Freedom & the Initiations

Freedom is the keynote for the world disciple today. This is freedom to live, freedom to think, and freedom to know and plan.

Initiation, from the angle of liberation, can be viewed as a process of strenuously attained freedoms. This basic aspect of initiation ~ when realized by the initiate ~ ties this experience into a firm relation with all of humanity, whose fundamental struggle is the attainment of that freedom "whereby the soul and its powers can unfold and all may be free because of an individually attained freedom."

The Path of Initiation has also been called the Path of Liberation, and is a graded series of liberations, resulting in the attainment of increased freedom from that which lies behind in the human experience; this carries with it the permission to proceed further on the WAY. These freedoms are the result of Detachment, Dispassion, and Discrimination. At the same time, Discipline enforces and makes possible the hard work required to pass the grade. All these four techniques ~ Detachment, Dispassion, Discrimination, and Discipline ~ (for that is what they are) are preceded by a series of disillusionments that when realised and comprehended, leave the aspiring individual no choice but to move forward into greater light.

Freedom and the 9 Initiations

Initiation I. Birth. Freedom from the control of the physical body and its appetites.

Initiation II. Baptism. Freedom from the control of the emotional nature and the selfish sensitivity of the lower self.

Initiation III. Transfiguration. Freedom from the ancient authority of the threefold personality, marking a climaxing moment in the history of all initiates.

Initiation IV. Renunciation. Freedom from all self-interest, and the renouncing of the personal life in the interest of a larger whole. Even soul-consciousness ceases to be of importance and a more universal awareness, and one closer to the divine Mind, takes its place.

Initiation V. Revelation. Freedom from blindness ~ a liberation which enables the initiate to see a new vision. This vision concerns the Reality lying beyond any thing ever sensed or known.

Initiation VI. Decision. Freedom of choice. The Spiritual Hierarchy operates using the Principle of Decision. Actions are determined based on

1. Participation in the Purpose
2. Perception of the Plan
3. Prevention of Evil.

The Masters, at the sixth initiation of Decision, face realms of service where They will have to "impart, strengthen and enlighten that which is already fused, already strong, and already full of light but which needs that which They bring in order to express the all-encompassing Whole."

Initiation VII. Resurrection. Freedom from the hold of the phenomenal life of the seven planes of our planetary Life. It is in reality a "lifting out of or above" the cosmic physical plane.

Initiation VIII. Transition. Freedom from the reaction of consciousness and a liberation into a state of awareness, a form of conscious recognition having no relation to consciousness as we presently understand the term. It might be regarded as complete freedom from sensitivity, yet with a full flowering of that quality to which we give the inadequate name "compassion." More cannot be said.

Initiation IX. Refusal. Freedom from all possible forms of enticement, particularly with reference to the higher planes. It must constantly be remembered that our seven planes are the seven subplanes of the cosmic physical plane.

Information in this piece is synthesized from
Alice A. Bailey's The Rays and the Initiations (685-687)
© Lucis Publishing Co., 120 Wall St., 24th Floor, New York, NY 10005

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