Popular contemporary, aberrant doctrine brought to you by the New World Order. The doctrine will be familiar and even celebrated among some, who may however be surprised to find it in the writings of someone whose New Age religious works were telepathically dictated to her by a channeled spirit or Ascended Master she called “Djwal Khul” and who founded “Lucifer Publishing Company”.
First, who was Alice Bailey?
Alice Ann Bailey (June 16, 1880 – December 15, 1949) was a writer of more than twenty-four books on theosophical subjects, and was one of the first writers to use the term New Age. Bailey was born as Alice La Trobe-Bateman, in Manchester, England.[1] She moved to the United States in 1907, where she spent most of her life as a writer and teacher.
Bailey’s works, written between 1919 and 1949, describe a wide-ranging neo-Theosophical system of esoteric thought covering such topics as how spirituality relates to the Solar System, meditation, healing, spiritual psychology, the destiny of nations, and prescriptions for society in general. She described the majority of her work as having been telepathically dictated to her by a Master of Wisdom, initially referred to only as “the Tibetan” or by the initials “D.K.”, later identified as Djwal Khul.[2] Her writings bore some similarity to those of Madame Blavatsky and are among the teachings often referred to as the “Ageless Wisdom“. Though Bailey’s writings differ in some respects to the Theosophy of Madame Blavatsky, they have much in common with it. She wrote on religious themes, including Christianity, though her writings are fundamentally different from many aspects of Christianity or other orthodox religions. Her vision of a unified society included a global “spirit of religion” different from traditional religious forms and including the concept of the Age of Aquarius.[3][4]
Lucis Trust
Main article: Lucis Trust
Alice and Foster Bailey founded the Lucis Trust in 1922. Its activities include the Arcane School, World Goodwill, Triangles, a quarterly magazine called The Beacon, and a publishing company primarily intended to publish Bailey’s many books. The Arcane School gives instruction and guidance in meditation, via correspondence, based on the ideas in Bailey’s books. World Goodwill is intended to promote better human relations through goodwill which they define as “love in action”. That “action” included support of the United Nations. The “Triangles” are groups of three people who agree to link up in thought each day and to meditate on right human relations, visualizing light and love pouring into human minds and hearts, followed by the use of the Great Invocation. It is not necessary for each person to link in thought at the same time each day and need only take a few moments of time. Alice and Foster Bailey founded “Lucifer Publishing Company”. (“‘Lucifer‘ and ‘Lucis’ come from the same word root, lucis being the Latin genitive case meaning of light.”,[22] After the first two or three years, the name was changed to “Lucis Publishing Co.”[23] (The Theosophical Society also used the name “Lucifer” for its early magazine.) In 1923, with the help of Foster Bailey, Alice Bailey founded the Arcane School, which is part of Lucis Trust. This school provides educational correspondence, meditation instruction, and guided study based on her writings.[24]
From Bethlehem to Calvary
The quoted excerpts below are just a few examples of doctrine that, if I’m not mistaken, would mostly be viewed as aberrant, at a minimum, in orthodox (with a small “o”) Christian circles. But the doctrine will be familiar and even celebrated among some, who may however be surprised to find it in the writings of someone whose New Age religious works were telepathically dictated to her by a channelled spirit or Ascended Master she called “Djwal Khul” and who founded “Lucifer Publishing Company”. The more overtly New Age or clearly other-than-Christian parts of Bailey’s text are not the focus here. It is deceptive teaching that is interesting.
Alice Bailey: From Bethlehem To Calvary (1937)
The Initiations of Jesus
BY
ALICE A. BAILEY
COPYRIGHT © 1937 BY LUCIS TRUST
COPYRIGHT RENEWED © 1965 BY LUCIS TRUST
Excerpts below are reproduced from this online copy published by Lucis Trust.
CHAPTER FIVE – The Fourth Initiation . . . The Crucifixion – Part 2
It is time that the Church woke up to its true mission, which is to materialise the kingdom of God on earth, today, here and now. The time is past wherein we can emphasise a future and coming kingdom. People are no longer interested in a possible heavenly state or a probable hell. They need to learn that the kingdom is here, and must express itself on earth…[link]
CHAPTER FIVE – The Fourth Initiation . . . The Crucifixion – Part 1
All of the following excerpts are found on this page.
A new world order came into being when Christ came to earth, and from that time on we have moved steadily forward towards a new age wherein men inevitably will live as brothers because Christ died, and the true nature of the kingdom of God will find expression on earth. Of this, past [176] progress is the guarantee. The immediacy of this happening is already faintly understood by those who, as Christ has said, have the eyes to see and the ears to hear. Inevitably we are moving forward towards greatness, and Christ emphasised this in His life and work. We have not yet achieved this greatness, but the signs of it can be seen. Already there are indications of the coming of this new era, and the dim outlines of a new and more nearly ideal social structure, based on perfected humanity, are discernible. It is this perfection which is of importance.
It is surely evident, if one approaches the subject intelligently, that Christ did not die in order that you and I might go to heaven. He died as the result of the very nature of the service which He rendered, of the note which He struck, and because He inaugurated a new age and told men how to live as sons of God.
CHAPTER SEVEN – Our Immediate Goal . . . The Founding of the Kingdom – Part 1
All of the following excerpts are found on this page.
Love, brotherhood, cooperation, service, self-sacrifice, inclusiveness, freedom from doctrine, recognition of divinity—these are the characteristics of the citizen of the kingdom, [262] and these still remain our ideals. Therefore the question of importance facing humanity today is, just what must be done in order to bring about the attainment of the three major objectives which Christ held before us…How shall we perfect the human being, so that his handling of life, and his attitude to people and his environment, are correct and constructive? How shall we materialise on earth that state of consciousness, accompanied by that condition of living, the result of which would deserve to be recognised as the kingdom of God? How shall we arrive at an understanding of the problem of death, with the surmounting of the process of dying, and the achieving of resurrection? Christ has provided a definite answer and programme for the solution of the problem of human perfection, the problem of a new world, and the problem of immortality.
That humanity is on its way to great and vital events is generally recognised. We have in the past progressed through varying civilisations to the important present, and we are on our way to still greater achievements. The question, however, arises whether we may hasten the process; whether, by a right understanding of Christ and His teaching, we could so expedite matters that the kingdom and its laws may hold sway earlier than would otherwise be the case. No sacrifice on our part would be too great, if Christ was right in the position He took and in the teaching He gave as to the nature of man. The decision rests with us. The choice is ours. Therefore in the last analysis what is the decision we have to make? What is the question that we have to answer? Christ has said that man is divine. Was He right? If man is divine and a son of the Father, then let us proceed to express that divinity and claim our birthright…
…We need what Dr. Schweitzer calls “… the recognition that civilization is founded on some sort of theory of the universe, and can be restored only through a spiritual awakening and a will for ethical good in the mass of mankind.” [ccli]1 This awakening is already here, and the will to good is present. The teaching of Christ is not obsolete and out of date. It needs only to be rescued from the interpretations of the theologies of the past, and taken at its simple face value, which is an expression of the divinity of man, of his participation in the kingdom which is in process of being brought into recognition, and of his immortality as a citizen of that kingdom. What we are in reality passing through is “a religious initiation into the mysteries of Being,” [cclii]2 and from that we shall emerge with a deepened sense of God immanent in ourselves and in all humanity…
Someone has remarked that our troubles at this time are due largely to the lack of intuitive perception on the part of those who can impress the masses and lead people forward. They seek to guide by mental processes and enforcements, and not by that intuitive presentation of reality which the child and the wise man can simultaneously recognise. It is vision that is needed, for “where there is no vision the people perish.” [ccliii] [a partial quotation of Proverbs 29:18.] 3
People ask for guidance; they demand right leadership; they hope to be led in the way that they should go; and yet all the time the guidance, leadership and direction have been given them. Christ blazed the trail and is still waiting for us to follow, not one by one, but—under inspired disciples—as a race. Like the children of Israel under Moses, we must go forth and find the “holy land.” How then can those who have vision (and they are many) train themselves to aid in the right orientation of humanity? How can they become the leaders so sorely needed? By learning to be led themselves by Christ, and by following the guidance of the inner mystical Christ which will inevitably lead them direct to Christ the Initiator.
…The essential thing to remember is that the reason we can recognise God as a God of love is that we are ourselves, basically and potentially, God-like in quality. This in itself constitutes a problem, for unless the divine in us is somewhat awakened it is difficult for us to interpret love correctly, and it is impossible for the masses of men, who are yet upon the path of becoming, and in many cases are scarcely human beings, to understand the real significance of love….
…We are human beings, but we are also divine. We are citizens of the kingdom, although we have not yet claimed and entered into our divine heritage…
…However, it is possible to hasten the coming of the kingdom, and the need of the world at this time, and the general turning of men towards the world of ideas, would seem to indicate that the time has come for the making of [273] that extra effort which will precipitate the appearance of the kingdom and bring forth into manifestation that which is awaiting immediate revelation. This is the challenge which today confronts the Christian Church. The need is for vision, wisdom and that wide tolerance which will see divinity on every hand and recognise the Christ in every human being.
As we grasp the significance of the kingdom of God we begin to understand what is meant by the Church of Christ, and the meaning of that “cloud of witnesses” [cclvii]7 by which we are so constantly surrounded. The kingdom of God is not some one particular church with its own peculiar doctrines, its particular formulations of truth, its specialised method of government upon earth and of approach to God.
The true Church is the kingdom of God on earth, divorced from all clerical government and composed of all, regardless of race or creed, who live by the light within, who have discovered the fact of the mystical Christ in their hearts, and are preparing to tread the Way of Initiation. The kingdom is not composed of orthodox theologically minded people…
The preparation for this kingdom is the task of discipleship and constitutes the arduous discipline of the five-fold way of initiation. The work of the disciple is the founding of the kingdom, and the primary characteristic of its citizens is immortality. They are members of a Deathless Race, and the final enemy which they overcome is death; they function consciously in or out of the body and care not which it is; they have life everlasting because there is in them that which cannot die, being of the nature of God. To be immortal because one’s sins are forgiven seems an inadequate reason to an intelligent mind; to have everlasting life because Christ died two thousand years ago does not prove satisfactory to the man who is conscious of his own responsibility and his own identity; to live for ever because one is religious, or has accepted certain forms of belief, is a reason repudiated by the man who is aware of his own inner power and nature; to base one’s faith in survival upon tradition or even upon an innate sense of persistence does not seem sufficient…
But revelation of the ultimate perfection, whatever that may be (and we should not limit God by any of our own pre-conceived ideas), may require the unfolding in man of powers and a mechanism which will enable him to recognise it, to share in its wonder and its larger sphere of contacts. We ourselves may have to change in order to express the divine as Christ expressed it, before God can go on to the manifestation of the beauty of the hidden kingdom. God needs man’s cooperation. He calls for men to do His will.
CHAPTER SEVEN – Our Immediate Goal . . . The Founding of the Kingdom – Part 2
…Instead of waiting for God to take action and send some Saviour (Who would probably not be recognised any more than Christ was), the time has come, and mankind has evolved sufficiently, for the divine life within it to surge forth and up to God, calling forth His response, His recognition, which we have seen Him repeat time and time again. He is willing to accord. We are His children and we are beginning to live divinely, thinking (as He thinks) in terms of the whole and not in terms of the separative and selfish individual…[link]
TWO PLUS TWO EQUALS FOUR 