| Before we take up these points, however, I have a few
    introductory comments to make. These it is essential that you should study and comprehend
    for upon their right acceptance and understanding will depend the benefit you will gain
    from my teaching upon these points. It is a truism to remark that the history of the
    world is based on the emergence of ideas, their acceptance, their transformation into
    ideals, and their eventual superseding by the next imposition of ideas. It is in this
    realm of [8] ideas that humanity is not a free agent. This is an important point to
    note. Once an idea becomes an ideal, humanity can freely reject or accept it, but ideas
    come from a higher source and are imposed upon the racial mind, whether men want
    them or not. Upon the use made of these ideas (which are in the nature of divine
    emanations, embodying the divine plan for planetary progress) will depend the rapidity of
    humanity's progress or its retardation for lack of understanding. Humanity is
    today more sensitive to ideas than ever before, and hence the many warring ideologies and
    hence the fact that - in defense of their plans - even the most recalcitrant of the
    nations has to discover some idealistic excuse to put before the other nations when
    occupied with any infringement of recognized law. This is a fact of great significance to
    the Hierarchy for it indicates a point reached. The major ideas in the world today fall
    into five categories which it would be well for you to bear in mind: 
      The ancient and inherited ideas which have controlled the racial life for centuries -
        aggression for the sake of possession and the authority of a man or a group or a church
        which represents the State. For purposes of policy such powers may work behind the scenes
        but their tenets and motives are easily recognizable - selfish ambition and a violently
        imposed authority. 
      The idea of
        a world state, divided into various great sections. This is the dream of the
        inclusively-minded few, for which many regard humanity as yet unready. Towards this the
        entire world is headed in spite of its many ideologies, each fighting with each other for
        supremacy and oblivious of the important fact that all these ideologies may be temporarily
        adapted to the groups or nations who adopt them. They are none of them suitable for
        general use (and I say this equally of democracy as of any other ideology); they suit well
        in all probability the nations who accept them and mould their national life on their
        premises; they are only transitory substitutes in this transition period between the
        Piscean and the Aquarian ages and cannot permanently last. Nothing as yet is permanent.
        When permanency is reached, evolution will cease and God's plan will be consummated. And
        then? The greatest revelation of all will come at the close of this world period when the
        human mind, intuition and soul consciousness is such that understanding will be possible.
      The idea of
        a spiritual Hierarchy which will govern the people throughout the world and will embody in
        itself the best elements of the monarchial, the democratic, the totalitarian and the
        communistic regimes. Most of these groups of ideologies have latent in them much
        beauty, strength and wisdom, and also a profound and valuable contribution to make to the
        whole. Each will eventually see its contribution embodied under the control of the
        Hierarchy of the Lords of Compassion and [10] the Masters of the Wisdom. The restoration
        of the ancient Atlantean control by the spiritual forces is still in the future but the
        Aquarian Age will see the restitution of this inner and spiritual guidance on a higher
        turn of the spiral.Those ideas which are relatively new such as Nazism, Fascism, and Communism, though they
        are not really as new as people are apt to think. They are alike on one important point,
        i.e. The State or community of human beings counts as of importance whilst the individual
        does not; he can be sacrificed at any time for the good of the State or for the so-called
        general good. [9]The idea, neither old nor particularly new, of democracy in which (supposedly but as yet
        never factually) the people govern and the government represents the will of the people. |