If we had to describe today’s world in one word, it would surely be DIVIDED. Division and polarization characterize virtually every aspect of life. We have the few uber-wealthy separating themselves from the poor; the progressive ‘lefties’ against the right-wing conservatives on practically any political issue; men fighting women who demand equal rights, equal pay, and control of their bodies; environmentalists battling fossil fuel lobbyists; and nearly every sect of major religions pitting themselves against each other.
It’s a bewildering mess, and clearly we are falling – falling into violence, hatred, suffering, environmental destruction, and paralysis in terms of solutions.
How can we break this dangerous, downward spiral? Can religions be part of the problem as well as a big part of the solution? Absolutely!
Together, the major religions with their various sects, plus the many spiritual teachings throughout the world, represent a huge portion of humanity – and, if united, a potentially powerful force for good. They could reasonably speak as one, because each religion is based on the same central message, expressed in different ways. Sadly, however, most faiths have accumulated a tremendous amount of manmade dogma over time, replacing what their original teacher espoused. This dogma has separated people ideologically, and in some cases, made them willing to kill or die to defend their beliefs.
The central message of all the great teachers, of course, has been to love God – by whatever name you call him – and to love each other. This Golden Rule describes ‘right human relations’ in the clearest possible way – it’s a simple principle that could be our ticket out of division:
- Christianity: “…All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them…”
- Buddhism: “In five ways should a clansman minister to his friends and familiars – by generosity, courtesy and benevolence, by treating them as he treats himself, and by being as good as his word.”
- Hinduism: “Do not to others, which if done to thee, would cause thee pain.”
- Islam: “No one of you is a believer until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself.”
- Judaism: “What is hurtful to yourself, do not to your fellow man.”
- Taoism: “Regard your neighbour’s gain as your own gain and regard your neighbour’s loss as your own loss.”
When men and women of every faith understand that they share a common spiritual legacy as children of One Father, a new era of brotherhood and peace could begin. But how do we get there from here?
Fortunately, we have a bridge from ancient times. Unbeknownst to all but a few, there exists a body of spiritual teaching known as the Ageless Wisdom that has been handed down from generation to generation. As a comprehensive account of the evolution of consciousness, it describes how the universe came to exist, how it operates, and man’s place within it. During the last 100 years, the teachings have been communicated through individuals such as Helena Blavatsky, founder of the Theosophical Society, and later by Alice A. Bailey, Helena Roerich, and Benjamin Creme.
Among the foundational principles are the following.
The Relationship between God and Man
God is the great Cosmic Being who ensouls this planet. Man, in turn, is a ‘Spark of God,’ a spiritual being expressing itself through a physical body. Each of us is essentially divine, but most individuals demonstrate this divinity only to a limited degree.
The Law of Rebirth
The process by which we gradually manifest more of this divinity is rebirth (reincarnation). Like children entering kindergarten, we begin at a very basic level of human expression, not realizing our true spiritual heritage. Through the experiences of countless lifetimes we move forward on our evolutionary journey back to our Source, as the lessons we learn in each lifetime are carried over to the next.
The Law of Cause and Effect
The ‘method’ used in this educational system is the Law of Cause and Effect (or, in Eastern terms, ‘karma’) which the Bible would describe: “As you sow, so shall you reap.” In modern physics it would be: “For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.” Every thought and deed sets up a cause that inevitably leads to certain effects, for better or worse. By understanding and working within this impersonal Law, we learn to make better choices and gradually acquire total mastery over ourselves, fully express the divinity dwelling in each of us, and become ‘perfected’ beings – Masters of Wisdom.
The Spiritual Hierarchy
The Masters of Wisdom, together forming our Spiritual Hierarchy, are the custodians of the Divine Plan for this planet. They have inspired all great human achievements, working from behind the scenes through their disciples in every field of endeavor. The Masters guide and teach, but it is humanity itself, responding of its own free will to their stimulus, which creates each new civilization. Today, the Masters are returning to the everyday world as a group for the first time in countless millennia.
Continuity of Teaching
Throughout history, when humanity has reached a major point of crisis, the Spiritual Hierarchy has sent a Teacher to lead the way out of turmoil. The best known of these divine messengers are Krishna, Buddha, Confucius, Jesus and Mohammed, and each of their teachings gave birth to a new religion.
Most spiritual traditions now expect the return of their revered teacher to validate the past and carry on the teaching. Christians await the Christ; Jews, the Messiah; Muslims, the Imam Mahdi or Messiah; Buddhists, the Fifth Buddha; and Hindus, the Lord Krishna. In the esoteric tradition (the Ageless Wisdom), one individual – the World Teacher – is seen as the fulfillment of all these expectations.
The World Teacher for this cycle is Maitreya, the head of our Spiritual Hierarchy. Preferring to be known simply as ‘the Teacher,’ Maitreya has not come to found a new religion, but as a guide and counselor for all humanity – religious and non-religious alike.
Having perfected and fully manifested within himself the Divine Will, Love, Wisdom and Intelligence of God, Maitreya will lead us to the recognition of our own divinity and our true identity as souls. He will awaken us to our Oneness – the fact that we are all brothers and sisters of one humanity, and his primary message will be “Share and save the world.” When we share the resources of the world, we create trust and the social and economic justice required for lasting peace.
The unity and power we need to deal with the enormous challenges of today’s world will emerge from our greater spiritual understanding. Of course, we don’t have to wait for Maitreya’s public appearance to begin treating each other as brothers and sisters and sharing what we have with the rest of our human family. We could begin today, if enough people, in the right positions, knew of these truths. Spiritual writers and religion journalists, therefore, have an outsized role to play by investigating these claims and sharing what they learn with a world hungry for peace.
Divided we are falling, but united we can stand.
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