THE RIDDLE OF LIFE/PART 12
CHAPTER
XII
OUR
ELDER BROTHERS
WE
have traced the steps by which a man may climb to the status of the super-man.
Let us now consider the relation to the world of Those who stand at that great
height, and who yet are of the human family, our Elder Brothers.
All
religions look back to a founder, who rose high above humanity; all ancient
history tells of lofty Beings, who laid the foundations of nations, and guided
them during their infancy and youth. We hear of divine Kings, of divine
Dynasties, of divine Teachers; the testimony of the past is so unanimous, and
the ruins remaining of past civilisations are so mighty, that we cannot
reasonably declare the testimony to be worthless, nor the civilisations to be
the unaided product of an infant humanity.
It
is also noteworthy that the most ancient scriptures are the noblest and most
inspiring. The Classic of Purity of China, the Upanishads of India, the
Gathas—fragmentary as they are—of Persia, are far above the level of the later
religious writings of the same countries; the ethics found in such ancient
books are all authoritative, not hortative, they teach 'as having authority and
not as the scribes.
No
religion denies or ignores these facts, as regards its own Teachers and its own
scriptures; but, unhappily, most are apt to deny or ignore them where the
Teachers and scriptures of other religions are concerned. Students of the
Wisdom realise that all these claims must be impartially recognised or
impartially rejected; and occultists know that while many legends and tables
may have gathered round these mighty Beings, none the less They, of a verity,
have existed in the past and exist in the present.
The
Occult Hierarchy which rules, teaches and guides the worlds is a graded Order,
each rank having its own multifarious duties and carrying them out in perfect
harmony, working out a portion of the plan of the Supreme Lord, the Logos of
the system, in a service which is 'perfect freedom'. Two leading departments of
our section of this Hierarchy are concerned, the one with the ruling, the other
with the teaching of our worlds.
Those
whom the Hindus call the four Kumaras are the Chiefs of the ruling department,
and the Manus of Rounds and Races are Their Lieutenants, with, below Them, the
grade of Adepts, which numbers among its members Those called Masters, to carry
out the details of Their work. Theirs to guide evolution, to shape races, to
guide them to continents builded for their dwelling, to administer the laws
which cause the rise and fall of peoples, of empires, of civilisations.
At
the head of the teaching department stands the 'Enlightened', the Buddha, who,
when He passes away from earth, hands the Teacher's staff to Him who is to
become a Buddha in His turn, the Bodhisattva, the actual Teacher of the worlds.
This Supreme Teacher is the ever-living Presence who over-shadows and inspires
the world-faiths, who founds them, as they are needed for human guidance, and
who, through His Helpers among the ranks of Adepts, guides each religion so far
as is permitted by the stubbornness and ignorance of men. Every great spiritual
wave flows from this department of the White Brotherhood, and irrigates our
earth with the water of life.
In
the grade of Adepts alluded to above are Those to whom the name 'Masters' more
peculiarly belongs, in that They accept as Chelas, or disciples, those who have
reached a point of evolution fitting them to approach the Portal of Initiation,
and are resolutely striving to develop in themselves the qualifications before
described. There are many of this rank in the Hierarchy—Those who have passed
the fifth Initiation—who do not take pupils, but are engaged in other work for
the helping of the world. Even beyond this rank some will still keep under
Their charge chelas who have long been devoted to Them, the tie formed being
too sacred and too strong to break.
The
Theosophical Society is an open road whereby these great Teachers may be sought
and found. We have amongst us those who know Them face to face; and I, who
write, add my humble testimony to that which has echoed down the ages, for I
too have seen, and know.
END
OF THIS BOOK
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