| |
Great Chain of Being
Daniel Goldstein Studio
The Release of Light
Into
A Darkened World
Introduction
A recent series of articles on this website has been dedicated to the exploration of “three spiritual realities”—three essential truths about the subtle dimensions of life—identified by the Tibetan Master, Djwhal Khul, as pivotal to this time of transition into the Aquarian Age. These three spiritual truths are:
- The reality of the human soul,
- The approaching presence of the Guides of the Race Who dwell in the Kingdom of Souls, and
- The existence of the divine Plan, which these “Spiritual Executives” implement in service to humanity and the world.1
In April of 1945 Djwhal Khul (DK) warned humanity via his amanuensis, Alice Bailey, that unless the human family came to recognize these three spiritual truths, in the years following the war, cataclysm would befall us. His words are potent and unambiguous:
| |
These three recognitions [of the reality of the soul, the Hierarchy, and the Plan] must be evidenced by humanity and affect human thinking and action if the total destruction of mankind is to be averted.2 |
|
To better understand the significance of this warning we need to place it in the context in which it was given—both outwardly and inwardly, i.e., both from a historical perspective, and from the point of view of the Inner Guides Who oversee the evolutionary processes of the world. In the outer world, the warning was issued one month before Germany surrendered to the western Allies on May 7, 1945, following the suicide of Adolph Hitler on April 30th. From an inner perspective, Those who oversee human and planetary affairs were envisioning the end of the war—planning next steps in cooperation with evolutionary and zodiacal influences with which They (the Guides of the Race) must work.
The World Situation in 19453
The world cataclysm (1914-1945) was drawing to a close, and victory of “the Forces of Light…over the forces of evil” was at hand.4 A time of restoration and reconstruction was opening up, and the Tibetan Master was counseling his disciples on the possible role that they might play in cooperating with the spiritual Hierarchy’s immediate plans for putting the world back together following the massive destruction of the war. As we shall see, in the eyes of the Great Ones, the active participation of ‘co-workers’ in the world was essential, if these plans were to succeed.
In his letter of April 1945 (in which this warning was given) the Tibetan attributed World Wars I and II to the release of new and higher energies into the planetary sphere. These cosmic energies held the potential of bringing great and lasting change (for good or for ill), but were largely misappropriated by evil dictators and used for selfish purposes. The Guides of the Race had amassed these energies “on a larger scale and of a higher nature” than usual, and allowed them to penetrate “from the highest point of spiritual purpose [on the Chain of Being into the Earth, reaching] to the lowest aspect of matter, the atom…”5 The intent was a positive one, and ultimately bore positive results, such as the founding of the United Nations, and its worldwide service organizations, UNESCO and UNICEF, and other relief agencies such as CARE. But, as these great potencies entered Earth from higher spiritual levels, much of their energy was misdirected by powerful personalities, blindly identified with form, who were bent on world domination.
The individuals who misappropriated this stream of “extra-planetary energies”—sparking the conflict—included not only Hitler and his cronies, but dictators on all levels of society who succumbed to “the will-to-power.” The inpouring forces stimulated…
| |
…the will-to-power of all dictators, whether they [were]…the would-be world dictators such as Hitler and his group of evil men, ecclesiastical dictators in any religion, business dictators in any business group in any part of the world or those minor dictators, the tyrant in the home.6 |
|
In other words, the spectrum of despots misusing power for selfish purposes included not only politicians, military leaders, and industrial tycoons seeking to dominate people on a global scale, but lesser tyrants of similar selfish motive operating in church or family circles. All were stimulated to selfish, separative and aggressive behaviour in their own sphere of influence. All were motivated, consciously or unconsciously, by “the will-to-power.”
The will-to-power is a basic instinct—a kind of “self-assertion”—rooted in fear. In the words of the Tibetan: “[It]…connotes the fear of the individual that he or she will fail of recognition and thus lose much that would otherwise be his or hers.”7 It is born of a deep sense of acquisitiveness, and an intense individualism, which manifests as the power to grasp, to acquire for self—to pursue self-interest even at the expense of others.
The release of these potent energies into the world amplified these selfish tendencies in these distorted, fragmented personalities and the self-will of the lower nature threatened to rule the day. The Hierarchy was keenly aware of what could happen if these evil forces triumphed and came to world power, and the Tibetan warned his disciples that these powerful leaders must be defeated:
| |
The totalitarian order must go because it is contrary to the spiritual vision. The world order, as visioned by Hitler, is based upon the subjection of the weak to the rule of a super-Germany; it is one in which the life of the little nations will be allowed to go on just in so far as they serve the need of Germany…8 |
|
DK stated that the message being given to the German youth by the Nazi elite was: “Might makes right!” and that only a chosen aristocracy should be permitted the privilege of education and rule.
In the end, the victory of the Allied forces prevented the Axis nations from coming to power. Yet, the Tibetan’s warning sounds true—even to this day. His words are echoed in admonitions issued by many in recent years, including the author of The End of America published in 2007.9 Taking a historical look at fascism, this activist writer warned Americans that fascistic groups were growing in influence in the United States. She cautioned that if certain nefarious activities going on behind the scenes were not held in check, the patterns of the past might repeat themselves. These actions included such things as the upsurge of the control of the press, persecution of political dissidents, the building of secret prisons, the rise of a thug class, and the implementation of an internal surveillance system to control the populace. Recent revelations regarding the actions of the N.S.A. to secretly collect information on people across the globe show how prescient this author’s writing was.
The will-to-power is clearly still present with us today, decades after the war, and there are still people of wrong motive, active on many fronts, who seek to dominate and control others. The militarization and corporatization of America since 911 is just one of several examples reflective of this. Within the halls of power in the U.S. and other western nations, and often in the corporate board rooms of international organizations, there are those who, like the despots of the last century, tend to glorify war and (as the Tibetan put it) seek to control “all sources of supply” and “dominate the economic system of the world.” If they have their way, as the earlier despots hoped to do, “everything will be related to the good of [a central dominant power], and no other nation will be considered.”10
The warning is clear. The will-to-power, left unchecked, threatens the freedom of people everywhere. But the true import of the message is that it refers not only to the tyrants of the last century, but to the tyrants of today moved by the same selfish, divisive instinct: the urge to dominate and control others, at whatever the cost. There are many such wounded and alienated souls seeking to wield power in today’s society, and we would do well not to blind ourselves to their presence among us. Fortunately, their reputation is becoming more widely known—especially within the counter-culture—via alternative media. One example of this is an online article exposing the psychological imbalances of our ruling class entitled: “Who Controls our Government? The Psychopathic Corporate Elites of America.”11
Much more could be said about this power-hungry group, but it is beyond the scope of this article. It is by now well known that they exist, and they are a genuine threat to freedom. However, the important thing to remember is that the entrenched forces of materialism12 are not the only forces at work in the world. In every circle of society—corporate and political sectors included—there are men and women of goodwill in their millions, who seek to serve the greater good. It was these people of goodwill, along with the members of what the Tibetan called the “New Group of World Servers,” that the spiritual Hierarchy hoped to educate and mobilize into wider service in cooperation with the Plan. This They sought to accomplish through the publication of the modern wisdom teachings—particularly, the books of Alice Bailey. This deeply esoteric teaching and the service initiatives, which it spawned, are an excellent example of the positive results produced by the right appropriation of the spiritual energies released into the world a hundred years ago.
The New Group of World Servers (NGWS)13
| |
The New Group of World Servers is comprised of “all who truly love their fellowmen and…serve them with sacrifice and selfless understanding…”14
[It]…is composed of widely diverse men and women, gathered out of all nations, holding many different points of view and following the many different professions and ideologies...15
|
|
In the 1930s, prior to World War II, the spiritual Hierarchy made an effort to create a subjective gathering of souls, drawn together from around the world, who could be of wider service to the Plan.16 The core of this group was selected because of their developed sensitivity and latent capacity to receive impression from the Guiding Thinkers (the Custodians of the Plan)—Those Who influence planetary evolution from subtle realms. The members of the inner group, in particular, were potentially responsive to the ideas and strategies of the inner plane Managers of Human Affairs. They were subject to impression from the Inner Guides of the Race.
These Guides and Teachers are the group of enlightened souls Who serve the divine Plan on inner planes as the Guardians and Protectors of planetary evolution. In esoteric teachings They are identified specifically as the spiritual Hierarchy of the Earth. They dwell in the Kingdom of Souls, and regularly seek cooperation from sensitive souls on earth who can respond to Their Presence. They work telepathically, using the power of thought to contact sensitive individuals in the dense physical world—seeking cooperation from incarnate souls who might be of use to Them in furthering the divine Plan. Until recently the Inner Teachers contacted individuals of unique sensitivity, working alone. More and more They are seeking to work with sensitive individuals within groups.
The attempt They made before the world wars to mobilize a Group of Servers on a planetary scale was unique in the history of the planet. Until that time the consciousness of humanity had not been sufficiently soul-oriented to merit such an effort. It is encouraging to realize that, by the turn of the 20th century (in the eyes of the Great Ones), a group of human beings (in physical form) were gauged to be sufficiently conscious as souls to be able respond to Their Presence from behind the veil. The ‘light’ within the most awakened members of the human family was deemed strong enough by the Inner Guides to warrant a more conscious relationship with the Inner Worlds, and thus the World Service Group was formed. It came into being at the early part of the 20th century and has been active ever since.
Though it is not a physical plane organization—but instead a living organism, woven together by love and shared purpose—this group has a strong impact on the world, carrying inspiration and revelation to men and women of goodwill and all who are sensitive to higher values.
The founding of the New Group was based on a simple esoteric fact: the soul-to-soul connection in consciousness, which all true spiritual workers share, was beginning to be realized (and thus recognized by the Hierarchy)—within the ranks of the human family. This mutual-telepathic-rapport on the level of the soul is a cardinal principle governing communication on inner realms. It is an essential aspect of the true potential of man. A clear understanding of this principle can reveal much regarding how spiritual workers carry out their work, and, specifically, how the divine Plan comes into manifestation on Earth—as ideas are transmitted and received via a chain in consciousness extending from subtle spheres into the world. This principle of interconnectedness was therefore very much in the mind of the Tibetan Master as he sought to contact and inspire members of the New Group, which is reflected in the language he used to describe them:
| |
Members of the New Group of World Servers consist of those who are completely dedicated to the service of humanity and to the establishing of right human relations under hierarchical impression…17 |
|
Of all those who were qualified for the service work, the core members of the World Servers Group were (and are, to this day) the most sensitive to impression from spiritual worlds, and were the ones in closest telepathic rapport with the Inner Guides. They were more aligned with the soul, and thus responsive to soul contact and impression from inner teachers.18 This group of ‘sensitives’ are frequently referred to as the “aspirants and disciples” at the heart of the NGWS. One of their key functions is to carry forward “the inner subjective and spiritual work…described as the ‘building of the bridge on the mental plane…’" This is the rainbow bridge in consciousness that connects higher and lower levels of mind. It is the antahkarana—the inner instrument or ‘soul thread of light’—which bridges the visible and invisible worlds.
| |
For the individual aspirant, the work [of building this inner bridge of light] has always been possible right down the ages, and it is the major task undertaken by disciples at this time. It might be added here that the New Group of World Servers is composed of those who are engaged in this work for the race, and every person who builds his bridge joins this group of occult "bridge-builders."19 |
|
Having said this, the Tibetan then points to the symbolism of modern day “bridge builders” in the outer world as evidence of this inner plane work.
| |
There is, therefore, something symbolic about the work of our modern bridge builders who join the chasms and span the waters and thus give concrete evidence of the work being done today by advanced humanity.20 |
|
 Siying Rainbow Bridge - Magong, Taiwan
Sensitivity to impression across a rainbow bridge in consciousness is a prime attribute of the core members of the World Servers Group. It is the key to understanding their destiny to become ‘living links’ in the Great Chain of Hierarchy.21
In addition to this faculty—possessed by the sensitives in the group—all members of the NGWS had to be (and have to be today) dedicated to service and to the welfare of humanity. The will-to-serve the greater good is the prime motivation of all who cooperate with the Plan—including the men and women of goodwill on the periphery of the world-group, who bring into tangible expression the plans registered by the core members. The ranks of the New Group of World Servers are filled with men and women who are consecrated to service. Millions of service projects have come into being over the years through their efforts to uplift and better human lives.
It is widely accepted by many that service is the keynote of the coming Age of Aquarius. It is a faculty of the soul clearly demonstrated by members of the NGWS in this time of the Forerunner. Perhaps less well understood, until recently, is the idea that telepathy and responsiveness to impression from Higher Intelligences in the Chain of Life is an equally important attribute of the evolving members of the Group.
Both of these characteristics—the will-to serve and sensitivity to impression are essential to the work of bringing the Plan of the Great Ones into manifestation on Earth. Both enable members of the New Group to “respond to the life-giving force of Aquarius,”22 which is now impacting the world.
These two traits mark the members of the New Group of World Servers (NGWS), just as an unredeemed will-to-power marks all those who have succumbed to the influence of the forces of materialism. These two groups (the NGWS and the Material Forces) stand in opposition to one another. They can be distinguished from one another by their motives and actions in the world. Servers are moved by love and an innate urge towards unity and cooperation. They are the builders amongst us. Material minded people are conspicuously more selfish and separative in nature. Very often they have a destructive impact on society.
The Guides of the Race cast the weight of Their efforts on the side of the good. They set about gathering together a worldwide group of workers—to be linked subjectively by good motive and high purpose. The group that formed was primarily subjective in nature—connected in consciousness on the level of the soul. Where possible, however, the Inner Guides brought them together objectively, in the outer world, to work on hierarchical projects.23
Thus the New Group of World Servers came into being, comprised of people of spiritual purpose and deep love of humanity, working actively (consciously or unconsciously)…under the inspiration of the Great Ones. They lived all over the world, and came from many different spiritual traditions. Some were mystics, and were heart centered; others were esoteric students—more centered in the head (or mentally polarized in nature). Some were from orthodox religions; others had no particular spiritual affiliation. What each of them had in common was a shared sense of responsibility for human welfare, plus a deeply felt motivation to help their fellowmen.
This group has grown significantly since its founding nearly a hundred years ago. It began as an idea held in the minds and hearts of the spiritual Hierarchy. It is today growing in potency and effectiveness in the world, moving ever closer to fulfilling its immense potential—to counter the forces of materialism that precipitated global conflict and to inaugurate a new civilization and culture on Earth. The NGWS constitute, in fact, what the Tibetan called the “World Saviour.” They had (and have today) the potential to collectively ‘salvage’ the world and inaugurate the Aquarian age.24
The World Today25
Today, in 2015, it has been 70 years—seven full decades—since the close of the war in 1945. This is a significant point vis-à-vis the evolution of the New Group of World Servers—in light of three closely related ideas:
- the three recognitions, mentioned above,
- the role that the New Group is meant to play in disseminating these truths in preparation for the new era, and
- the timeframe in which the spreading of awareness regarding these truths must occur—if disaster is to be avoided.
In an April, 1945 letter to aspirants and disciples the Tibetan gave specific advice to workers within the New Group of World Servers concerning their role in informing humanity about these new spiritual realities. He pointed out that the members of this group—because they are the most soul-connected among us—have the greatest responsibility for making humanity aware of the existence of the subtle worlds. It was (and still is) on their shoulders—along with all the men and women of goodwill whom they might reach and inspire—to make the three recognitions known to the less enlightened masses of humanity.
The Tibetan indicated that, in the eyes of the Hierarchy, the formation and mobilization of the new group was to unfold over a period of time through two clearly identifiable cycles. First to occur was a great cycle of purification (circa 1900-1945), which had already taken place—having mostly a mass effect. During this period the fires of war had burned away the dross of ancient thinking, destroying deep-rooted attachments to the world of form. On this purified ground (in consciousness) the foundations of a new civilization and culture could be built.
Next, was planned an eighty year period from 1945 (the close of the war) to 2025, which would be a cycle of reconstruction and restoration. It should, the Tibetan advised, be entered into more consciously than the previous cycle. It would involve what he called “a second precipitation of energies…” which he said, “must be more consciously brought about by humanity itself.” He then pointed specifically to the spiritual workers in the New Group who were sensitive to impression from soul realms to carry on the work. It was the core group of disciples within the NGWS who registered imprint from inner planes most clearly. In their turn, these potential co-workers within the chain of hierarchy could inspire (and educate) the larger group of men and women of goodwill, who shared with them the spirit of service to the greater good.
This eighty year period (1945-2025) was called the Stage of the Forerunner, and it was during this span of time that the educational work for the Hierarchy was to be completed by the members of the World Servers Group—if worldwide disaster were to be forestalled. It was up to them to conscientiously spread the word about the existence of the subtle worlds, or (as the Tibetan put it) to distribute spiritual “propaganda” to all corners, far and wide. The aim was to make humanity aware of the inner world of meaning—the world in which the soul consciously lives and the sphere of consciousness where the Masters of Wisdom dwell. All of this had to be achieved by the year 2025. If this were done successfully by that date, the world could be saved.
It is crucial to realize that there are just ten years left in the eighty year timespan allotted to achieve these ends. The Hierarchy watches and waits from behind the veils of matter, within the realm of spirit. Humanity is slowly becoming aware of their Presence, as these Higher Intelligences draw nearer to the world of form. We are destined, as a race, to respond to Their Presence, to step onto the spiritual path, and begin consciously to experience a living relationship with the Kingdom of Souls.
The first among us to do so are those who are sensitive to the subtle energies of spiritual realms, those who are beginning to awaken to the soul, and to develop a sense of spiritual responsibility in the light of this higher reality. They are the ones who can best respond to divine impression from the Inner Guides. As members of the New Group of World Servers, they are destined to build the needed bridge in consciousness, between the Kingdom of Heaven and the kingdom of earth.
They are a vital and integral part of a chain of conscious lives descending from spirit into matter—connecting the inner and outer worlds—linking that which is above to that which is below. They are the missing link in the bridge in consciousness between the visible and invisible realms. They are the mediators between the True Self and the outer world of form. The Tibetan states this truth in his teaching on “Linking Groups in the Planetary Life”:
| |
The New Group of World Servers is the linking bridge and the mode of communication between the Hierarchy (the fifth kingdom) and Humanity (the fourth kingdom) under the present divine Plan…26 |
|
Under the present divine Plan, the conscious Life atop this chain of conscious lives, within the Great Ashram of Divinity Itself, is the Christ—“the greatest Sensitive humanity has ever produced.”27 He is the Teacher of Teachers and the Master of Masters. He is the World Saviour who came to Earth 2,000 years ago in the Age of Pisces. In the coming Age of Aquarius He has chosen to return again as the Leader of the New Group of World Servers. These are profound and urgent truths.
The question now remains: Will humanity awaken to these realities of the inner worlds in time?
Martin Vieweg
June 2015
2 Alice A. Bailey, Discipleship in the New Age, Vol. II, 164.
3 The rainbow colored photo of a bridge in Taiwan in this section is found on the website called This That and Craft.
6 Alice A. Bailey, The Destiny of Nations, 98.
7 Alice A. Bailey, A Treatise on White Magic, 627.
8 Alice A. Bailey, The Externalisation of the Hierarchy, 187.
10 Alice A. Bailey, The Externalisation of the Hierarchy, 188.
12 “Forces of Materialism” is a generic term for the so called Dark Forces that stand in opposition to the members of the Great White Lodge. The two groups of lives are at odds. The values of the former, such as “gold and separativeness, materialism and selfishness” stand in conflict with the “spiritual energy and…the spirit of cooperation” embodied by the Forces of Light. See The Externalisation of the Hierarchy, p. 83.
14 Alice A. Bailey, The Externalisation of the Hierarchy, 392-93.
15 Alice A. Bailey, Discipleship in the New Age, Vol. II, 203.
16 The creation of a worldwide group of workers was planned for some time prior to the world wars. The initial impulse was instituted in 1875 at a conclave of the Great Ones on inner planes. It achieved momentum in 1925 and took on tangible form through the work of the Tibetan in the early 1930s.
17 Alice A. Bailey, The Externalisation of the Hierarchy, 647. Italics added.
18 Note: The capacity to enter into telepathic rapport and become sensitive to impression develop over time as experience is gained.
19 Alice A. Bailey, Esoteric Psychology, Vol. II, 67.
20 Alice A. Bailey, Esoteric Psychology, Vol. II, 67.
22 Alice A. Bailey, The Rays and the Initiations, 233.
23 The formation of the Arcane School, the building of the Triangles network, and the World Goodwill initiative are examples of efforts to establish outer-world cooperation with hierarchical plans.
24 Alice A. Bailey, Discipleship in the New Age, Vol. I, 783.
25 The image above is found on the website Le Gran Obra (Her Great Work).
26 Alice A. Bailey, Telepathy and the Etheric Vehicle, 68.
27 Alice A. Bailey, Telepathy and the Etheric Vehicle, 20.
|
|
