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This initiation process governs the dual life of the disciple in three ways:
THE MEANING OF THE INITIATORY PROCESS
Each divine aspect has three subsidiary aspects, and in our planet and on the cosmic Physical plane the lowest aspect of love (that which we call the Will-to-Good) is revealed. For humanity, struggling upon this cosmic Physical plane, we subdivide unconsciously this will-to-good into three aspects; these we are only today beginning to grasp as existent possibilities. The lowest aspect we call goodwill. little realising the attitude to the universal goal which it sets; the second aspect we vaguely call love and hope to demonstrate that we do demonstrate love through our affiliation with the Hierarchy; the highest we call the will-to-good and leave it undefined because it is in no way possible, even for initiates of the fifth initiation, truly to comprehend what is the nature and purpose of the will-to-good which conditions divine activity.
The emphasis in the earlier teaching was upon character as the determining factor in deciding whether a man could "take initiation" (as it was called), and this was another of the presentations which have greatly misled aspirants. Character is of major importance—of such recognised importance that it is not necessary to dwell upon it. It is character, however, which enables a man to become a disciple with the aim in view of eventually entering the Ashram of a Master and passing then through the processes of initiation. It is character which is rightly regarded as the first requirement when a man steps off the Probationary Path on to the Path of Discipleship. But he is still, however, a long way from his goal, and a long way from being accepted by a Master as a disciple.
The truth might be expressed this way: When the disciple's eyes are removed from himself and his functioning in the three worlds is becoming Spiritually controlled (or is in process of being controlled), then he is faced with becoming a truly mental being, with the focus of his life upon the mental level where it is subject to Soul control; it then in turn becomes the directing agent of the man upon the Physical plane. This does not mean that he is occupied with making his lower concrete mind active, directing and illumined; that is taking place gradually and automatically through the pressure of the higher influences pouring into and through him. He is occupied with the task of becoming aware of the activities of his higher or abstract mind and of the pure reason which controls and animates the Buddhic plane, and which is itself susceptible to impression from the Monad. That plane has to become the one toward which his mental consciousness looks and upon which it focusses its attention. There it must be polarized, in the same sense as the consciousness of average humanity is today polarised on the plane of the emotions and of Astral activity but is shifting with rapidity on to the Mental plane.
This involves a dual activity; the lower mind becomes a potent factor in directing the service activities of the disciple. These activities become the major motivating potency in the disciple's life and are a consequence of a growing Soul fusion with the personality, thus developing and unfolding his sense of inclusiveness. Inclusiveness is the supreme key to the understanding of consciousness. At the same time, the higher mind is impressing the lower mind and drawing it into a higher fusion with itself.
This process of unfoldment creates certain major points of successive fusions, with consequent points of tension; these points of tension (when consciously attained) become the actuating energy which enables the disciple to "stand in the light and in that light see greater Light; within that greater Light he knows and sees, grasps and absorbs that which has hitherto been dark and secret and unknown." This is initiation.
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