- The
seven greater groups - The seven groups or Ashrams within the Hierarchy.
The
Hierarchy
- These carry
out the hierarchical will, which is love.
- They work
through love and understanding.
- Each is
presided over by a Chohan and a group is called an Ashram.
- These major
Ashrams have many affiliated Ashrams, presided over by a Master on the same ray as the
Chohan, and are capable at any moment of being absorbed into the primary Ashram.
- The perfect
or complete group is the Hierarchy itself, containing all the seven major Ashrams and
their affiliates.
- The
Planetary seven groups - The seven rays, the central septenate of energy.
Shamballa
- These embody
the will of Shamballa, which is divine purpose.
- They work as
life energy, as quality, and produce appearance.
- Each is
presided over by one of the seven Spirits before the Throne; by one of the seven Ray
Lords.
- Each of
these rays has its seven subrays which relate it to all the other rays.
- These seven
rays can, under divine purpose, be reabsorbed into the Three and then into the One.
- The
lesser seven - The seven types of men and also the seven root races.
Humanity
- These embody
the intelligence of the Logos as it expresses itself through creativity.
- They are
learning to work intelligently with matter in order to develop love in response to divine
purpose - which is will or life.
- Each of the
seven types, responsive to one or [151] other of the seven rays, is conditioned or ruled
by its prototype, the soul on its own plane.
- These major
types or races of men have many subraces and subsidiary types, developed during the
evolutionary process; all will eventually demonstrate the seven major types.
- The perfect
type is the Christ, the Heavenly Man, Who expresses all the major types and Who is the
"pattern of things as they are."
- The
supplementary seven - The seven centers of energy in the individual man.
Humanity
- These
together embody the combined forces of the planetary life as registered by the perfected
individual. They will eventually enable the man to achieve perfection.
- They enable
the individual to respond to material forces, to soul energy and spiritual life, and they
constitute a complete response apparatus to the planetary life, purpose, intent and form.
- Each of the
seven centers is responsive to one or other of the seven rays and their qualities under
the conditioning energy of the soul ray and the forces, emanating from the environment.
- These
centers develop progressively and under the impact of circumstances and the Law of the
Supplementary Seven, but all will eventually express in some measure the seven types of
ray energy.
- The Law of
the Supplementary Seven can be worded as follows:
"The
Law demands the entrance of that which can effect a change.
The Law demands that right direction should then guide the entering forces.
The Law demands that the changes thus effected remove the form, bring quality to light and
lay the emphasis upon life. [152]
The Law demands that this is brought about by the One, working through the Three,
energizing the Seven and creating the straight line from there to here, and ending in a
point which ignores the Three."
When, the
rule goes on, this is understood and applied, then four things happen:
- The group must understand the nature of the Three.
- The nature of the One must be grasped and comprehended.
- The group must work through the medium of the united breath.
- The group must attain a unified rhythm.
Here you have a relatively simple analysis (on the face of it, though not in reality)
of a complex rule which the initiate has to apply to himself once he has grasped the
significance of the seven basic postulates. The first seven rules provide the framework
within which his work has to be done. The last seven rules concern various significant
matters which, step by step, are revealed to the initiate as his consciousness is
expanded. They relate to:
- The work which the initiate must accomplish within himself.
- The group relations of the initiate and his absolute need to work with his group and as
an integrated and conscious part of it.
- The place which invocation and evocation must take as instruments in his pledged
intelligent service.
- The blending of the four lessons which the applicant has to master and the four lessons
which the initiate has to complete in order that a complete fusion of personality and
Monad can be brought about.
- The significance of resurrection and ascension, particularly the latter, because little
has been given out to date anent ascension.
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