"... You have visited me on and off through the centuries. Our complete discipline lies in turning the consciousness of the aspirant inward to the flaming heartbeat until such a one can draw from that heartbeat everything, even the necessities to nourish the physical body, even as Moses drew the manna from Heaven. The clothing, the very garments with which the initiate approaches the Altar, are woven out of the energies of his (her) own primal life.  

"Mastery and completeness are within, as the oak tree is within the acorn and the chicken is within the egg. As the smallest and most insignificant seed contains within itself, not only the pattern of its full flower, but also the way and means of externalizing that pattern, the nourishment required, the magnetic pull upon the elements to develop itself, so, of a certainty, is the divine pattern within the heart of man and life itself endowed with self-sufficiency. It but requires a realization that within the light that flows, in countless millions and millions of units into your world each minute is the fullness of everything you desire―healing, freedom, illumination and every God Desire.  

"The Candidate for the Ascension must successfully pass through the disciplines of the Seven Great Temples and learn the great surrender of heart, soul, spirit and desire to co-operate with the Will of God.”  

Thank you beloved Serapis Bey. Taking his powerful words to heart, I would like to share with you what takes place in the Seven Temples of Initiation. However, it is time to look at this process a little differently. What if these sacred temples and their corresponding lessons and initiations do not take place somewhere very far away at inner levels, but right here on Earth as you experience the fullness of each challenge and learning experience in your daily life? What if you could travel among the various sacred temples in no particular order, returning to them over and over again to fine tune your spiritual enlightenment?  

In preparation for this journey please take a moment to relax and center yourself. Begin to breathe deeply and rhythmically, in and out. Open your mind and heart to what you are about to experience. Mighty Serapis Bey, who will be guiding you on this magnificent journey, has said: "The neophyte is placed within a cell and allowed to commune there with his own Holy I AM Presence, endeavoring to contact that God Self and develop within himself humility before it. "  

I ask you now, was there not the time in your own spiritual evolution when you came to question your reason for being? Then slowly, you began to realize there was so much more to life then you were being told. So you started asking yourself and others many questions, and very often, you were dissatisfied with the answers you were given. That was also the time when you began to look at your life very closely, not only at the present, but the past and future as well.  

“Within this first great temple, under the direction of the great El Morya and his assistants, came the dissolving of rebellion. Rebellion within the lifestream is the feeling which brought every man and woman from a state of grace and constant communion with the God Self. Rebellion took Lucifer from the Heart of Heaven, and the rebellion against discipline and self-correction is a barrier to real spiritual progress.  

"It does not mean that one should assume servility to any human self, or submission even to the will of the Master, but the quality of rebellion that is within the consciousness must be melted away. . . " The reason for this is so the student can truly begin to open him or herself fully to the Will of God.  

"We have various ways and means of drawing out of the dormant consciousness those qualities, and a good number of our candidates removed themselves from the temple before passing through this first initiation. " In other words, most people step off this so called new spiritual path before they have even really begun to travel along it!  

"That is why I have set into motion at inner levels those currents which will bring forth particular melodies to dissolve rebellion in the feelings, rebellion against limitation, rebellion against conditions. Let me point out that it does not require submission to limitation, but a constant alert awareness setting into action the Law which is in your hands to remedy conditions and to keep you harmonious, peaceful and constructively employed during this process. “Wherever each person finds themselves in their spiritual development, you will be able to relate to this specific time in your life.  

"Those few who pass from the First Temple are taken into the Second Temple known as the Temple of Learning. Here under the direction of Lord Lanto and the Brothers of his order, they are given instruction in the Law. They develop understanding of the Law of Cause and Effect and all those Laws which you are presently studying.  

It is a pleasant and happy time, a time of the sowing of the seeds; a time of the breathing of life upon those seeds and bringing forth a harvest in works. It is a time when the artist develops his skill, a musician his dexterity of musical accomplishment, at a time when the teacher becomes eloquent in the capacity to convey knowledge and stir enthusiasm in the students; when the statesman gains the vision similar to that in the founding of the United States of America. It is a time when all that is good develops and grows; and the enthusiasm of the Brothers and Sisters is tremendous."  

Do you remember these very special times, beloved ones? You were constantly guided to everything you needed to progress a little further along your path. Someone gave you a wonderful book that answered some of the questions you had been asking yourself. You met others who felt as you did and you thanked God to finally have someone to share your thoughts and ideas with. You began to see examples of divine principle all around you to further enhance your learning experience and illumine your path. In your eyes, your life could not be any more perfect and you were truly blessed!  

"From this initiation in the Second Temple, most pass successfully into the Third Temple under the great protection and guidance of Lady Rowena. Here again, we come to the discipline of living with our brothers, of becoming our brother's keeper. The neophytes are placed in living quarters with lifestreams who have within themselves those tendencies which are particularly aggravating to the others."  

As you know, this was not the easiest of times in your spiritual evolution. You quickly found yourself being tested at every level, on everything you thought you had learned thus far. Throughout this part of your journey you found yourself constantly asking for forgiveness.  

Your greatest wish was that all those difficult people in your life, would just go away and leave you alone! But somewhere deep within you knew, that if this happened, they would just be replaced with others just like them, or worse yet, even more difficult to get along with. So you worked very hard at remaining patient and getting along with everyone you came in contact with. Quite often you had to reach deep into all your knowledge to justify the actions of others and you did your very best to love them, no matter what they said or did.  

"Here again the numbers dwindle, and with great feeling of relief, the neophytes rush to the door and leave us. It is unfortunate, for to live with one's fellowman is one of the greatest tests of the unascended state. Although the graciousness, the beauty, the kindliness of this great Brotherhood is so great that they would melt a heart of stone, the discipline which is required in learning tolerance and understanding is such that few survive."  

However, those who do, quickly come to the understanding that all the people who caused them difficulty were doing nothing more than mirroring that which you needed to look at within yourself. With this realization the power of gratitude then began to flow through you and you begin to look forward to your next step.  

"We move into the Fourth Temple which is my temple. This is the first personal contact that I have with the neophyte since the entering of the lifestream into our Retreat. It is the time when the neophyte must, for the first time, draw forth enough purity to see his own Holy Christ Self face to face. It is an initiation when the master himself must stand within the aura of the initiate. " This is the initiation when the Presence of God within you, must be allowed to come to the fore, to fully enfold and merge with the initiate and take command. "It is a time when many nefarious presentations from within the inner bodies come to the consciousness of the student; when the 'many voices' speak; when only discrimination, prayer, selflessness and humility can discern the Voice of the Silence. It is a time when, if possible, the ego is inflated and the voices speak of great things the self shall do. “You can relate to this time in your life. Time when your ego ran rampant and you believed yourself to be someone very special. You felt that what you were experiencing, no one else could possibly know about or understand for these things could not happen to anyone else.  

"This is the time when the self is short of all egotism, subtle and apparent, and after passing through this initiation, during which I stand within the aura and pray the prayer of my heart to God, the lifestream is ready for the consecration. "This is a very critical time in your spiritual awakening, beloved ones. In fact it is one of the major turning points in your life, for in passing this initiation you have become so much stronger, wiser and loving then when you began your journey. Others begin to look at you, and wanting what you have, they too begin to seek the answers to the questions they have asking themselves for some time.  

"When the ever-dwindling numbers enter into the Fifth Temple under the great Hilarion, we come to the beautiful Festival of Consecration. We dedicate the Priests and Priestesses of the Flame, the Sacred Fire, here. Up to this point they are not permitted to tend the Flame or officiate at the Altar; they are the congregation, the supplicants, the neophytes with the shaved heads, the linen garments, bare feet and hopeful hearts."  

Do you recall beloved ones, that moment when you chose to more actively become involved in your pursuits of the Spirit? You spent a great deal of time looking for an avenue of service to life. You somehow knew deep within, this is what you need to take you any further along your path. Whether consciously or not, this was the time when you were finally ready and able to connect with Shamballa. One way or another, you found your way to The Bridge. Perhaps you even decided to become a Director.

"When they enter the Fifth Temple, having passed through the initiation of joining the Christ Self in humility, selflessness and service, they are ready to have the garments of consecration, the Vestments placed upon them; the golden sandals on their feet; the silken garments upon their bodies. Then the great Hilarion, the Archangel Raphael or one of their Court performs the Service of Consecration.

"The light is consecrated before it enters the body. The Emotional Body is consecrated and made visible to the entire assembly. Then the Etheric Body and Mental Body are consecrated, and after those inner bodies are so blessed, every one of the senses are consecrated by the presiding Priest or by myself.  

"It is a magnificent ceremony, and it shall one day be woven into your ceremonies of the future before the lifestreams go forth in more than ordinary service. Then there is given the consecration of the hands through which flows the Flame of Healing; the consecration of the feet which become the anchorage of the sacred fire wherever that body moves; the consecration of the lips to speak the sacred words which invoke and command the manifestation and precipitation and healing powers; the consecration of the energies through the eyes that enable the lifestream to see perfection and call it forth."  

Perhaps you recognize the explanation of this service of consecration, for it is often integrated into the services at Shamballa and in outpost groups around the planet. Think about the Children's Consecration, the Consecration of Marriage and even the Director's Training Program. Many have experienced this mystic union and if you have not, you will one day!  

"The Priests and Priestesses, magnificent in their robes, each one representing the ray which is the natural activity of their lifestream, are assigned to temple worship. Here they serve for shorter or longer periods, some going no further than this initiation. Many of you have remained Priests and Priestesses of the sacred fire during an entire embodiment because, again, when you come to the Sixth Temple, the initiation in selflessness and service is such that many do not choose to incorporate their energies in a mission that might not be successful and lose the accumulated good which brought them to the temple to worship."  

How many of you have experienced this in your lives? Everyone has those truly wonderful and gifted people whom they loved, who gave up just before their goal was reached. You quickly learned, these are especially times for great patience, times for unwavering faith and times for understanding, great compassion and love. Those who are unable to move forward with you from this point truly are ones who need your support, even if it can only come from inner levels.  

"In the Sixth Temple, the Brothers become ministering mendicants, leaving to test their light in the world of form. The beautiful vestments are taken from their shoulders and folded away; also the silken garments, the magnificent head-dresses, the jewels of light, the scepter of power; all are removed. Clothed again as a wondering beggar, the ministering beings, under the Devotional Ray, go into the world of form with no credentials and with a vow of silence. There is no way to make even the spiritually alert and worthy know of their qualifications except in the expansion of their own light, which through the eye, the gesture, the radiation and the aura, have to render the service of expanding the light and encouraging the Ascension within those they contact.  

"Here I lost you many times. Many times you went forth 'to set the world on fire'. Many times I saw your receding backs as you walked down the steps, out the door, and the sands of the desert claimed you and only too soon, your senses. . ."  

This temple is probably the one that students fear the most, for it is this temple that represents change. Over time chelas of the Ascended Masters often become quite comfortable in their knowledge and experiences in the temples. Many become accustomed to their role in this activity. They may feel they are perceived by others of the group in a certain way and do not want to give this up.  

Do you not see beloved ones, all of the items you are asked to let go of in this temple are nothing more than the needs of your lower self, human thoughts, ideas, and feelings that have become embedded in your consciousness over many centuries. In actuality, they have very little to do with the spiritual being of great light you truly are. You must stop giving power to these things. You must realize and accept where your power truly comes from and rests, before you can permanently move forward on your path toward full enlightenment.  

"... Those who do return, and have through the ages, bringing back the sheaves of their service in the world of form, are ready to enter into the Seventh great Temple, and in the action of the Violet Fire, every atom and cell of their being becomes a ceremony of externalizing God's Will. They become, each one, like a window through which the God Life flows, without impure qualification of any kind except to expand the borders of the Kingdom. Each one is like a fountain which has neither form nor self, and in this cloister they remain until the close of the Earth span and the Ascension from my own arms and heart is assured.  

"Your life today in the world of form is subjecting you to much the same initiations as I have described, and you can measure yourselves, your successes and your failures without the prompting of a Guru, knowing within the honesty of your own heart wherein you are already Master. In this way, each man becomes his own teacher and you pass through the Ascension Flame into the perfection of the great Priest and Priestess of Ceremonial and at the close of your Earth life shall have your freedom!  

Beloved ones, having just taken this wonderful journey with the Guardian of the Ascension Flame, mighty Serapis Bey, have you come to realize that spiritual unfoldment is not something that will happen some day, all of a sudden, in the long, distant future, only after you have been well prepared?  

It is an ongoing process and it is taking place right here and right now. If you will but open your eyes and look around, you will find this experience helpful in your daily living. Every aspect of your life is a sacred ceremony and part of an ever greater initiation. Do not be afraid to go forward, for you have been given so many wonderful tools with which to walk this world in mastery.  

During those times when you become a little confused as to why something is taking place in your life, or in the lives of those around you, consider the activities of the Seven Temples of Initiation. Consciously choose to turn your confusion into a wonderful learning experience. Take a few moments right now, while you are still peaceful and centered; to consider the many situations that affect you. Think about your personal life, your interactions with others, the transitional period now taking place at your beloved Shamballa, within the government of the United States of America and all countries around the world. As you do so you will receive enlightenment.  

May the love of God remain always in your heart, may the wisdom of God expand your mind and may the light of God forever fill your soul. So be it, beloved I AM.  

* The material in italics has been taken from: Primary Instruction #7, The Immaculate concept, pg. 3-9.

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