Building Esoteric Groups
As we approach the Aquarian age, we are nearing an age of synthesis. In this coming age, spiritual development will shift from personal solitary way of spiritual development into a way of Ashramic group formation where spiritual path is trodden as a group. We see groups being formed all over the world. Organizations, associations, societies and much more. While these are all groups, seldom one will find a group which is totally open minded and unselfish in their approach.
Groups that are formed today are characterized by the infirmities of the founders and the weaknesses of it’s active members or participants. Generally these groups carry a sense of separatism where one group is competing against other groups, there’s warfare, there’s dogma and often there’s a sense of intolerance towards other groups.
This is not what true “Ashramic” groups are about according to the teachings.
Ashramic groups are those groups that are comprised of disciples who are indeed not perfect, but those who are marching forward in the spirit of service and cooperation to solve the problems of humanity. Groups that are truly spiritual are not here to serve separatism, greed, competition, envy and strife. They are not based on these principles. True spiritual groups are based on the principles of Beauty, cooperation, unity, righteousness, joy and charity. Such groups act as candidates for Ashramic activity.
“The esoteric interpretation defines “Ashram” as a sphere of consciousness or a field of consciousness. …An Ashram can be in many places at the same time, without being in any specific location, and it can be totally without inhabitants. It is a sphere of consciousness in which people are tuned with one another.” – Torkom Saraydarian
Groups can be formed by anybody. But, finding groups that are truly selfless, that truly serves the higher principles are indeed rare to come by. We all at some point of time might have joined an organization, but later found out how it’s infested with politics, competition, ambition, greed and envy. It is often few ambitious members who destroy such group or organizations after the founder is no more. There are many such groups all over the world that act as “holier than thou” in public, but they usually have a totally different reality when goes deeper. Groups are formed by individuals. Therefore if the individuals in a group are impure, dishonest, ambitious, jealous, then these very qualities will appear in the group on a collective level. It is thus important to work on ourselves diligently.
Those who purify themselves, their motives and thoughts become useful cocreators of group work as intended by the great spiritual masters. Such people are the appropriate candidates for spiritual work. For that, many qualities are needed namely, progressiveness, diligence, punctuality and hard work. But, since most of us are self absorbed and self-centered, we seldom get any time to participate in spiritual group activities. We seldom have that concern for world problems, we seldom care about others. We have no time for group activates because all our time is dedicated at the catering of ourselves. Even if we join a group generally it is due to our personal self seeking benefits. Yet working as a group for furthering the spiritual work is very important in this day and age. A group that is truly serving the spiritual principles is therefore not formed unless we have a revolution in our consciousness. There are many who have tried but failed and ended up with a cult.
“Some people think that group consciousness is achieved in communes or community living. This is an illusion. When a number of people unite with each other for their private interests, they form a commune.
Communes are separative, and they do not present group consciousness. Group consciousness does not allow a man or a group of people to disassociate themselves from humanity, from the world, from life.
Communes consider themselves better than other people. They separate themselves from the rest of humanity to save themselves, as if they were more precious than all other human beings who toil and labor and serve in their own fields with the sense of duty and responsibility.
The ultimate goal of the Teaching is the salvation of humanity. By escaping from humanity, no one fulfills this goal.
Communes eventually create in their members stagnation, egoism, and a hostile attitude toward the rest of humanity.
If people come together for higher education and spiritual practice, to perfect and make themselves ready for the service of humanity, such a group can stay healthy. It becomes like a healthy pool of energy which continuously receives new currents of light and releases light-bearers into the world to carry on the world salvation. Such a group works in a special field of human endeavor or, if it has the Teachers, it works in all seven fields of human endeavor to provide right leadership for each field. Such a group acts as a great university, open to all those who can demonstrate special qualifications.
Civilization can be divided into seven branches:
Politics
Education
Communication
Arts
Science
Religion
Finance-Economics
World salvation will not come through religion or politics only. It will come through all seven branches of human endeavor. Each of them is sacred and spiritual if their aim is to serve humanity and lead humanity into higher and greater achievements.
Communes cannot survive if they are not equipped to become places of discipline, learning, and preparation for service. There is no difference between a separative person and a separative commune. A separative commune eventually turns into a cult which worships itself or its own ideas and viewpoints and becomes “the only way to fly.” When the members of a commune develop such an idea of being special, they fall into the trap of self-worship and separatism and look at other people as inferior. It has been notices that such people have a very difficult time fitting themselves into any community if they leave their commune. Their adjustment is painful and full of rebellion and remorse.
The common person has a sound heart and right judgment. He looks on such “separative,” “special,” “chosen,” or “bestowed” people with suspicious eyes because such people always, at any opportunity, try to exploit or use others for their own separative interests.
The motto of the world server is: “I belong to humanity. I will live with the joys and sufferings of humanity and will bring my share to the great labor of the redemption of humanity.”
-Torkom Saraydarian
Leadership vol.1, p.189
Groups that truly serve the spiritual hierarchy must be comprised of dedicated serious learners who are able to set aside personal problems, separatism, greed, competition and strife for the betterment of humanity. Students who truly want rapid spiritual development can be a part of such groups as long as they are cooperative and working hard to transform their consciousness.
“Unselfish people are not rare. Unselfish groups are very rare.”
– Holy Master DK; DINA I
A great deal of sacrifice is often needed for this. People think spiritual development is easy and one can do it by oneself. That is only true upto a certain degree. Groups can be great learning centers for spiritual awakening when it is oriented towards the right direction. When it’s foundation is based on serving the truth,
“People think that solitude helps to conquer the lower self. It depends on the person’s level of understanding and energy. If a person is weak and flooded with glamors and illusions, blind urges and drives, solitude will not help him. It is better for him to have a friend around who bugs him so that he starts awakening. If he goes instead into solitude for two or three days, he becomes happy and remains on the same level of consciousness. That is why groups are necessary. Groups are boiling pots: either you survive or you degenerate. When people enter a group, their vanity, ego, and vices surface. Their good qualities also manifest and grow.”
-Torkom Saraydarian
The Ageless Wisdom
When forming, Esoteric groups we must remember, groups must not be formed based on any sense of elitism or feelings of uniqueness. It must be formed by simple ordinary human beings who feel the urge for spiritual cooperation. As Lord Jesus said, if few people gather in his name, he’s in the midst of them.
We all can form or be a part of an ashramic group. But, before joining one, we must use discernment. We must ensure the group is serving the higher principles of unity, open-mindedness, synthesis, universal cooperation and goodwill. We should stay away from groups that are serving the inferior qualities of ambition, competition, elitism, ego and politics.
Politics infested groups are worst because there is fighting and conflict going on within the group itself. There is betrayal and treachery going on. Many people have destroyed their lives by involving themselves and later getting entangled in wrong groups. The best groups are the ones where the members are simple. Where there is not aritificialism and no tendency of showing-off. Only then the Holy Spirit can descend in such groups.
Many student who lack discernment have been deceived by charismatic leaders who only later destroyed their lives. All this happens generally when the student seeks a group for selfish reasons. A student who stands on their two feet, who are independent, who don’t seek comfort from another have nothing to fear.
“If we can free our minds from the glamour which surrounds the esoteric sciences and attain a solid knowledge of the principles of true philosophy, we will not be long deceived. Legitimate teachers in the field of mystical religions are known by their works and not by their claims.” – Manly P Hall
To form ashramic groups we must be ourselves independent. We should not create a group to solve the needs of personality but to solve the problems of humanity like greed, exploitation, education problems, poverty, ignorance etc. Disciples must associate themselves with each other to solve these problems. They should have an impersonal relationship with each other.
To form Ashramic groups these qualities must be present in each member:
- Loyalty to the spiritual principles
- Punctuality in group work
- Self-reliance and the ability to stand on one’s own feet
- Fearlessness
- Discernment
- Self-Honesty
In the beginning groups can be formed to do few activities like group meditation, bookstudies, discussions, charitable activities etc. Through these regular activities, the group can be further integrated for future service. This is only possible when students are punctual. Moreover, a group must not have a leader who leads and others follow him blindly but rather it must be a place where everyone grows spiritually together. In the eyes of the Spiritual hierarchy, those groups that assemble for a noble purpose are seen as useful avenues of spiritual work. So the great beings pour forth tremendous blessing when such groups are discovered. We should all strive to form or be a part of such groups that are dear to the hierarchy. That are free from separatism, that don’t claim, “My Guru is better than your Guru”, that don’t compete with other group but provides a helping hand to those in need, and offer cooperation to other groups working on the same field.
To be a part of such groups is a great responsibility. Not many are ready for it yet. But, we must all remember Love begins when we set aside our personal self for a bigger cause. Holy Master DK wrote few books on this very topic for he’s the only Holy Master who took the charge of training New Age Disciples directly. We must all study his teachings and strive to understand and follow what he has said regarding ashramic groups.
Furthermore we must remember Groups that serve the agents of separatism, elitism, conflict, competition, politics often end up becoming ashrams of black magic although their original intention may have been pure. So, we must be careful and remind ourselves these words from time to time,
“When a group or organization is stuck in an “old age,” Masters drop it after a few warnings. That organization becomes a hindrance for thousands of people for many years.
If you look at the groups which are on the way to disintegration, you will understand how Masters withdrew Their attention and, for a few years, these groups became obstacles on the path of advancement. Not only did They withdraw Their attention from churches or other organizations but also from religions because the hardest thing for a religion is change. We have so many religions on the path of decay with social consequences.
Masters can help build new groups and new organizations if They have people who are keeping in step with the Hierarchy.
The Hierarchy is an advancing light, whether humanity advances or not. They do Their best to help humanity, but if Their help is not assimilated, they leave humanity alone – which sometimes is the greatest disaster for humanity.”
-Torkom Saraydarian
The Eyes of Hierarchy
"In the life of every aspirant, there comes a life wherein he finds the group to which he belongs. I refer to the inner group of disciples and the outer group of servers with whom he can and must cooperate."
