It's been awhile since one of my
mammoth posts. Forewarned is four-armed! Or something like that ...
I kind of like Charles Leadbeater's chart, as it is verified by his own Teacher, and other sources both within and serving the spiritual Hierarchy. It's very clear about things.
The color-coding itself may or may not be mine. I think it is, or I may have simply added the text commentary. But I will include CWL's original chart, for clarity.
The four stages of spiritual progress leading up to the
Fifth or Adept Initiation, are not included in this chart, but are included in the book
Masters and the Path, and are given in the
Christian motif as The Birth of the Christ in the human heart, The Baptism or Purification of the lower man, The Transfiguration of the entire personality nature [the lower man] ... and finally, The Crucifixion or Renunciation experience - which leads to the direct Incarnation of the Divine Principles within Man.
The Pali and Sanskrit terminology can be given, and each conveys the same Wisdom in another motif, with another set of imagery. For example,
The Birth of the Christ is the equal of
Stream-Entrant, and the Transfiguration is called
Hamsa, or Swan, while the Arhat or
Great Swan [Paramahamsa] is the stage which follows.
Many Christians might find parts of this chart strange. Usually Christ and Jesus are equated as one individual, yet this is not the Theosophical presentation, and many esotericists do believe that they are two individuals. The chart shows the relationship between the Christ, the Buddha, and Jesus
as all of these beings are now, rather than thousands of years ago.
The challenge, which esotericists do invite people to consider, regardless as to their religious background - or none - is the idea that `Christ awareness' is a potential within us all, as St. Paul was well aware, and as he indicated in his many teachings ... especially where he was addressing the people of Ephesus, or of Corinth, and others with a background in the Mystery Traditions.
Thus you have, in Ephesians 4:13, a reminder and a direct calling forth of this recognition, by and of and mystically
within the Christ-Being - a LIVING, REAL and PRESENT Being,
and not a dead, murdered, long-gone abstraction ... since either the Christ
is real and present, and is accessible TO us all, or else -
with no point of contact, no such fiction exists at all, being no more than another chimera of our sub-conscious, like Santa Claus, or perhaps the Easter Bunny.
As someone with a Theosophical background, yet remaining OPEN to further illumination, insight, and even direct Teachings from Jesus Himself - via some of His Followers ... as well as other expressions of the Wisdom Tradition, I can say that I have seen
dozens of examples where either this Great One,
the Galilean Master,
has indeed made His thoughts plain [sharing them, for us to consider] ... or else where a DIRECT experience of, with and in the pleasant company of the Adept of Galilee has been attested to.
It is also possible to demonstrate where, and that, the Christ Himself is a being even more progressed along the path of evolution than Jesus, yet this can become confusing, as even when we show a common set of experiences between Jesus, Paul, the Magi, some of the Greek philosophers and Teachers of the Eastern Traditions, the tendency is to become lost in the differences and variation in Teaching techniques, rather than to consider that Christ is the Lord of Lords, yet that surely we are
fortunate if we happen to know any of these
other Lords - for we would do well, if one of them happens to be OUR Teacher, to attend well [to] his or her instruction.
It simply amazes me, sometimes, that we lose track of the point altogether, and so I know that while charts do not appeal much to some of us, neither did the Buddha, holding up that lone, single Flower way back when, succeed in reaching every single member of his greater audience - with the exact same message, or in the exact same way.
The Glory, as I believe I have indeed experienced - and still experience it - is that when a Bodhisattva [Messiah, Christ, World Teacher, Saoshyant, Imam Mahdi, Kalki Avatara] speaks, or Teaches, all those present
do hear, do have an understanding, and ARE reached,
on whatever level, or in whatever way is most uplifting and elevating of their own awareness, and evocative of the Christ within, or `Buddha-nature' - Bodhichitta. Thus, at the Flower Sermon, the Buddha - likewise - had a similar impact on us all, whoever we may have been in that incarnation, present and accounted for [even if I myself do not think I was present for that one, much as I might have wanted to be, had I known about it].
One explanation for the many, many individuals who come into contact with their Teacher again in this lifetime, is that they were present
with him, or her, some number of lifetimes ago - as when a great and world-changing Work was being performed. This applies, as elsewhere, to the Initiate Jesus, except that if indeed He was the
vessel of the Christ, in ways both literal, mystical and occult, then the result is that a *tremendous* energy was made to move through our world - truly the expression DIRECT and incarnate of the 2nd Aspect of the Logos, both Planetary AND Solar. That, I am fairly certain, is something Planet-changing ... as we continue to WITNESS.
Buddha, combined with the impact and effect of Moses, can be said to have brought the LIGHT - of the Holy Spirit, the 3rd Aspect - into definite impact, or in fact INCARNATION ... on our planet, many hundreds of years prior (even thousands). That culmination made the work of the Christ much easier, yet we notice - Christ did
not succeed, if we assume that his mission was somehow to suddenly, once-and-for-all make `little Christs' of us all. The mission was cut short, and Humanity would not have it. But I do believe the current cycle will allow Him to fulfill His Work, wihch is God's Work, and which is - also, I hope we
therefore realize - OUR WORK. There can be no greater service than to Serve one's fellow Man [person] with Intelligent LOVE. Dying daily, as St. Paul attested, is part of this experience.
Yet the Christ reappears (into public awareness -
as He has *never* left us,
even while Buddhists think of the Bodhisattva as existing in Tushita Heaven, not unlike the Christian teaching `seated at the right hand of the Father,' for where else would the very `Love of God' reside?) ... the Christ reappears - DAILY - and increasingly, so much more fully, even, in the modern world, given our progression toward globalism and Unity, such that this Appearance will hopefully be more widely witnessed, and PARTICIPATED IN, yet we shall see and experience a
New Factor - as even the Christ or Buddha did not formerly express or incarnate to such a degree.
And this is what the Christian calls `the Will of the Father,' as God does - indeed - emanate, potentially
incarnate and obviously HAVE - because as the 1st Aspect the Logos IS - this WILL. We cannot say we know what it is, or even be much certain at all about it, although I would venture to suggest that God's Plan
does NOT involve or include the endless, insane, destructive cycles of
murder and mayhem, rampant environmental devastation and materialism, apathy, ignorance, oppression, separateness, or hatred.
Rather, it is safe to say that God's Plan DOES involve and include the increasing expression of INTELLIGENT LOVE, whereby Humanity IS ABLE to put the work of the Buddha and also of the Christ, both preparatory work in one sense - helping pave the way for Humanity's future evolution - into direct, PRACTICAL USEFULNESS. Do not think that this involves you, or me, or ANY of us being
swept away into some highest heaven, or Nirvana, or even the sudden and complete transformation of our planet into a veritable Kingdom of Heaven on Earth, overnight. For even the Christ, as also His Brother the Buddha before Him, has
already taught you, taught US, taught me ... that such a Divine Kingdom -
is already here, and that yes, we CAN ALREADY access it, manifest it, or LIVE it, as some have said. This does not mean waiting until we are dead, and this, every earnest Christian and Buddhist has already - probably - long realized.
So that's my box for the moment. And it should well be obvious by now, that while you don't have to believe one word of it ... it still, remains the `Gospel' - as well as I know it, or have experienced, and/or can testify to it.
I challenge you to prove me wrong - and here I mean on a friendly basis - for I care not (believe you me) to quibble over
one word or even subtle point - out of all I might say. I have no more expertise than anyone, or for certain you can believe that if I do, it is not provided for fluff and fancy, meant for idle curiosity, or intended as a show of anything other - than an ardent, steadfast FAITH. And this, as also whatever
gnosis may be mine, shall never diminish, nor ever wear out.
Thus I am a Christian, and I am a Buddhist, and I am a Hindu, and I am an atheist, and I am a gnostic, and I am a warlock, and I am a mystic, and I am an occultist ... but I do not dabble in
practical magick, or the so-called occult arts, and I am not interested in
psychic development, for it is the `Gifts of the Spirit' which we are once-blessed, twice-blessed, TRIPLY-blessed to receive or to attain ... and
these, not because I am `told' but because I KNOW, I can say,
do maintain, or remain, between all of our births, into - through - and
beyond 2nd Birth, as even the Baptism and Transfiguration will but Seal the Gifts into our
spiritual Being, where they are InHERENT, if presently Latent, and needing only awakening and development by ourselves in order to unfold and express (`The Lord helps the one ... that helps, him or herself,' just as verily, the Teacher
does appear when the student is ready).
And yes, I have no current membership, but I do try to be a good
Theosopher, or student of the Wisdom of God - even while 1000-armed Avalokiteshvara once told me a secret about the Brahmarandra/Sahasrara ... which both Siva and Yahweh kind of hinted was
spot-on. Christ dwells within every one of us, and the proof - as always - will be in the pudding. Isn't that so, Mr. Cosby?
Be a good tree, and watch how the people will
Flock to land within your branches, within Strawberry Fields, and pick your good fruits. Be as fully a good follower of
St. Francis, of Assisi, and equally see how even the animals will attend your every word, knowing as well as you do your every intention, and every movement. Saints are not born; they are made. Christ taught this. Buddha taught this. And although I am no saint, I will go to my grave defending the Good Honor of
every single Teacher I have had the privilege to know, or to read, or to study, or to seek to emulate. While I cannot, and will not, seek to explain away or excuse either my own errors, or those of others, I do know that Forgiveness
is an expression of God's Highest Law, and yes, I know that
we too can seek to emulate, and to FORGIVE. Learn how to do this, forgiving both self and every other, and you will find yourself in the closest, and truest
interpersonal relationship with both God and all of God's many Servants (Servers of every type) - that you had ever dreamed possible, or imagined.
The New World, the New Era, the
New Age is here. We are already part of it, and for those with a fraction of a shadow of a fart of a hint of a
doubt, I encourage you to LIVE like it, and to
prove it to and for yourselves, first. Only thus might you hope to share that with even ONE other person. And take it from me,
I do know what I'm talking about.
Do I look enlightened to you? Or even
close to Buddha-material,
or Bodhi-{sattva}-stuff [chitta]? Probably not, but I will insist, that what's in my head, heart and
spirit are not quite what some call
fluff. As cloudlike as I can manage at times, this much is true,
but I'm only one person, seeking to play my own part ... and I believe this is also true for *you*?
Namaskar/God Bless
