STAGES IN THE EXTERNALISATION OF THE HIERARCHY - Part 2
Adjustments and Alignments within the Hierarchy
What, in the last analysis, is this Hierarchy? It is a great salvaging corps of dedicated, liberated Units of Life, working in group formation with all forms and lives in all kingdoms and with all souls particularly. As the Hierarchy so works, Its emphasis is solely on the consciousness aspect of all forms; Its present agency of salvage and of service is the mind, as it expresses Itself through the minds of all humanitarians, all aspirants, all disciples (of all rays and degrees) and of all initiates; the Hierarchy also can express Itself through the medium of thought currents and ideas and through them impose Its hierarchical concepts upon the embryonic minds of the general and average public; and It also directs the educational work of all nations, so that the undeveloped masses can become—in due turn—the intelligent general public.
The Hierarchy works, as you know, in or through three major departments, each possessing its full Personnel, and under three Great Lords. I have dealt with this in some detail in Initiation, Human and Solar, as well as elsewhere in my writings; more information at this point is needless and of no real service to you.
The Hierarchy works also through the seven major Ashrams and their affiliated Ashrams, and these "seven which are the forty-nine" represent in their totality the seven rays with their subrays, and are the custodians, transmitters and distributors of the seven ray energies to the seven planetary centres and—via these seven centres—to those in the fourth kingdom in nature (as they gradually unfold over the aeons) and then, via these, to the seven centres in individual man. Such is the synthesis.
The seven major centres or Ashrams within the Hierarchy are each presided over by Masters of Chohan rank; the seven subsidiary centres or Ashrams are presided over by Masters and Adepts (of the fifth and fourth initiations), aided by initiates of the third degree and certain picked and senior disciples. Several of the seven affiliated Ashrams are, as yet, incomplete as regards personnel, but vacancies are rapidly being filled as the spiritual effects of the world war (1914-1945) make themselves felt. These effects are very real and have been a source of great encouragement to hierarchical workers.
Before the Hierarchy can emerge (as is the intention), the relation between a major Ashram and its subsidiary Ashrams must be firmly established, whilst that between a major Ashram and other major Ashrams has to be brought more definitely and unquestionably closer to Shamballa, and under the influence of that great first ray centre. The energy which will align and adjust the subsidiary forty-nine Ashrams is that of the second Ray of Love-Wisdom. That, however, which will bring about a similar adjusting and aligning impetus in the seven major Ashrams is the energy of the first Ray of Will or Power. I have here given you a most important item of occult information, but one which is of no importance to you individually; it serves, however, to present proof of the significant occult relation between the three planetary centres. Just as the third planetary centre, Humanity, has now reached a point of intelligent development so that a closer rapport can be set up between it and the Hierarchy, so the Hierarchy also has moved forward as a unit so that a closer corresponding rapport can also be set up between It and Shamballa. Just as the rapport between the Hierarchy and Humanity is established via aspirants, disciples and initiates in physical existence who are responding to the love-wisdom of the universe in some measure and who work via the intelligent people in incarnation primarily, so rapport between Shamballa and the Hierarchy is being more closely established via the senior Ashrams, and not via the secondary ones. You have, therefore, a situation which might be depicted somewhat as follows:
I. First Planetary Centre................................ Shamballa
working through
1. The seven Rays or the seven Spirits before the Throne.
2. Certain great Intermediaries.
3. The Council Chamber of the Lord of the World.
II. Second Planetary Centre........................... Hierarchy
working through
1. The seven major Chohans and Their Ashrams.
2. The forty-nine Masters of the secondary Ashrams.
3. The sum total of the secondary Ashrams.
III. Third Planetary Centre .............................. Humanity
working through
1. Disciples in manifestation—of the seven ray types.
2. The New Group of World Servers.
3. The sum total of humanitarians, educators and men of goodwill.
This is but a rough picture and one which is not totally correct; it will, however, show you certain direct lines of contact and of relationship which are true and which will suffice to give you a vague and general idea of the new alignment being set up between the three major planetary centres, requiring new adjustments.
At this particular time, the emphasis of the needed alignments and adjustments with which the Hierarchy is faced is being placed upon activity within the Hierarchy Itself. The secondary Ashrams are being stimulated; new ones are being gradually formed, for there are not as yet forty-nine minor Ashrams; vacancies in the major Ashrams are being filled as rapidly as possible from the ranks of those working in minor Ashrams and the places of these latter are being taken by accepted disciples who are being fitted for this work through experience, difficulties and the tension of world service. All these changes necessitate much adjustment. The interior work of hierarchical alignment is in the charge of the Chohans of the Major Ashrams, whilst the task of superintending the interior adjustments incident to new alignments and the admission of new personnel is being watched over and directed by the forty-nine Masters who are in charge of minor Ashrams—either Ashrams with what is regarded as a full complement of workers, or Ashrams in process of attaining that full complement, or embryonic Ashrams of which there are already quite a few.
One of the results of this hierarchical alignment and adjustment will be the establishment, for the first time, of a fluid interplay and movement between the three planetary centres. Chohans are today passing out of the Hierarchy into the Council Chamber of the Lord of the World, or on to one or other of the Seven Paths; senior Masters in charge of Ashrams are taking higher grades of initiation and taking the rank of Chohans; initiates above the third degree are rapidly taking the fourth and fifth initiations and becoming Masters (taking both initiations in one life), and their places are being taken by lesser initiates; these, in their turn, have been training disciples to take their places, until in this process of substitution and replacement we arrive at the door which symbolically stands between humanity and the Hierarchy, and today stands wide open, so that accepted disciples are taking initiation, pledged disciples are being accepted, and accepting disciples are taking their pledges.
Thus a great and new movement is proceeding and a tremendously increased interplay and interaction is taking place. This will go on until A.D. 2025. During the years intervening between now and then very great changes will be seen taking place, and at the great General Assembly of the Hierarchy—held as usual every century—in 2025 the date in all probability will be set for the first stage of the externalisation of the Hierarchy. The present cycle (from now until that date) is called technically "The Stage of the Forerunner". It is preparatory in nature, testing in its methods, and intended to be revelatory in its techniques and results. You can see therefore that Chohans, Masters, initiates, world disciples, disciples and aspirants affiliated with the Hierarchy are all at this time passing through a cycle of great activity.