Planetary Existences
In considering now the personalities taking part in the initiation ceremonies , the first to be dealth with are Those Who are termed Planetary Existences. This refers to those great Beings who, for a period of planetary manifestation, overshadow or stay with our humanity. They are not very many in number, for the majority of the Great Ones pass on steadily and increasingly to other and higher work, as Their places can be taken and Their functions carried on by members of our earth evolution, both deva and human.
Among those directly connected with our Lodge of Masters in its various divisions upon the planet, the following might be enumerated:-
The "Silent Watcher," that great Entity Who is the informing life of the planet, and Who holds the same position to the Lord of the World, Sanat Kumara, as the Ego does to the lower self of man. Some idea of the high stage of evolution of this Great Being may be gathered from the analogous degree of evolutionary difference existing between a human being and a perfected adept.
From the standpoint of our planetary scheme, this great Life has no greater, and He is, as far as we are concerned, a correspondence to the personal God of the Christian. He works through His representative on the physical plane, Sanat Kumara, Who is the focal point for His life and energy.
He holds the world within His aura. This great Existence is only contacted directly by the adept who has taken the fifth initiation, and is proceeding to take the other two, the sixth and seventh. Once a year at the Wesak Festival the Lord Buddha, sanctioned by the Lord of the World, carries to the assembled humanity a dual stream of force, that emanating from the Silent Watcher, supplemented by the more focalized energy of the Lord of the World.
This dual energy He pours out in blessings over the people gathered at the ceremony in the Himalayas, and from them in turn it flows out to all peoples and tongues and races. It may not perhaps be generally known that at a certain crisis during the Great War the Hierarchy of our planet deemed it well nigh necessary to invoke the aid of the Silent Watcher, and-employing the great mantram where-by the Buddha can be reached - called the attention of the latter, and sought his agency with the Planetary Logos, the Lord of the World.
One of the Buddhas of Activity, the Buddha, the Mahachohan, and the Manu (these names are given in order of their relative evolutionary stage) it was decided to watch proceedings a little longer before interferring with the trend of affairs, as the karma of the planet would have been delayed should the strife have been ended too soon.
Their confidence in the ability of men duly to adjust conditions was justified, and interference proved needless. this conference took place at Shamballa. This is mentioned to show the close scrutiny given to everything concerning the affairs of men by various Planetary Existences. It is literally true, in an occult sense, that "not a sparrow falleth" without its fall being noticed.
It may be asked why the Boidhisattva was not included in the conference. The reason was that the war was in the department of the Manu, and the members of the Heirarchy concern Themselves with that which is strictly Their own business; the Mahachohan, being the embodiment of the intelligent or monasic principle, participants in all conferences.
In the next great strife the department of religions will be involved, and the Bodhisattva intimately concerned. His brother, the Manu, will then be relatively exempt, and will proceed with His own affairs. And yet withal there is the closest co-operation in all departments, with no loss of energy. Owing to the unity of consciousness of those who are free from the three lower planes, what transpires in one department is known in the others.
As the planetary Logos is only concerned in the two final initiations, which are not compulsory as are the earlier five, it serves no purpose to enlarge upon His work. These initiations are taken upon the Buddhic and Atmic planes, whereas the first five are taken upon the mental.
The Lord of the World, the One Initiator, He Who is called in the Bible "The Ancient of Days," and in the Hindu Scriptures the First Kumara, He, Sanat Kumara it is, Who from His throne at Shamballa in the Gobi desert, presides over the Lodge of Masters and holds in His hands the reins of government in all the three departments.
Called in some Scriptures "the Great Sacrifice," he has chosen to watch over the evolution of men and devas until all have been occultly 'saved." He it is Who decides upon the "advancements" in the different departments, and Who settles who shall fill the vacant posts; He it is Who, four times a year, meets in conference with all the Chohans and Masters, and authorises what shall be done to further the ends of evolution.
Occasionally, too, He meets with initiates of lesser degree, but only at times of great crises, when some individual is given the oportunity to bring peace out of strife, and to kindle a blaze whereby rapidly crystallising forms are destroyed and the imprisoned life consequently set free.
- At stated periods in the year the Lodge meets, and at the Wesak Festival gathers under His jurisdiction for three purposes:
To contact planetary force through the medium of Buddha.
To hold the principle of the quartely conferences.
To admit to the ceremony of initiation those who are ready in all grades. - Three other initiation ceremonies take place during the year:-
For minor initiations administered by the Bodhisattva, all of which are in the department of the Mahachohan, and on one or other of the four lesser rays, the rays of attribute.
For the major initiations on one or other of the three major rays, the rays of aspect, which are administered by the Bodhisattva, and are therefore the first two initiations.
For the higher three initiations at which Sanat kumara weilds the Rod.
At all initiations the Lord of the World is present, but at the first two He holds a position similar to that held by the Silent Watcher, when Sanat Kumara administers the oath at the third, fourth, and fifth initiations. His powers streams forth and the flashing forth of the star before the initiate is the signal of His approval, but the initiate does not see Him face to face until the third initiation.
The function of the three Kumaras, or the three buddhas of Activity at initiation is interesting. They are three aspects of the one aspect, and the pupils of Sanat Kumara.
Reference: Initiantion Human and Solar: Alice A Bailey