The Rays and the Initiations

by Alice A Bailey

  In every country and among all types of men—sincerely or insincerely—the talk of the newspapers, on the radio and upon the lecture platforms is on behalf of harmony and a widespread recognition of the needed adjustments. Even the evil forces which still remain active hide their greedy purposes behind a spurious desire for world unity, world harmony and right human relations. The masses of the people in all lands have been convinced by the evidence made available by the Principle of Conflict that basic changes in man's attitude and goals must be brought about if humanity is to survive; they are, in their own ways (wisely or unwisely), seeking a solution.

  The war has produced much good—in spite of the destruction of forms. The causes of war are better understood; the issues involved are slowly being clarified; information about all nations—even when incorrectly presented—has awakened mankind to the fact of the One World; the community of pain, sorrow, anxiety, starvation and despair have brought all men closer together, and this relation is a far greater breeder of harmony than man realises; the world of men today is more closely knit subjectively (in spite of all outer cleavages and conflicts) than ever before in human history; there is a firmer determination to establish right human relations and a clearer perception of the factors involved; the new Principle of Sharing, [613] inherent in the second Ray of Love-Wisdom which is concerned so fundamentally with relationships, is gaining ground, and its potency is being released by the activity of the fourth Ray of Harmony through Conflict. This Principle of Sharing, though still divorced from any official sanctions, is under consideration and will some day be the governing factor in the economic life of the world, regulated and controlled by those men who are alert to human need upon the physical plane.

  This Principle of Conflict is also active in all institutions, groups and organisations in all lands and in every department of human thought. Its results are, first, the awakening of humanity to certain major human developments and possibilities, and secondly, it will lead to certain basic renunciations, once the issues are clearly seen and the cleavage which exists in reality between the desirable spiritual values and the undesirable material values has been made clear. In politics, for instance, the two-party system is based upon a correct premise, but it is not at present a satisfactory system because of human stupidity. It stands in truth for the reactionary groups in any land and also for the progressive party who are alert to the new possibilities; one party aims at the holding back of the life of the spirit, at clarifying by obstruction and at holding back or preventing the too rapid rushing forward of the impatient and the immature; the progressive party should be composed of those who are aware of the unneeded and old issues, and who pioneer all the time, even though frequently without much still in action. Such a clear line of demarcation between the two basic world parties is not yet possible, nor are the spiritual values of either group appreciated by the unthinking masses. Today, party politics are as selfish, and therefore as reactionary, as are the mass of men; the real good of humanity is not the goal of the average politician in either group, for usually only his own selfish ambition and the desire to preserve a certain political ideology which has put him into power are the goal of his efforts. [614]

  The Principle of Conflict is working also in the churches, but more slowly, unfortunately, owing to the corruption and soporific effect of theological churchianity; I would have you note my choice of words; I said not “of Christianity,” for true Christianity, as Christ taught it, is free from theological abuses and must and will be restored or—perhaps more accurately—reach its first stage of expression.

  Everywhere the fourth Ray of Harmony through Conflict is active in the human family and is dominating human affairs; everywhere in the life of the individual, in the lives of groups, organisations and churches, in the life of nations and in the life of mankind as a whole, the issues are being clarified, and humanity is being led from one renunciation to another, until some day the human kingdom will unitedly take the fourth initiation and the Great Renunciation will be accepted; this step, lying far ahead as yet in the future, will affiliate humanity with the Hierarchy and release millions of men from the thralldom of materialism. This moment in human history will inevitably come. The first indication that the distant vision has been glimpsed might perhaps be noted in the prevalent instinct to share, motivated at present by the instinct to self-preservation, but definitely developing as a possible mode of action upon the far horizon of man's thinking. True sharing definitely involves many little renunciations, and it is upon these small renunciations that the capacity for freedom is slowly being generated and the habit of renunciation can eventually be stabilised; this capacity and these habits, these unselfish activities and these spiritual habitual attitudes are the preparatory stages for the Initiation of Renunciation, just as the effort to serve one's fellowmen is preparatory to the taking of the third Initiation, of the Transfiguration.

  The Factor of the Ray of Love-Wisdom as it controls the Ray of Harmony through Conflict and implements the Return of the Christ

  In the first paragraph of this instruction, I ascribed the inevitability of Christ's imminent return to the decision [615] of humanity to precipitate the existent conflict on to the physical plane, thus determining the sphere of Christ's activity. In earlier teachings also I have pointed out that He might come in one of three ways or in all three of them simultaneously. The issues which have emerged as the result of the conflict upon the physical plane, and of its shifting (by man's decision) today on to the mental plane, have made completely evident the fact that the locale of Christ's influence will be, therefore, the entire three worlds Of human evolution, which naturally includes the physical levels of experience and demands His physical Presence.

  Let me make the facts somewhat clearer and enlarge somewhat upon these three modes of His appearing, of His coming, His advent and of His physical recognition by humanity:

  1. By His overshadowing of all initiates and disciples who are today, or will be at the time of His arrival, active in the three worlds of human evolution. This involves His influencing their minds telepathically. This overshadowing or influencing will be His primary work upon the mental plane. This will constitute one of His most effective methods in His proposed spiritual interference in world affairs. Through the medium of these members or affiliates of the Hierarchy, He will have outposts of His consciousness in every nation. Through them He can work.

  2. By the pouring out of the Christ life or consciousness upon the masses everywhere and in every nation. This spiritual inflow will bring about the reorienting of human desire and will evoke the emotional reaction to His Presence. This therefore brings the astral plane within the active sphere of His influence; this involves the release of the energy of goodwill into the hearts of men, predisposing them towards right human relations. It is this establishing of right relations which is the major objective of His coming triple activity. The masses everywhere will be responsive to the work and the message of the Christ, as it is [616] implemented from the mental plane by the disciples and initiates, overshadowed by the mind of Christ.

  3. By His physical appearance among men. Through His Own immediate appearance, He can establish a potent focal point of hierarchical energy upon Earth in a manner not hitherto possible. He has never deserted humanity and has always kept His promise to stay with us all the days, even unto the end of the age. Men in all lands will know where He can be found. The locale of this focal point of His threefold spiritual activity cannot here be disclosed, for it is contingent upon the results of the sequential processes of overshadowing and outpouring.

  The first of the methods which will lead to the eventual physical reappearance of the Christ has already been set in motion; disciples and initiates in all lands are starting the work preparatory to the outpouring of the Christ spiritual force, leading to the awakening of the Christ consciousness (as it is usually called) in the hearts of men. This outpouring will come as the result of three activities:

  1. The
work and the teaching of the trained disciples and initiates, as each of them, in his own way, points out the surety of Christ's coming and thus implements the innate expectancy of the masses.

  2. The evocation of a united hierarchical response through the use of the Great Invocation. You will note how this invocation can be interpreted in terms of the three modes of the return of the Christ:

  a. “Let Light stream forth into the minds of men.”

  The influencing of the minds of disciples.

  The enlightening of intelligent humanity.

  The mental plane.

  Stanza I.

  b. “Let Love stream forth into the hearts of men.”

  The influencing of the masses everywhere.

  The outpouring of the Christ spirit.

  The astral plane.

  Stanza II. [617]

  c. “The Purpose which the Masters know and serve.”

  The anchoring of hierarchical energy on Earth.

  The physical appearance of the Christ.

  The physical plane.

  Stanza III.

  What this divine purpose may be the Christ Himself will reveal upon His arrival; the focal point of His activity will be dependent upon the medium used by Him to implement that purpose—known only to Him and to the senior members of the Hierarchy. Should politics be the medium through which He best can serve, that then will determine the locality of the focal point; if it should be the religious organisations of the world, it may prove to be elsewhere; if the field of economics or of the social sciences, then still another locality may prove appropriate. The determining factor in all cases, and that which will indicate to Him the appropriate place for this focal point, will be the number and the ability and status of the disciples found active in the chosen field. More, I may not suggest.

  3. The demand or prayer or outgoing desire of the masses for the appearance of a Liberator and for the establishing of right human relations, plus the work of all the spiritually-minded people in all nations and of all faiths. All these three factors are today present but have not yet the needed potency to prove immediately effective. This triple nucleus of determining factors is, however, already firmly established; in this fact is to be found a sure ground for a sane optimism.

  It should be pointed out that the Principle of Conflict is motivated strongly by these same factors. The over-shadowing of all disciples and initiates, and the consequent stimulation of their natures and of their environment, must inevitably produce conflict; the outpouring of the stimulating love of God into the hearts of men must equally and inevitably produce conflict; the line of cleavage between men of goodwill and the unresponsive natures of those uninfluenced by this quality will be made abundantly, usefully and constructively clear. It will be obvious also [618] that when Christ establishes the “centre or focal point of the divine Purpose” in some definite place on Earth, its radiation and implementary potency will also produce the needed conflict which precedes the clarification and the renunciation of obstructions.

  But there will come a point in all these three spheres of Christ's proposed activity when conflict will be superseded by harmony; this is due to the fact that the energy of harmony through conflict is under the control or influence of the energy of the second Ray of Love-Wisdom. As far as humanity as a sum total is concerned, the conflict of ideas and of emotional desire is today so acute that it will finally exhaust itself, and men will turn, with relief and with a longing to escape from further turmoil, towards right human relations; this will constitute the first major human decision leading to the longed-for harmony. The attitude of the masses will then be soundly tending towards harmony, owing to the work of the men and women of goodwill as they implement the “streaming forth of the love of God into the hearts of men.”

  We have now reached a point where the inevitability of Christ's return is established, scientifically and under law; this constitutes a call which He may not deny and one which He must obey. This fourth Ray of Harmony through Conflict works (where the initiatory process is concerned) through the heart, or through what esotericists call “the heart centre”—the focal point through which the energy of love can flow. When the Christ founds His focal point on Earth, it will be in the nature of a tiny heart centre through which the love energy of the Hierarchy can persistently flow. The harmony (which the Principle of Conflict produces) causes an alignment, so that the love—streaming forth from the Heart of God—enters the hearts of men; so that the Hierarchy (which is the heart centre or the place where love prevails upon our planet) is brought into relationship with humanity; so that the New Group of World Servers (implementing the love of God and enlightened by the Mind of God) are brought also into relation with the [619] men and women of goodwill in all lands whose task it is to make men's hearts responsive to and receptive of the love of God; this is another way of saying receptive to the consciousness of the Christ.

  This alignment is now in process of being made; it will be brought about automatically when the effectiveness of the Principle of Conflict in producing liberation is generally recognised. Thus the hearts of men, the heart of the planet, i.e., the Hierarchy, and the heart of the Hierarchy, the Christ, are in a state of positive contact; when this channel is open and unobstructed, then the Christ will come. Nothing can stop His appearance and—under law—He may not turn His back upon the presented opportunity.

  Thus, eventually, the Lord of Love—in response to the invocative cry of humanity, aroused by the Principle of Conflict—must “proceed again to the high place of sacrifice and walk openly with men on Earth.” His heart, embodying as it does the love of God, is drawn forth from the heart of the planet (the Hierarchy) to the hearts of men, and the path of His return to Earth service stands unchallenged and unobstructed. Again, under law, a profound optimism is engendered and may be rightly developed.

  The heart centre of humanity is created by the sum total of the hearts (symbolically speaking) of all those men of goodwill (in or out of the churches and irrespective of their political concepts) who are serving their fellowmen, sponsoring human welfare movements, working for the establishing of right human relations, and constantly offsetting the separativeness of the human mind through the inclusiveness of the divine love nature. You have, therefore, as a guarantee of the return of Christ into public recognition, an implementing of a great alignment. This alignment, when effectively concluded, will bring about a clear channel or pathway of return or line of light or magnetic power between:

  1. The centre where the will of God is known. This is Shamballa where the will-to-good originates. This will-to-good is essential love. [620]

  2. The Hierarchy, which is the planetary heart centre.

  3. The Christ, the very heart of love within the Hierarchy.

  4. The initiates, disciples and aspirants who form the New Group of World Servers, seeking to embody the love and light needed in the world today.

  5. The hearts of the men of goodwill in all lands who are responsive to love as it can express itself through right human relations.

  6. The focal point through which the Lord of Love will work on Earth.

  If you will study this sixfold progression of divine love from the highest manifestation of Deity down to its appearance through the medium of some focal point in our known modern world, it will be apparent to you that a very definite “structure of approach” has been created, and that a “Path of Return” is being constructed which will bring the long-awaited Christ into our midst. Nothing can stop or prevent His return today; the evidence of this structure can be seen everywhere.

  The Effect of the Ray of Harmony through Conflict in the modern world of Nations

  As we approach what some may regard as a highly controversial subject, I would remind you that we must attempt to see the picture whole in some such manner as the Agents of the divine Will see it, embracing the past of the nations involved (a past which is seldom good), seeing the effects of that past as they work out in the present and as they ar
e the inevitable result of the Law of Cause and Effect, and attempting also to foresee the future in terms of lessons learnt and new habits of a better nature established (written in 1948). I would remind you also that the governing principle of this ray is conditioning all the nations and has done so with increasing potency since the year 1850. Just in the same manner as this principle of conflict controls the battling life of the aspirant and of the world aspirant, the entire human family, so it must [621] inevitably control the life of nations to a greater or lesser degree, according to their materialistic or their spiritual status, according to the type of energy which may be expressing itself through them, and according to the age of the nation under consideration. From certain angles, the youngest of the nations are Germany and Italy, for they only arrived at nationhood in the nineteenth century; the oldest nation with the clearest unified record is Japan. The United States of America is always regarded as a young nation, but from the angle of a unified central government, the two Axis Powers are still younger, and this has had a definite bearing on their activities.

  In the world at this time the two aspects of this fourth ray—the aspect or Principle of Conflict and the aspect or Principle of Harmony—are struggling to bring about the liberation into equilibrium of mankind. Until quite lately, the Principle of Conflict has grown increasingly in power, yet as a result of this conflict a definite trend towards harmony can be seen emerging in human thinking; the concept of harmony through the establishing of right human relations is slowly coming into recognition. The activities of mankind, and particularly of governments, have been ignobly selfish and controlled by the concepts of fighting, aggression and competition for untold millenia; the territories of the planet have changed hands many times and the earth has been the playground of a long succession of conquerors; the heroes of the race—perpetuated in history, stone and human thinking—have been the warriors, and conquest has been an ideal. The world war (1914-1945) marked a culminating point in the work of the Principle of Conflict and, as I have shown, the results of this work are today inaugurating a new era of harmony and cooperation because the trend of human thinking is towards the cessation of conflict. This is an event of major importance and should be regarded as indicating a turning point in human affairs. This trend is impulsed by a weariness of fighting, by a changing rating as to the values in human accomplishment, and by a recognition that true greatness [622] is not expressed through such activities as those of Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, Napoleon or Hitler, but by those who see life, humanity and the world as one united whole, interrelated, cooperative and harmonised. Those who struggle for this world unity, and who educate the race in the Principles of Harmony and of right human relations, will some day be recognised as the true heroes.