Mme. Blavatsky was the first person in modern times to claim contact with the Theosophical Adepts, especially the Masters Koot Hoomi and Morya.

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1 Mahatma is Sanskrit for "Great Soul" ( mahātmā: mahā (great) + or ātman (soul)). This epithet is commonly applied to prominent people like Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (though sources vary on who first gave him this name. Many sources, such as Dutta and Robinson's Rabindranath Tagore: An Anthology, state that Rabindranath Tagore first accorded him this title. Others state that the title "Mahatma" was first accorded to Gandhi on January 21, 1915 by Nautamlal Bhagavanji Mehta at Kamribai School in Jetpur, India) The term is also used to refer to adepts, liberated souls, or professionals. The word, used in a technical sense, was popularised in theosophical literature in the late 19th century when Madame Helena P. Blavatsky, one of the founders of the Theosophical Society, claimed that her teachers were adepts or Mahatmas who reside in Tibet. According to the Theosophical teachings, the Mahatmas are not disembodied beings, but highly evolved people involved in overseeing the spiritual growth of individuals and the development of civilisations. Mme. Blavatsky was the first person in modern times to claim contact with the Theosophical Adepts, especially the Masters Koot Hoomi and Morya. In September and October 1880, Mme. Blavatsky visited A. P. Sinnett at Simla in northern India. The serious interest of Sinnett in the Theosophical teachings of Mme. Blavatsky and the work of the Theosophical Society prompted Mme. Blavatsky to establish a contact by correspondence between Sinnett and the two Adepts who were sponsoring the Society, K.H. and M. From this correspondence Sinnett wrote The Occult World (1881) and Esoteric Buddhism (1883), both of which had an enormous influence in generating public interest in theosophy. The replies and explanations given by the Mahatmas to the questions by

2 Sinnett are embodied in their letters from 1880 to 1885, published in London in 1923 as The Mahatma Letters to A. P. Sinnett. The Mahatmas also corresponded with a number of other persons during the early years of the Theosophical Society. Many of these letters have been published in two volumes titled Letters from the Masters of the Wisdom, Series 1 and Series 2. There has been a great deal of controversy concerning the existence of these particular Adepts. Mme. Blavatsky's critics have doubted the existence of her Masters. See, for example, W.E. Coleman's "exposes." More than twenty five individuals testified to having seen and been in contact with these Mahatmas during H. P. Blavatsky's lifetime. In recent years, K. Paul Johnson has promoted an interesting but controversial theory about the Masters. After H.P.B.'s death in 1891, numerous individuals have claimed to be in contact with her Adept Teachers and have stated that they were new "messengers" of the Masters conveying various esoteric teachings. Later, many New Age groups used to call them Ascended Masters although their character and teachings are very different from those explained by the Theosophical movement. Ascended Masters, in various descendants and offshoots of Theosophy, are held to be a group of spiritually-enlightened beings, who in past incarnations were ordinary humans, but who have undergone a process of spiritual transformation. The term "Ascended Master" was first introduced to the public in 1934 with the publication of Unveiled Mysteries by Guy Ballard in The "I AM" Activity. This term was further popularized by The Bridge to Freedom (1951), The Summit Lighthouse (1958), The Temple of The Presence (1995), and various other organizations. Beliefs about Ascended Masters Originally presented by H. P. Blavatsky in the 1870s, the "Masters of Wisdom", "Mahatmas" or "Elder Brothers" were further developed by C. W. Leadbeater, Alice Bailey, Helena Roerich, Manly P. Hall, and many others in Theosophy based organizations, especially in the United States. They believe that Ascended Masters are individuals who were formerly embodied on the Earth and learned the lessons of life during their incarnations. They gained mastery over the limitations of the matter planes, balanced at least 51% of negative karma, and fulfilled their Dharma (Divine Plan). An Ascended Master, in such an understanding, has become God-like and a source of unconditional Love to all life, and through the Ascension has united with his or her own God Self, the "I AM" Presence. It is further claimed by various groups and teachers that the Ascended Masters serve as the teachers of mankind from the realms of Spirit, and that all people will eventually attain their Ascension and move forward in spiritual evolution beyond this planet. According to these teachings, they remain attentive to the spiritual needs of humanity, and act to inspire and motivate its spiritual growth. In many traditions and organizations, they are considered part of the Spiritual Hierarchy for Earth, and members of the Great Brotherhood of Light, also known as the Great White Lodge or Great White Brotherhood. In September and October 1880, Mme. Blavatsky visited A. P. Sinnett at Simla in northern India. The serious interest of Sinnett in the Theosophical teachings of Mme. Blavatsky and the work of the Theosophical Society prompted Mme. Blavatsky to establish a contact by correspondence between Sinnett and the two Adepts who were sponsoring the Society, K.H. and M. From this correspondence Sinnett wrote The Occult World (1881) and Esoteric Buddhism (1883), both of which had an enormous influence in generating public interest in theosophy. The replies and explanations given by the Mahatmas to the questions by Sinnett are embodied in their letters from 1880 to 1885, published in London in 1923 as The Mahatma Letters to A. P. Sinnett. The Mahatmas also corresponded with a number of

3 other persons during the early years of the Theosophical Society. Many of these letters have been published in two volumes titled Letters from the Masters of the Wisdom, Series 1 and Series 2. There has been a great deal of controversy concerning the existence of these particular Adepts. Mme. Blavatsky's critics have doubted the existence of her Masters. See, for example, W.E. Coleman's "exposes." More than twenty five individuals testified to having seen and been in contact with these Mahatmas during H. P. Blavatsky's lifetime. In recent years, K. Paul Johnson has promoted an interesting but controversial theory about the Masters. After H.P.B.'s death in 1891, numerous individuals have claimed to be in contact with her Adept Teachers and have stated that they were new "messengers" of the Masters conveying various esoteric teachings. Later, many New Age groups used to call them Ascended Masters although their character and teachings are very different from those explained by the Theosophical movement. Ascended Masters, in various descendants and offshoots of Theosophy, are held to be a group of spiritually-enlightened beings, who in past incarnations were ordinary humans, but who have undergone a process of spiritual transformation. The term "Ascended Master" was first introduced to the public in 1934 with the publication of Unveiled Mysteries by Guy Ballard in The "I AM" Activity. This term was further popularized by The Bridge to Freedom (1951), The Summit Lighthouse (1958), The Temple of The Presence (1995), and various other organizations. Beliefs about Ascended Masters Originally presented by H. P. Blavatsky in the 1870s, the "Masters of Wisdom", "Mahatmas" or "Elder Brothers" were further developed by C. W. Leadbeater, Alice Bailey, Helena Roerich, Manly P. Hall, and many others in Theosophy based organizations, especially in the United States. They believe that Ascended Masters are individuals who were formerly embodied on the Earth and learned the lessons of life during their incarnations. They gained mastery over the limitations of the matter planes, balanced at least 51% of negative karma, and fulfilled their Dharma (Divine Plan). An Ascended Master, in such an understanding, has become God-like and a source of unconditional Love to all life, and through the Ascension has united with his or her own God Self, the "I AM" Presence. It is further claimed by various groups and teachers that the Ascended Masters serve as the teachers of mankind from the realms of Spirit, and that all people will eventually attain their Ascension and move forward in spiritual evolution beyond this planet. According to these teachings, they remain attentive to the spiritual needs of humanity, and act to inspire and motivate its spiritual growth. In many traditions and organizations, they are considered part of the Spiritual Hierarchy for Earth, and members of the Great Brotherhood of Light, also known as the Great White Lodge or Great White Brotherhood. Origins Esotericism is defined as the belief that secret societies and Mystery Schools possess advanced spiritual knowledge. Such beliefs are extremely ancient. This idea was reintroduced in the West by the Rosicrucians in the seventeenth century.

4 The founder of the Theosophical Society, H. P. Blavatsky, in the late nineteenth century brought attention to the idea of secret initiatory knowledge, by claiming her ideas were based on traditions transmitted to her by occult means from a group of highly evolved humans which she called the Mahatmas or Masters. These Mahatmas, she claimed, were physical beings living in the Himalayas, usually understood as Tibet. ".. they are living men, born as we are born, and doomed to die like every mortal. We call them masters because they are our teachers; and because from them we have derived all the Theosophical truths... They are men of great learning, whom we call Initiates, and still greater holiness of life." While some of her critics believe the Masters are pure fantasy, other writers suggest that her changing stories were meant to hide the identities of real human teachers guiding her work. In assessing the veracity of Blavatsky's claim regarding the existence of these Masters, it is worth noting that at least twenty-five other people left a written account of having met the Mahatmas themselves during Blavatsky's lifetime. Blavatsky claimed that she personally met numerous Masters on countless occasions, and was also the guest of the Master Koot Hoomi while visiting the "Little Tibet" region of Kashmir. After Madame Blavatsky's death in 1891, the Mahatma concept was developed by her successors in the Theosophical Society leadership, Annie Besant and Charles W. Leadbeater, who described the Masters in great detail and added Jesus to their number. In Leadbeater's book, The Masters and the Path (1925), the Masters are presented as ageless and superphysical, albeit still limited by human bodies. Other branches of theosophy developed the theory slightly differently, notably Alice Bailey from whose book Initiation, Human and Solar (1922), Leadbeater may have borrowed some of his details. Comparison of unascended and Ascended Masters There is considerable difference between the concept of Masters in nineteenth century Theosophy (as described by Blavatsky, Olcott, Sinnett, and others) and the current concept of Ascended Masters. The believers in "Immortal Saints and Sages" claim that these individuals have gone through the Initiations of the Transfiguration, Resurrection, and the Ascension to become "Ascended Masters". The twentieth century teachings of the Ballards, Prophets, and others claim that although Morya and Koot Hoomi (Kuthumi) were Adepts and Masters of the lower matter planes and the elemental forces of nature, they had not become Ascended Masters until 1898, while Serapis and the Maha Chohan, who were interacting with Theosophists during Blavatsky's time, already were Ascended Masters. An unascended Master has, according to these later teachings, overcome the limitations of the lower matter octaves (physical, emotional, mental), yet has chosen to postpone the final Initiation of the Ascension to remain in time and space to externalize and focus the Consciousness of God for the evolutions of the Earth. If a person takes a Bodhisattva vow, that one may choose to remain with the humanity of this Earth as an unascended Master in one of the lower Spirit/Matter Octaves, as was the case with Babaji. It is believed by proponents of these beliefs that if enough mastery and externalization of the Divine Nature has been developed, such an Adept becomes an Initiate of one of the Brotherhoods or Sisterhoods of Light under the auspices of the Great White Brotherhood. It is claimed that there can be a high degree of attainment within the lower body vehicles of expression (physical, emotional, mental, memory), yet that Adept may still not be Ascended (not primarily expressing through the Higher Bodies). One such teaching claims that examples of unascended Masters are: Yogananda, Mataji, and Lao-tzu. The belief is that they have un-ascended bodies that are not flesh and blood of the lowest of the sub-plane substance of the physical octave, but of the "finer matter" that composes the upper etheric sub-planes of the physical octave, as well as the emotional (astral) octave, and the mental octave. The Great White Brotherhood In some versions of the Theosophical belief systems, the Masters are collectively called the "Great White Brotherhood". The use of the term "white" refers to their advanced spirituality (i.e., that they have a white colored aura) and has nothing to do with race.

5 The early versions of Blavatsky's writings described the Masters as ethnically Tibetan or Indian (Hindu), not European. Belief in the Brotherhood and the Masters is an essential part of the syncretistic teachings of various organizations that have continued and expanded the Theosophical philosophical concepts. Examples of those believed to be Ascended Masters are Jesus, Confucius, Gautama Buddha, Mary the Mother of Jesus, Pope John Paul II, Kwan Yin the compassionate Bodhisattva, as well as alchemist Comte de Saint-Germain, Vaivasvata Manu and Kuthumi, (one of Helena Blavatsky's "Mahatmas"). It is believed that all of these put aside any differences they might have had in their Earthly careers, and unite instead to advance the spiritual well-being of humanity. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Theosophy literally "wisdom of the divine" (Greek: θεοσοφία theosophia), designates several bodies of ideas. Philosophers such as Emanuel Swedenborg and Jacob Boehme are commonly called theosophists. The word was revived in the nineteenth century by Helena Petrovna Blavatsky to designate her religious philosophy which holds that all religions are attempts by humanity to approach the absolute, and that each religion therefore has a portion of the truth. Together with Henry Steel Olcott, William Quan Judge, and others, Blavatsky founded the Theosophical Society in This society has since split into a number of organizations, some of which no longer use the term "theosophy". A formal definition from the Concise Oxford Dictionary describes Theosophy as "any of various philosophies professing to achieve a knowledge of God by spiritual ecstasy, direct intuition, or special individual revelation; esp. a modern movement following Hindu and Buddhist teachings, and seeking universal brotherhood." Madame Blavatsky's theosophy would, however, not fall under this definition, as it is non-theistic. Adherents of Theosophy maintain that it is a "body of truth" that forms the basis of all religions. Theosophy, they claim, represents a modern face of Sanatana Dharma, "the eternal truth," as the proper religion. The motto of the parent society is : "There is no religion higher than Truth." The Three Objects There are three objects to which one must assent in order to join the Theosophical Society (Adyar). They are: To form a nucleus of the universal brotherhood of humanity without distinction of race, creed, sex, caste, or color. To encourage the comparative study of religion, philosophy and science. To investigate the unexplained laws of nature and the powers latent in humanity. Basic Theosophical Beliefs Consciousness is universal and individual According to Theosophy, nature does not operate by chance. Every event, past or present, happens because of laws which are part of a universal paradigm. Theosophists hold that everything, living or not, is put together from basic building blocks evolving towards consciousness. H.P. Blavatsky's Theosophy is non-theistic, however some of her followers seem closer to theistic attitudes. Man is "provisionally" immortal Theosophists believe that all human beings in their "higher selves" are immortal, but

6 their lower personalities are unconscious of the link with their eternal spiritual nature and will perish. Reincarnation is universal Like esoteric Buddhism, from which much of Theosophical thought springs, Theosophy teaches that beings have attained the human state through myriad reincarnations, passing through the mineral, plant and animal stages since before the birth of life on earth. However, Theosophy differs from the esoteric belief that regression is possible. Human beings cannot reincarnate as animals or plants again except in the rare cases of disintegrating "lost souls." Conversely, people are considered only the epitome of physical life on Earth and not the end stage of evolution, which continues for further stages, including the form of the Dhyani Chohans or Buddhic beings. Karma Theosophy is similar to the beliefs of the Hindu Arya Samaj sect concerning karma, dharma and cosmogony. Theosophy teaches that evil and good are the result of differentiation of spirit/matter in a cycle of becoming. There is a natural involution of spirit into matter followed by an evolution of matter back into spirit. The purpose of the Universe is for spirit to manifest itself self-consciously through seven stages. Universal Brotherhood Theosophy teaches that everything of whatever kind is from one divine source. All things are "monads" in reality. All monads potentially possess the same principles and their forms and natures are an expression of their present consciousness level. Evolution Theosophists believe that religion, philosophy, science, the arts, commerce, and philanthropy, among other "virtues," lead people ever closer to "the Absolute." Planets, solar systems and even galaxies are seen as conscious beings, fulfilling their own evolutionary paths. The spiritual units of the universe are the monads, which at different times may manifest as planets, angels, human beings or in various other forms. Theosophists also believe that human civilization, like all other parts of the universe, develops through cycles of seven stages. Thus, in the first age, humans were pure spirit; in the second age, they are known as Hyperboreans; in the third as Lemurians; and in the fourth, Atlanteans. Since Atlantis was the nadir of the cycle, the present fifth age is a time of reawakening humanity's psychic gifts. The Septenary Emblem of the Theosophical Society (Adyar)described at Theosophy, as well as many other esoteric groups and occult societies, claims that the universe is ordered by the number seven. The reincarnating unit, the monad, consists of the two spiritual constituents of a sum of seven human bodies: The first body is called sthula-sarira (Sanskrit, from sthula meaning coarse, gross, not refined, heavy, bulky, fat in the sense of bigness, conditioned and differentiated matter + sarira to molder, waste away). A gross body, impermanent because of its wholly compounded character. The physical body is usually considered as the lowest substanceprinciple. The physical form is the result of the harmonious coworking on the physical plane of forces and faculties streaming through their astral vehicle or linga-sarira, the pattern or model of the physical body. The second body is called Linga-Sarira, (Sanskrit, from linga meaning characteristic mark, model, pattern + sarira, from the verbal root sri to moulder, waste away). A pattern or model that is impermanent; the model-body or astral body, only slightly more ethereal than the physical body. It is the astral model around which the physical body is built, and from which the physical body flows or develops as growth proceeds.

7 The third body is prana (Sanskrit, from pra before + the verbal root an to breathe, to live). In theosophy, the breath of life. This life or prana works on, in, and around us, pulsating unceasingly during the term of physical existence. Prana is "the radiating force or Energy of Atma -- as the Universal Life and the One Self, -- its lower or rather (in its effects) more physical, because manifesting, aspect. Prana or Life permeates the whole being of the objective Universe; and is called a 'principle' only because it is an indispensable factor and the deus ex machina of the living man. The fourth principle is kama (Sanskrit, from the verbal root kam meaning to desire). Desire; the desire principle is the driving, impelling force. Born from the interaction of atman, buddhi, and manas, kama per se is a colorless force, good or bad according to the way the mind and soul use it. It is the seat of the living electric impulses, desires, aspirations, considered in their energetic aspect. The fifth principle is manas (Sanskrit, from the verbal root man meaning to think). The seat of mentation and egoic consciousness; in humanity Manas is the human person, the reincarnating ego, immortal in essence, enduring in its higher aspects through the entire manvantara. When imbodied, manas is dual, gravitating toward buddhi in its higher aspects and in its lower aspects toward kama. The first is intuitive mind, the second the animal, ratiocinative consciousness, the lower mentality and passions of the personality. The sixth principle or vehicle is Buddhi (Sanskrit, from the verbal root budh to awaken, enlighten, know). The vehicle of pure, universal spirit, hence an inseparable garment or vehicle of atman. In its essence of the highest plane of akasa or alaya. In man buddhi is the spiritual soul, the faculty of discriminating, the channel through which streams divine inspiration from the atman to the ego, and therefore that faculty which enables us to discern between good and evil -- spiritual conscience. The qualities of the buddhic principle when awakened are higher judgment, instant understanding, discrimination, intuition, love that has no bounds, and consequent universal forgiveness. The seventh is called Atman (Sanskrit). Self; pure consciousness, that cosmic self which is the same in every dweller on this globe and on every one of the planetary or stellar bodies in space. It is the feeling and knowledge of "I am," pure cognition, the abstract idea of self. It does not differ at all throughout the cosmos except in degree of self-recognition. It may also be considered as the First Logos in the human microcosm. During incarnation the lowest aspects of atman take on attributes, because it is linked with buddhi, as the buddhi is linked with manas, as the manas is linked with kama, etc. Background Theosophists trace the origin of Theosophy to the universal striving for spiritual knowledge that existed in all cultures. It is found in an unbroken chain in India but

8 existed in ancient Greece and also in the writings of Plato ( BCE), Plotinus ( ) and other neo-platonists, as well as Jakob Boehme ( ). Some relevant quotations:...we are imprisoned in the body, like an oyster in his shell. The Socrates of Plato, Phaedrus To the philosopher, the body is "a disturbing element, hindering the soul from the acquisition of knowledge..."...what is purification but...the release of the soul from the chains of the body? The Socrates of Plato, Phaedo Rudolf Steiner The Theosophical Society Modern Theosophical esotericism, however, begins with Madame Helena Petrovna Blavatsky ( ) usually known as Madame Blavatsky. In 1875 she founded the Theosophical Society in New York City together with Henry Steel Olcott, who was a government investigator, lawyer and writer. Madame Blavatsky was a world traveler who eventually settled in India where, with Olcott, she established the headquarters of the Society. She claimed numerous psychic and spiritualist powers. Her first major book Isis Unveiled (1877) presented elements mainly from the Western wisdom tradition based on her extensive travels in Asia, Europe and the Middle East. Her second major work The Secret Doctrine (1888), a commentary on The Book of Dzyan, is based on esoteric Buddhism and also Hinduism. These writings became the basic pillars of the Theosophical movement, together with The Mahatma Letters, purported to originate with highly evolved humans directing HPB and the Theosophical Society Upon Blavatsky's death in 1891, several Theosophical societies emerged following a series of schisms. Annie Besant became leader of the society based in Adyar India, while William Quan Judge split off the American Section of the Theosophical Society in New York which later moved to Point Loma, Covina, and Pasadena, California under a series of leaders: Katherine Tingley, Gottfried de Purucker, Colonel Arthur L. Conger, James A. Long, Grace F. Knoche, and in March 2006 Randell C. Grubb. The great pulp fiction writer Talbot Mundy was a member of the Point Loma group, and wrote many articles for its newsletter. Yet another international theosophical organization, the United Lodge of Theosophists, was formed by Robert Crosbie. He went to Point Loma in 1900 to help Katherine Tingley, left in 1904, and founded his society in Rudolf Steiner created a successful branch of the Theosophical Society Adyar in Germany. He focused on a Western esoteric path that incorporated the influences of Christianity and natural science, resulting in tensions with Annie Besant. (cf. Rudolf

9 Steiner and the Theosophical Society) having already founded his own Anthroposophical Society a month earlier after he refused members of the Order of the Star of the East membership in the German Section, opposing the theosophical principle of admitting members from all religious persuasions. The great majority of Germanspeaking theosophists, as well as several others, joined Steiner's new society. (Steiner later became famous for his ideas about education, resulting in an international network of "Steiner Schools.") In North London, another splinter group split off to form the Palmers Green Lodge under the leadership of the occultist and colonial adventurer, Thomas Neumark-Jones. The Palmers Green Lodge published the journal Kayfabe which published, among others, Rainbow Circle writers like Hobhouse and Chiozza Money. After the death of William Quan Judge, another society, the United Lodge of Theosophists, emerged, recognizing no leader after Judge; it is now based in Los Angeles, California. Other organizations based on the theosophical teachings include The Lucis Trust, Share International, Agni Yoga, The Bridge to Freedom, The Summit Lighthouse / Church Universal and Triumphant, and The Temple of The Presence. Influence At its strongest in membership and intensity during the 1920s the parent Theosophical Society (or Theosophical Society Adyar) had around 7,000 members in the USA. The largest section of The Theosophical Society, the Indian section, at one time had more than members, now reduced to around Theosophy was closely linked to the Indian independence movement; The Indian National Congress being founded during a Theosophical conference, and many of its leaders, including M. K. Gandhi being associated with theosophy. The present-day New Age movement is to a considerable extent based on the teachings originating with HP Blavatsky. Theosophical Society, Aydar, Madras, India 1890

10 Channeling In spirituality Channelling or channeling is the communication of information to or through a person (the channel or medium), from a spirit or other paranormal entity outside the mind (or self) of the channel. Channelling is part of the belief systems and rituals of many religions, such as shamanism, Candomblé, Voodoo, Kardecism, Umbanda, and more. Channellers claim to have channelled ascended masters like Buddha, Jesus, or St. Germain; people that have died; angels; higher dimensional beings; and extraterrestrials of a spiritual or more evolved nature. Channelling is a popular source of revealed teachings on angels, chakras, higher dimensions, future predictions, manifestation, meditation, non-judgment, now moment, past lives, and spirituality in some New Age groups. The channels, depending upon their expertise, tap many tools to channelize their psychic energy. They may use tarot cards, crystal balls, gems or dream analysis. They use their psychic abilities of clairvoyance, clairaudience, and clairsentience. One type of channeling is 'Conscious voice channelling,' in which the channeller calms his or her mind and 'connects to the energy' of the source being channeled. The source uses the vocabulary of the channeller. Channellers in this state usually have their eyes closed and are conscious of the room and what is being said. They then, allegedly, allow the source to speak through them by staying in this calm state. A less common form of channeling, 'Trance channelling,' occurs through deeper meditation in which the channeller appears to have their consciousness leave their body and the 'source' enters. Observers may notice the channeller's voice and mannerisms change when the transition is complete. This is not related to multiple personality disorder but is more similar to spirit possession. The trance channeller will later reconnect to their physical body and the session will be over. The depth of the trance varies, with some channelers recollecting the entirety of the session while others are conscious of little or none of what transpires. Deep full-trance channeling is relatively rare. Trance channelling appears to use the same dynamics as astral travel. THE RELIABILITY OF A CHANNELED MESSAGE WHICH TEACHER TO FOLLOW? When a person is prepared to make whatever effort is needed to gain in spiritual understanding, the first decision that is to be made is the choice of the right teacher. Since the subject of channeling is so thoroughly misunderstood by most students, and since this presents one of the greatest obstacles to the Great White Brotherhood in bringing in the New Golden Age for this planet, it is briefly treated here (For a more detailed discussion of this subject, including the criteria the Masters gave for recognizing a true messenger, see Man, His Origin, History and Destiny). To distinguish between different presentations of Ascended Master Teaching is a most difficult task, usually taken much too lightly by the students, beginners and the more experienced, alike. Numerous so-called channels, star-commanders, authors of books, messengers, and spirit guides appear, clamoring for the attention of the students, all offering the very latest. They challenge the student DO YOU WISH TO BE LEFT BEHIND? It has been estimated that, on a world-wide basis, there are now thousands of individuals, alleging to be channels of Ascended Masters. Not only does one have to learn to distinguish truth from among the many sources, but

11 also from the voices of our four lower bodies (physical, mental, emotional and etheric), all of which have intelligence. Master Kuthumi, commenting on the problem of selecting the proper teacher, said that he realized that it is very difficult to discriminate. But, he continued, that is one of the reasons you came to embody on Earth, to learn discrimination. El Morya added to this, stating: Test, test, test every activity in which you place your faith, and that to which you give the power of your attention, before you are led into the unhappy experiences which can result from blindly accepting, as truth, that which is presented to you from the seen, as well as the unseen. This includes paying attention to the characteristics of a true channel, as given by the Ascended Masters and comparing those with other channels. People are very hungry for spiritual teaching, the Dalai Lama said in an interview. But there are many unqualified individuals, charlatans with financial and power motivations, that are not very spiritual. First, I always tell seekers of religion not to be too hasty. Examine the teacher well. You can get the teaching without taking on the person as a guru. Learn as much as you can and make sure the person is authentic and reliable. There have been cases, he said, where persons, not really known in Nepal or India, came to the West, and suddenly they have become great teachers. CHANNELING PARTIAL TRUTH Jesus warned of false prophets; so did Saint Germain. However, the students must not only be aware of those who knowingly give false information, partially to satisfy their own ego, but also be aware of sincere mediums, who unknowingly channel from a level lower than the Ascended Master Realm. In an article entitled Truth Colored by Human Concepts, in the book, The First Ray, beloved El Morya tells the students about the great difficulty that an unascended being has, if he desires to channel from the highest realm. He explains that there are many realms between the physical realm in which the students live and those realms in which an Ascended Being resides. Starting from the physical realm, there is first the brain consciousness, subject to the senses, (seeing, hearing etc...). Next there is the astral realm, also called the psychic plane. Then there is the lower mental realm, followed by the etheric realm. Following these is the plane in which the Christ Self abides, which is called the higher mental realm. Only after penetrating those realms does one arrive at the level of the I AM Presence. Now the aspirant faces the difficulty of remembering his vision. He must re-enter the elevator, going downward, to return through all those realms of consciousness, and many forget part, or all of the vision, during the return. From this description, we learn that only those who are able to obtain the assistance of an Ascended Master can channel ABSOLUTE TRUTH, from the Ascended Master Realm. ALL OTHERS, DESPITE THEIR CLAIMS, ARE ABLE TO CHANNEL ONLY PARTIAL TRUTH. Messages of this type were categorized by El Morya as being wishful thinking and idealized imagery. Here, at AMTF headquarters, we are still reminded of the voice of our beloved Brother Bill (William Cassiere), a messenger appointed by Saint Germain and a member of the AMTF. He told us, On the other side, there are countless individuals who are absolutely

12 insisting they are Kuthumi or Saint Germain, and they are not! These entities attempt to talk to anyone who is willing to listen to them. Serapis Bey: Many well-meaning people are, unknowingly, caught in the astral realm. On Atlantis, individuals were able to enamor thousands of people, thus using their Godgiven energies to sustain the very forces which eventually caused the sinking of that continent. CAN YOU REALLY TRUST YOUR HEART? Very often we hear this comment: I know there are many false prophets but I know by the feeling and voice in my heart, whether or not a certain channel is a true channel. This then brings up the question: Can You really trust your heart? Let us examine this question in detail. The problem is that the Fall of Man shut off the visible presence and the voice of our teachers (Ascended Masters and Archangels). The shaft of Light from our I AM Presence decreased, from a diameter of several feet, to that of 1/16 of an inch. By misqualifying our energy, through hundreds of embodiments, we have fallen from our high God-Estate and all of us have added to the karma of the race. The root of all evil, the personal ego, with all of its arrogance, was born. The voices of our four lower bodies, plus our senses, contributed to what we call our consciousness. Therefore, man, to some degree, lost his original, pure contact with his I AM Presence. Becoming reacquainted with the pure voice of one's own Presence cannot be achieved overnight. It takes persistent, daily application, and years of studying, in order to build up a momentum. It is like going to school. We go first to elementary school and high school before one can go to college. Therefore, the question, Can you really trust the feeling in your heart? should be answered as follows: One should not EXCLUSIVELY listen to the voice of one s heart. The student must primarily engage his most developed faculties, which are logic, reason and common sense. He must be prepared to allocate a large amount of time, energy, and some funds to investigate, for himself, what messenger he should listen to. If the student does this and pursues a path of truth, in true humility, this will result in his being guided by an Ascended Master. TRUE MESSENGERS The Masters compared their reaching unascended mankind with their energy, to tunneling through granite. They are, themselves, responsible if that energy is not returned to them, by the students, through decreeing. That is why dispensations require a large amount of energy. In the 19th Century, a dispensation was granted to H. Blavatsky. In the 20th century, dispensations were granted, using as authorized messengers, Mr. Ballard and Geraldine Innocente, who gave much additional truth. True messengers give credit where credit is due. For instance, Geraldine Innocente gave credit to the Ascended Masters David Lloyd and Mr. Ballard, for being sponsors of the Transmission Flame Service of the Bridge to Freedom. Whenever there were articles printed in the Bridge to Freedom Journal, the name of the author was mentioned. There was no deception, of any kind. After the ascension of Geraldine Innocente, some of her dictations were copied, word for word, by several organizations, without giving credit to the source, making it appear the original message came through them. One group, doing this, refers to them as previous teachings, never giving credit to the source.

13 All true dictations are intended, primarily, to instruct the students on TWO KEY POINTS, NAMELY, HOW TO GAIN THE ASCENSION IN THIS EMBODIMENT AND HOW TO HELP THE EARTH IN THE REQUIRED COSMIC INITIATION, bringing it closer to the sun. This is a valuable guide in comparing the dictations of various channels. DICTATIONS FROM THE ASCENDED MASTER REALM ARE CLEAR AND CONCISE. THEY CONTAIN MUCH SUBSTANCE, DETAIL AND HARD FACTS. Those that originate from other realms often deal in generalities. They offer little concrete data. There is a lot of talk about love, without mentioning the other six God-virtues. For the most part, students are not told that self-mastery over the four lower bodies is the only mastery there is. Jesus said, By their fruits shall ye know them. After a dispensation is granted by the Karmic Board, the floodgates literally open. There are many so-called miracles, including healings and other accomplishments. Let us take a brief look at some of the accomplishments of the Bridge to Freedom. (For details see THE LAW OF PRECIPITATION and MAN, HIS ORIGIN, HISTORY AND DESTINY) It was through the dispensation given to the Bridge to Freedom that the knowledge of the locations and the activities of Ascended Master Retreats was first given. These retreats exist in various locations throughout the world. Some of them exist on Earth, some of them exist in the etheric realm above the Earth. Their purpose is to radiate certain God-virtues to mankind. The students of the Bridge to Freedom received information on the location of each retreat, the date when it was open to mankind and the specific purpose and God-virtue of the retreat. This data was given every month, for nine years, when Geraldine Innocente was the messenger. It was published in the Bridge to Freedom Journals, which contain the core data of this teaching. The Masters also revealed their present activities and how students could help their cause. This knowledge helped the students to respond to the specific requests by the Masters and the need of the hour. For example, Mother Mary asked for specific help with incoming lifestreams and as a result of this cooperation, between ascended and unascended beings, many babies who would have been born with deformed bodies because of their previous karma, could receive perfect bodies. Archangel Michael called the accomplishments of the Bridge to Freedom the greatest in the last 500,000 years of mankind s history. The Masters have said that we cannot flit, like butterflies, from one teaching to the other. We cannot mix the teachings of the Bridge to Freedom with those of the channels of today, since they give a different message! AN EXAMPLE OF DIFFERENT CHANNELINGS The Masters of Wisdom placed great emphasis on performing the Transmission of the Flame Service. This is a service that takes advantage of the knowledge of when certain Ascended Master Retreats are open to mankind. According to the Masters, it was mainly this service, performed by the students of the Bridge to Freedom, which enabled Sanat Kumara to return to Venus, after a voluntary exile of 2 1/2 million years. We researched all of the Bridge publications and found out that the Teton Retreat and Shamballa Retreat were always open at a certain fixed date of every year. When we compared these dates with those given out by other groups, who also present the teachings of the Ascended Host, we found: 1. Most groups did not perform the Transmission Flame Service. 2. Four groups, employing channels, placed the opening date of these retreats at a different date from that given by the Masters, through Geraldine Innocente.

14 3. The opening dates of the retreats, as given by the four groups, all differed from each other. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION We may conclude that perfect communication between unascended and ascended beings is extremely rare and very, very special. The AMTF does not employ present-day channels. As of this time (March, 2005), no less than 68 individuals have contacted the AMTF, offering to be our channel. Most of them we met, personally. Among them were three individuals who have proclaimed they have received a new dispensation. All of them were rejected because they did not meet the criteria given by the Ascended Host for being an authorized messenger. Based on our 29- year experience in researching channels as well as on the 50-year experience of William Cassiere (a messenger appointed by Saint Germain, who worked with Mr. Ballard) and the 55-year experience of Alice Schutz (Publisher of the A.D.K. Luk Publications, who also worked with Mr. Ballard and who later became a staff member of the Bridge to Freedom ), Geraldine Innocente was the last authorized messenger of the Great White Brotherhood, having the benefit of a PROVEN dispensation from the Karmic Board. The proof of such a dispensation was given in manifest works, rather than in words, alone. Many groups and individuals are giving out partial truth, and many students are benefited by them. The energy created by decreeing and directed to the Ascended Masters helps them to increase their assistance to the Earth. But it should be recognized that different channels have different levels of spiritual development and awareness, and not all of them are able to pierce through different stratas all the way to the realm of the Ascended Masters. Also, much more could be accomplished if the students of today could UNITE IN A COMMON EFFORT. In this way we could straighten out the Earth s axis in a short period of time. The dictations of the Bridge to Freedom, channeled by Geraldine Innocente, are, by far, the most detailed and comprehensive ever given on the two major points of Ascended Master Teaching. BOTH THE INDIVIDUAL ASCENSION AND THE ASCENSION OF THE PLANET ARE THOROUGHLY COVERED. THE MASTERS HAVE SAID THAT THESE DICTATIONS OF THE "BRIDGE TO FREEDOM" WERE WRITTEN FOR GENERATIONS YET TO COME. About these dictations, the Maha Chohan had this to say (May 20, 1956): You may have been given too much of the Law for your outer minds to digest at one time. However, we feel that, for the sake of those following after you, an entire evolution of people, who would perhaps benefit by the instruction that you may never even need to use, we had better take advantage of the temporary contact between the Ascended Master's Realm and the human, and get as much of this Law, as possible, to you. We are writing an entire Bible, that will live and be read by millions of people, long after you have come home. Archangel Uriel s comment on May 16, 1954: Genesis and all of the succeeding Biblical Law is being written again. It is being written now, not by unascended beings, but by God-free Beings. It is a Bible made up of the energies of the Archangels, the Cosmic Beings and the Ascended Masters, that will stand for the rest of the civilizations being brought forth on this planet, Earth.

15 Beloved Ascended Master El Morya, explaining the purpose of the Bridge to Freedom said: Beloved Friends of Light and Love, we are engaged, the other Ascended Masters and myself, in the building of a Bridge a Bridge which will endure until every man, woman and child who belongs to this evolution has passed from the realm of imperfection and limitation, over it, into God Freedom. Into and under that Bridge we are building a foundation made of strong and valiant hand-chosen lifestreams, who can bear the weight and strength of the energies of the masses, when they begin to cross from shadow into sunshine, from darkness into Light, from limitation into freedom, from disease into health and perfection. We are the engineers, who are endeavoring to discover the strength of the various lifestreams whom we have called to the task at hand. Those who choose to remain with us, shall have the great privilege and honor of becoming the living foundation of this Bridge of Living Light. Will there be a new dispensation at some time in the future? Yes, there will be. The new dispensation will be based, in total, on the teachings given out through the original Bridge to Freedom. Why is this so? The Masters are subject to cosmic law, and they are allowed only a certain amount of energy, when dealing with mankind. Energy will not be spent again for anything that already exists. NOTE : AMTF stands for Ascended Master Teaching Foundation