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The Group
by Athos A. Altomonte
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A Group linked to the Hierarchy is made by all those Aspirants and Disciples that ‘revolve' around its Teaching; the latter is expressed by the Masters that rule their Communities. Every Group is ruled by an Instructor, usually an accepted Disciple, able to transmit in the whole the various elements of the Tradition without adding any slant or personal interpretations to it. Nevertheless the Instructor must be able to color the terms of the Teaching to adapt it to the (psychological) language of the Aspirant and to make it perceivable to his ideological and cultural preconceptions and his intellectual relativity.

Aspirants appear in the sphere of activity of a Group by placing themselves at a different distance from the center. Indeed, depending on the intensity of the aspiration, the abilities of understanding and how and how much he appreciates the center, every Member of the Group will assume a more or less distant position from the eldest Brother who acts as a guide. The elements that can determine the distance from the center are many and of different nature; one of them is the attitude and education of the Aspirant. The Instructor faces his first and most important work: to ‘mediate' through himself the different ideal positions taken by the brothers to annul and absorb their ‘diversities', until they are recomposed in the perfection of a circumference.

A circle is the first symbolical representation of a Group of Disciples; its circumference represents the geometric perfection where, ideally, the different Brothers place themselves, in relation between them and with the center where the Instructor is. The latter transmits the Teaching of a Master, although relatively.

Incidentally we must say that the most advanced constructions of a Group are in the shape of a star with 5, 6, 9 and 12 points and their replications originate by ‘osmosis'. In order to obtain such a circumference, the Instructor will have to emphasize his activity on those who appear more distant and put in stand-by the closest.

This method is often misunderstood and causes discontent both for those who think they are being excessively solicited (the Instructor has it in for me, he pesters me and corrects me too much) and those who think they are being restrained in their enthusiasm (the Instructor, they say, underestimates and neglects me). The problem is that everybody is spoilt by his own egocentric point of view, source of egoistic desire. They are still far away from understanding that the point of view of the guide is a global view (togetherness) and his activity is aimed at keeping consistent the balance exoterically called ‘Common Welfare'. Trust, patience and industriousness, but most of all discipline, should be the characteristics of the Aspirant. For a long time, though, he remains deafened by his own thoughts and personal opinions.

The Masters repeat that it is necessary to re-join one's own Self (the soul) before obtaining a trans-personal vision of one's individual and mundane activity, included what we call ‘Service' (for the Benefit of the humankind). There isn't true Service where personal interpretations and opinions exist. The ‘desire' to serve and the following sense of gratification are not good either, because these are elements of passion not to be pursued. They contribute to separate the individuals from the principle of Unity that they should reach; that is to achieve universal unification through spiritual synthesis.

It must be clear, though, that personal gratification doesn't have anything to do with the joy that arises inside us when we accomplish an altruistic deed. This joy is not passion but rather a first form of love in its universal aspect. When we consider the relations originated by the interaction between Aspirant and Instructor in a Group, the circle and the circumference take the shape of a Wheel. The Group relationships between Aspirants and Instructors, like those between Instructors and Masters in the Communities, are represented by the Rays of the Wheel.

There's more. A Group of Disciples is a living and operating entity and it is rightly considered a small chakra (Wheel).

The same is true for a Community that includes several Groups on the same energy line (ray); indeed a Community is a Chakra of the planet (for the planetary Logos) that expresses, qualifying it, a particular ‘tone' (sound) of cosmic energy called – Ray-.

Since the ‘sacred' (completely realized) planets of this solar system are 7, it is understandable that, for the moment, there are also 7 rays (tones) that ‘move' (sound) in its volume (the inner space of the solar system). It follows that there are also 7 Masters that guide as many main Communities ( * ) of the human Hierarchy (the spiritual Initiates between the 5 th and 9 th Initiations). Every ray is a particular specialization of the ray of cosmic synthesis. The latter, absorbed by the sun as ‘pure', is reduced in 7 minor tones and reflected in every physical form; from the biggest, such as a planet, to the smallest of men in his 7 individual chakras. To these first 7 Communities of Ray we must add 7 lesser Communities each, ruled by Initiates from the 4 th to the 5 th Initiations, for a total of 49 that added to the first 7 give 56.

Again we must add the main Groups, ruled by Initiates of the 3 rd degree and old Disciples close to this Initiation.

Attracted by the active energy of the hierarchic nucleus, but outside the circumference in its direct relations, we find the shapeless nebula of the small Groups of aspirantship and single individuals who tend from darkness to Light, like sunflowers. To enter resolutely the hierarchic Teaching is symbolically expressed as the access to the light; with the accomplishment of the 3 rd Initiation we become a true ‘Light' of the Order.

(*) In the East the synonym of Community is Ashram. If we compare the most manifest characteristics of a western Aspirant with those of an Eastern Chela, it will be clear how the Western pupil will appear undisciplined, driven by his own preconceptions that he interpret as a truth up to the point of arrogance. In this short introduction to the psychology of the pupil, though, we don't want the Chela to appear better or more virtuous of his Western ‘colleague'. Both show two big limits that they will have to get rid of by working on themselves. The limit of the Chela's introflexed attitude is his difficulty to translate into actions the thoughts and ideals in his mind. In other words he finds it hard to turn them into chances for concrete Service. Like Siddharta (Gautama Buddha) teaches, it is necessary to find the middle Way; in this instance it means to achieve knowledge through the education of esoterical science and the way to interiorize it and then reflect it on the outside.

The Disciple, through the realization of the best quality in his Service, will be able to realize himself by integrating with the intelligent activity of his soul.