careful, though, this feeling can be distorted by enthusiasm and expectations. It is essential, then, the guide of an elder Brother or Sister, who will help us distinguishing emotional enthusiasms from true intellectual achievements.

This achievement will be proportional to our expansion of conscience. It follows the growth of particular intellectual faculties; otherwise it will all stay in the field of expectation, hope and faith. These elements don’t help progressing spiritually. Remember that spirit and intelligence are two sides of the same coin.


Question. The question seems to me of vital importance not only in the process of self-recognition, as you suggested ….

Answer: if you are referring to the rule: by recognizing you will be recognized, I meant: when you will recognize your earthly master he will be able to show himself for what he is, namely your guide. Otherwise, without reaching a high level of conscience, self-diagnosis (or self-recognition) is impossible. Therefore we need an earthly master that works as a SPECULUM, which is the mirror to show us what we can’t see by ourselves, or rather what we prefer not to see because we don’t like it!


Question. Service is the most difficult subject for me to face, because it is not about choosing but it is about accepting. And the acceptance must be joyful, perhaps, when the contact with the Soul will be real and not only perceived or imagined or desired.

Answer: this statement makes me think of a vision far away from objective reality. I’ll give you a reference point to make it clearer.

The contact with the soul marks the accomplishment of the 3rd Initiation, so called Major, where the adept becomes one with the soul. In this fusion (spiritual communion or celestial wedding), in the contact between soul and personality, the true Disciple which is the soul and not the personality, appears. Many ignore that it is not the personality (earthly disciple) that is the true Disciple, but the soul; only the soul is the (almost) permanent part of the being.


Question. What I’m trying to say is that I understand the Service is neither chosen according to our taste, nor we decide to face it through an act of personal will. On the contrary, it should be a natural behavior ….

Answer: we must say that we are called to the true Service.

We are called, or expected, by those who guided or educated us in an initiatory way; otherwise, even if we are in good faith, it could be an activity only based on imagination.

Let’s see it in this way.

The guide educates us but then we must see if what we’ve learnt really ‘works’. How do we do this? Through the Service.

The Service, therefore, is the test-bed of the Disciple; at this stage he is said to be in trial.

If everything ‘squares’ this means Acceptance. Once the tests are passed, then the Disciple becomes ‘Accepted’.

The Accepted Disciple can (for the first time) approach his Master at any time he thinks necessary and useful for reasons connected to the Service and Instruction.

Mind you, the Instruction offered by the Master is finalized to the Service, because the Service is the practical aspect of the Teaching.

The Service is the Instruction that the Master gives his Pupil; it is what the Pupil will do outside in the name of the teaching. Both aspects undergo the Law of (cosmic) Economy.


Question. I think the same thing should happen towards the recognition of the Master. These aspects are certainly inter-dependent with each other. There as well, though, I can’t record any ‘signs’ of my perception.

Answer: the Master is a real ‘form of thought’, not an image. A Master is an ‘intelligent form’ and only a suitable form of intelligence (forma mentis) can be in touch by mutual synchrony (please read the brief comment on Dharma and intelligence). Looking for him through perception, sensitivity or feelings doesn’t help.

Perception, sensitivity and feelings can be useful to form the right motivations, but they are simple emotional tensions and therefore they can’t ‘shape’ a true ‘connection’ (Bridge) with a being of a higher intensity.

It is said that an Accepted Disciple (earthly master) can be the Door to the Master. It is true. To be able to be guided by an Accepted Disciple means to be in synchrony with the Master, even if through a third person. If we are in synchrony with the Accepted Disciple it means that his Master is our Master as well.
The initiatory Hierarchy is a Brotherly Chain but the image of the Chain is quite exoterical. I’ll offer you another one, then, which was given to me a while ago and it’s more suitable to the idea it should suggest.

The Initiate was standing with his arms up towards the sky and slightly spread. He told me: this is the symbol of the Disciple, a Cup ready to receive and be filled with the Teaching given to him. He then brought the right arm towards the ground and said: look, once filled, the Disciple must not hold anything of what he’s received; in the same way it has been given to him, he must be ready to offer what he knows to those who follow him and in the same form he received it.

I think this is a good lesson to show the sense of the White Brotherhood and the relation between Aspirant and Instructor.


Question. At the moment it seems to me that the wisest attitude is to work on the daily life, to accept challenges, to use the consciousness experienced in moments of meditation into everyday life, without setting any specific goals.

Answer: you’ve identified a very important key for those who ‘knock at the Door’; it is to experiment.

To experiment causes us to make mistakes but it also makes us wise. It is the only way to recognize the correct proportions of the realities that surround us and we ourselves contain. For this reason the Postulant is asked to ‘abandon the world of words’. I’d think about the sense of this advice, which on the other hand can’t be misunderstood.


Question. When this notorious contact will be steadier, perhaps many of the above doubts will be clear and the practical way to follow will appear more definite….

Answer: for the steady contact you are looking for I refer you to the short article on Dharma and intelligence; this contact is in fact the intuitive mind. It is an intelligence that on the physical level can be considered a first spiritual phenomenon.


Question … yet, sometimes, I admit I feel disheartened ….

Answer: this feeling is understandable and natural during the stage when we ‘look at the sky through the clouds’. Sure, we know the stars are there, but can we see them, yet…


Question … to transform these depressive tendencies is a task I’ve been facing for many years, even when I didn’t have any spiritual interest…

Answer: A Master of the Hierarchy described carefully every symptom occurring on the Way to Discipleship.

If you will remind me, I will bring back to this List some of the most common physical and emotional discomforts, such as loneliness, doubt and discouragement. In actual fact I don’t remember too well all the subjects that the Masters dealt with. Give me time and I’ll find everything.


Question … the initiation we often talk about which these works, if I’m not mistaken, should help approaching, is it a specific initiation (to specify, the first ‘true’ initiation, the third...)?

Answer: I won’t be so conceited to think that the future words (many, precise, dense and complex) can be considered as an initiatory viaticum.

More realistically, though, I can tell you that they are like lights in an airport; they show quite safely the (inner) Way that leads to your Master, which is not necessarily the same for everyone.

Let’s deal with Initiation. It is symptomatic that many Aspirants get confused between ‘distances and relationships’ (we could study this statement) and confuse what is close with what is distant since the distant is present as well. The initiation which the majority of Postulants can aspire to is the first one. Exceptionally, it can be the Second, but these people will have an unmistakable and surprising intelligence.

How can we judge straight away a person’s level? First from the questions he asks and then from the thoughts he expresses.

Where does this priority come from? The reason is that it could be difficult to express ideas because of lack of dialectic or a cultural gap of the individual; questions, though, even when they are asked in the wrong way, will still be deep and intense and this doesn’t depend on a cultural ability but on the depth of the heart.


Question … Sometimes events and turning points appear like a kind of summary, sometimes like ‘lessons’, preparatory exercises. In the past the ability to classify both in a complete evolutionary contest has not been clear…..

Answer: in order to deal with these matters I think you will find helpful the chapter about merit and demerit Karma that will be given soon. It deals with many aspects connected to the subject you mentioned (trials and lessons).

Only after the (long) treatment of Karma we will be able to consider a practical method for the building of the Bridge (Antahkarana). Talking about rays, this method is called Rainbow Bridge (7 rays, 7 energies, 7 sounds, 7 colors and 7 chakras). Can you see the analogy?


Question. One of my difficulties, in conclusion, comes from the fact that I’m learning how to know the reference system while at the same time I try to determine my coordinates.

Answer: you will see, when we’ll get to that point (the Rainbow Bridge, I mean) that many doubts on ‘how’ will dissolve in the certainty of ‘doing’.


Question. Now I think I’ve taken enough of your patience. Thank you, as usual, for your attention and sorry if… As usual my best wishes and a fraternal embrace; if you treat yourself with some rest, have a good time. Sandra

Dear Sandra,

I am an athlete and what’s more I do 4 specialties. During the months of July and August the sport activity reaches the top despite the period of ‘holiday’. I find it ‘relaxing’ following our mail.

Now I must go and ‘work’ so a fraternal embrace to you too.

Athos.
Esonet’s Editorial Staff