The Ageless Wisdom Teachings

From ancient times, a body of spiritual* teaching known as the Ageless Wisdom has been handed down from generation to generation. A systematic and comprehensive account of the evolution of consciousness in man and nature, it describes how the universe came to exist, how it operates, and man's place within it.


The Ageless Wisdom has provided the inspiration for the arts and sciences throughout the ages and is also the common foundation of all the world's religions. 'Esotericism,' as it is sometimes called, is also the art of working with those energies which emanate from the highest spiritual sources.As humanity matures, further aspects of this previously hidden knowledge are released in a wider, more open manner. Throughout the last 100 years, the Ageless Wisdom Teachings have been communicated through individuals such as Helena Blavatsky, founder of the Theosophical Society, and later by Alice A. Bailey and Helena Roerich.

God and man

Esotericism defines God as the sum total of all the Laws, and all the energies governed by these Laws which make up everything in the manifested and unmanifested universe ― all that we see and cannot see. God is also 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 one of us is essentially divine but, compared to the great achievers throughout history in all religions and fields of human endeavor, most individuals recognize and demonstrate this divinity only to a limited degree.



Law of Rebirth

The process by which we gradually manifest more of this divinity is rebirth (reincarnation). Like children entering the school system at kindergarten, we begin at a very basic level of human expression, not realizing our true spiritual heritage. Through the experiences of countless lifetimes lived in many countries, with different cultural and religious upbringings, in both male and female bodies, we learn many lessons through successes and failures, and move forward on our evolutionary journey back to our Source. The gains in each lifetime are carried over to the next.

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 terms of modern physics, the Law of Cause and Effect could be summarized as: "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 take control of our own destiny. Through experiencing all that life in this world has to offer, we ultimately acquire total mastery over ourselves and become perfected beings ― Masters of Wisdom ― fully manifesting the divinity that dwells in each of us.

Spiritual Hierarchy
The Masters of Wisdom, together forming the Spiritual Hierarchy, are the custodians of the Divine Plan for this planet. They have inspired all the 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 outer 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 show the way forward. The most well-known of these divine messengers are Krishna, Buddha, Confucius, Jesus and Mohammed. Each of their teachings gave birth to a new religion.

Virtually every spiritual tradition now expects the return of their revered Teacher to validate the past and to 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, one individual ― the World Teacher ― is seen as the fulfillment of all these expectations.

The World Teacher for the current time is Maitreya, the 'eldest brother' in the human family and head of the Spiritual Hierarchy. Preferring to be known simply as the Teacher, Maitreya has not come to found a new religion, but to act as a guide and counselor for all humanity ― regardless of religious affiliation.

Having perfected and fully manifested within himself the Divine Will, Love, Wisdom and Intelligence of God, Maitreya will reveal a new aspect of God. He will lead us to the recognition of our own divinity and our true identity as souls. Out of this greater spiritual understanding and creative power will come a new livingness, harmony and joy.



The anti-christ

The anti-christ is not a man who will come out before the Christ, and could even be mistaken for the Christ. This idea comes from an interpretation of the Revelation of St. John: the beast, 666, is unchained for a time, and then chained down for a time and half a time. This passage actually refers to the release of the energy we call the anti-christ. It is not a man but an energy, a destructive force which is deliberately released to break down the old order, the old civilization. It was released in John's own day, through the Emperor Nero, to bring about the end of the Roman dispensation, to prepare the way for Christendom. It was released again in our time through Hitler, a group of equally evil men around him in Nazi Germany, together with a group of militarists in Japan and a further group around Mussolini in Italy. These three groups, the Axis powers in the war from 1939 to 1945, embodied the energy we call the anti-christ. That destructive force was released to prepare the way for the return of the Christ to the world now. And it was, indeed, in June 1945, precisely at the end of the war, that Maitreya announced his intention to return at the earliest possible moment, and this time to bring his group, the Masters of the Spiritual Hierarchy, back into the world ― in their case for the first time in some 95,000 years. With the defeat of the Axis powers during World War II, the work of the anti-christ energy was completed for this age and will not manifest again for over 3,000 years.



*The term 'spiritual,' usually associated with some form of religion or religious practice, actually has a much broader meaning: "All activity which drives the human being forward towards some form of development ― physical, emotional, intuitional, social ― if it is in advance of his present state, is essentially spiritual in nature." [The Tibetan Master Djwhal Khul] By this definition, every word, thought and action is potentially spiritual and capable of improving the human condition.

Share International

Religion and science join forces on the environmental crisis by Cielito Pascual

A report on the World Religions and Ecology Series, sponsored by Harvard University, emphasizing the urgent need for fundamental change in the way people consume the earth's resources.
New York City, USA
In New York City, in the autumn of 1998, scientists and religious leaders met before the public, intent on addressing the environmental crisis in a way that scientific data alone has yet to achieve: by calling for a change in the way people treat the earth.

Speakers acknowledged religion as a rich source of insight into man's relationship with nature and the cosmos. It has the potential to counterbalance the dominance of the profit ethos and inspire people to be better stewards of the planet. Religion can also be a medium of communication, with a reach and influence unrivaled by television or the Internet.
So, drawing inspiration from a diverse range of faith traditions, these scholars are in the process of formulating a set of environmental ethics that they hope will set the pace for an eventual transformation in the human/earth relationship.
This transformation is the central endeavor of the World Religions and Ecology Series sponsored by Harvard University -- an on-going project which has brought together people the world over, to engage in scholarly discourse on a range of religious practices and theological views of the natural kingdom. The New York meetings, held at the United Nations and the American Museum of Natural History, moved this burgeoning partnership of religion and science from academia onto the public stage.
It was a heartening program for the audience of students, advocates and concerned citizens gathered to hear what was at once a motivational rally and a grim reporting on the state of the earth by some of the foremost names of the environmental movement. The obstacles that activists face are tremendous. In recent years, world concern for the environment has languished beneath the push for global market growth while advocates for commercial interests have launched campaigns to discredit scientific proof of global warming.
Ultimately, ethics-based solutions to the earth crisis will demand a fundamental change of course away from many dearly-held assumptions and life choices. As one participant put it: the biggest hurdle we face may be ourselves.
Redefining the good life
"Whatever happened to the virtue of frugality? This used to be a very strong Protestant virtue and a Catholic tradition as well. We've lost any sense of knowing when enough is enough," said Sallie McFague, Professor of Theology at Vanderbilt University. With the eminent journalist Bill Moyers as moderator, McFague and a panel of religious scholars discussed the perilous effect of over-production and over-consumption on the ecosystem and the ways that religious tradition can motivate people to see life in terms other than consumer-based.
"As religious leaders one of our jobs is to give a vision, especially to our young people, of a different kind of abundant life," McFague said. "A life where a person has satisfying work, they have their basic needs met, they have time for their relationships and they can pursue opportunities that they want -- that can be called 'the good life'."
In Islamic culture, the issue is not a disconnection between economics and ethics, according to Seyyed Hossein Nasr, Professor of Islamic Studies at George Washington University. He pointed out: "It is not a problem to get people to realize the correct balance between the spiritual and economic. It's the other way around -- of trying to prevent modernized minorities, influenced very strongly by the West, from corrupting the natural and normal view of the Islamic majority."

Religion can remind us of those values, and sensitize a society of American voters to expect environmental leadership from their elected officials.

Indeed, it is a Western nation that is the world's largest polluter and the most recalcitrant on issues of the environment. The United States, by a vote in Congress, refuses to enter into any treaty to protect the earth that is perceived to be damaging to the nation's economy. It's a policy that many would say follows economic logic. But that logic reduces a person to a mere unit of an economic transaction motivated solely by price and profit entirely bypassing the range of spiritual and social values that motivate human life. Religion can remind us of those values, and sensitize a society of American voters to expect environmental leadership from their elected officials.
But religious ideals alone aren't enough to save the planet. The investigative vigor of science is needed to report what we're actually doing to the planet. Jane Lubchenko, Professor of Marine Biology at Oregon State University, described the magnitude of the "human footprint" on the planet: half of the planet's land surface has been transformed by humans; nearly half of its surface fresh water is used by humans; 30 per cent of the contents of the earth atmosphere has been altered since the Industrial Revolution; two-thirds of the ocean fisheries are fully overexploited or depleted; and 30,000 species a year, or three species per hour, are lost due to human activity.
Offering hopeful news, Dr Lubchenko noted the "remarkable progress" of nations to control the release of ozone-destroying chemicals such as chlorofluorocarbons. And among the major oil corporations, British Petroleum and Shell have taken prompt action to begin converting to sustainable practices.
Civil society network
Linking the aspirations expressed in New York with the world community is the Earth Charter Initiative, a project launched in 1995 to define the principles of a planetary ethic based on worldwide participation. It was the brainchild of Mikhail Gorbachev and Maurice Strong, the man considered to be the most influential figure in contemporary environmental advocacy.
Steven Rockefeller, Professor of Theology at Middlebury College and the director of the Earth Charter drafting process, invited the New York audience to read the latest draft and contribute their own ideas on common goals for humanity. Distinct from the World Religions and Ecology project, which is primarily an academic endeavor, the Earth Charter Initiative is a people's treaty which seeks to involve the ideas of the largest possible number of people, from individuals to international organizations, representing a broad range of cultures, religions and groups of society. Professor Rockefeller sees the Charter as a demonstration of a "powerful civil society network", and because of it, he says, the nations of the world were moved to accept the landmark treaty in Kyoto, Japan, for the reduction of greenhouse gases.
The Earth Charter drafting process will continue with extensive consultations and reviews which will bring a finished document to the United Nations General Assembly for endorsement by the end of 1999. Professor Rockefeller believes the Charter is generating international consensus on environmental issues but cautions that opposition is strong: "There are many people who would rather exploit the earth than respect it."
Considering the urgency of environmental challenges, an onstage invocation for divine intervention might not have been out of place. But there was recognition that the human species is not laboring alone. Journalist Bill Moyers asked rhetorically: "If the wisdom of the religious traditions could speak with one voice, through the centuries and across the varieties of human experience, what single question on this issue of the environment would it put to the human species?" The philosopher Brian Swimme suggested the possibility of an interactive cosmos: "If we regarded ourselves as a subsystem of the whole earth community, what guidance would the governing tendencies of the universe offer us?" And Thomas Berry, the elder statesman of environmental ethics, in closing remarks of encouragement said: "We are not left alone. The powers of the planet, the powers of the universe, are ready to support us."
Shaping the ecological debate was a role that religious communities on the whole did not initiate on their own. In fact, it was a direct appeal to the faith traditions made by the Union of Concerned Scientists which inspired the genesis of the World Religions and Ecology Series. Through this project, scientists and religious leaders are boldly stepping out of their conventional domains, understanding that a single specialized view can no longer adequately address the multitude of challenges that make up the earth crisis.
There's no lack of conferences calling for a revolution in consciousness but can it happen soon enough? Said Professor Nasr of George Washington University: "I believe there's no possibility of healing the earth within the modern paradigm. We need really heroic people to be able to challenge the world view at its very foundation but it takes a lot of courage because you are now not the voice of the majority. We need a few voices crying in the wilderness."

From the May 1999 issue of Share International.

The dilemma of choice

by the Master –, through Benjamin Creme 

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Never before in the world’s history has so much depended on the decisions now being made, behind closed doors, in the political power-centres of the planet. At long last, the political and economic realities of the present world crisis have persuaded the men of power to address these problems. On their deliberations rests the future well-being of the world.

Until now, the ‘first world’ nations have taken for granted their favoured position in world affairs, and have organized economic power to their own advantage. For the first time, they turn their attention now to the fact of ‘third world’ deprivation, and look for mutually beneficial solutions to the many issues which endanger world stability. Hearkening to the cry for succour from the poorer nations, the rich prepare at last to contemplate the inevitable: the need to share. This represents a vital shift in attitudes and augurs well for the future.

Door to reality

Whether or not these deliberations find expression in concrete actions and proposals, the door to reality and common sense has been opened, a glimpse of the possible, however momentary and imperfect, has been taken. This will lead, in due course, to a ready response to Maitreya’s recommendations; willingly and gladly, or not at all, must men accept the needed changes.

That they will accept them is not in doubt: the alternative, terrible to contemplate, would end for ever man’s sojourn on Earth. History tells us that man, infinitely adaptable, has survived many crises and dangers — always, however belatedly, his instinct to preserve the race has saved him from destruction.

As he stands at the threshold of the new era, man faces, once again, the dilemma of choice.

Elder Brothers
In past crises, man has been aided, often from behind the scenes, by his Elder Brothers. This time, a new situation pertains and, in full vision and fact, the Brothers will extend Their counsel and insight. Thus will men be aided in their choices and decisions; thus will they take the shortest path to Truth.

Informed and guided by Maitreya and His Group, men will quickly end the worst divisions in this divided world: mass poverty and starvation will fade from sight and memory; old wounds will be healed, past wrongs forgiven.

Thus will the sons of men recommence their journey into their divinity. Under the leadership of Maitreya and His Brothers, they will know the meaning and purpose of their lives and, dedicating themselves to the establishment of the Divine Plan, will recognize each other as Divine Sons of God. Thus will it be; and thus will the travail of the Great Lord be complete. The timing of His emergence has been determined. The world will see Him forthwith.

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From the June 1995 issue of Share International

The Master – is a senior member of the Hierarchy of the Masters of Wisdom; His name, well-known in esoteric circles, is not yet being revealed for various reasons. Benjamin Creme is in constant telepathic contact with this Master Who dictates His articles to him.

Co-workers with God

by the Master –, through Benjamin Creme 

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Looked at from Our vantage point, the present situation of the world is not without its problems and dangers, but nevertheless carries within it the seeds of change and hope for the future. What that future precisely will be depends on man himself and his readiness for a radical transformation of his attitudes and actions.

Without doubt, were man to stumble forward blindly, alone, his cause were as good as lost, for he lacks as yet the wisdom to restrain his power; he lacks the will to implement his higher aspirations; he lacks, above all, the love for his brother which would end forever much of the misery in the world.

Happily for the world, man is not alone. Behind him stand, and have always stood, the Elder Brothers of the race, ready to succour Our ailing younger brethren when the call for help rises to Us. Once again that call has come and We respond with joy. Without Our help, man's plight would be sorry indeed. So far has he strayed from the Path of Truth that even the least wise see the dangers. The foolhardy, however, ignoring the quicksands, continue to play their game of chance.

A new order

When you see Us, you will see men who have made before you the journey back to God. You will recognize in Us divine characteristics potential in yourselves. Thus will you know your future glory. Out of the present chaos shall We inspire a new order; from the hatreds and divisions shall we create harmony and peace, while from doubt and fear shall We engender meaning, faith and joy.

We come to serve, to teach and to work together with you. We know your problems and We know, too, the solutions to these problems. We can see, and hold in reverence, the inner divinity of men, and await, with confidence, its manifestation when evoked by Us.

This will lead to a new situation on the Earth. God, through Us, and man will come together. From that divine at-one-ment will flow the new civilization, and into man's hands will be placed the power of the Creator. Man will find himself a co-worker with God.

The Forerunners
Presently, the world will know of Our existence. For long have We prepared to come before you and do so now in a spirit of joy. Know that there is naught that you suffer that We have not suffered; there is no pain or humiliation which We have not known; your failures have been Our failures, your faltering steps Ours. On the self-same path have We achieved and offer you the fruits of that achievement. We are the forerunners, the Pointers on the Way.

Now is approaching the time of regeneration. Now commences the Era of Truth. First, Maitreya. Then We shall be seen.

Crisis and promise

The present is a time of crisis and promise. The New struggles to find form. The Old strives to survive amidst the destined change. Humanity is ready for the next step; the long sleep is ending; the sleepers awake. The call to freedom and joy echoes in the hearts of the peoples and stirs them to action. Little time there is now to prepare. Soon the face of Maitreya will be seen. He alone can bridge the divisions among the nations and bring them, trusting, to each other's aid.

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From the November 1984 issue of Share International

The Master – is a senior member of the Hierarchy of the Masters of Wisdom; His name, well-known in esoteric circles, is not yet being revealed for various reasons. Benjamin Creme is in constant telepathic contact with this Master Who dictates His articles to him.

Continuity of Consciousness

by the Master –, through Benjamin Creme

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Within humanity today a growing number of people are achieving continuity of consciousness and are thus retaining the experiences of the sleep state. This makes for faster evolution as no time is lost in waiting for the filtering down of information to the brain to take place. It also ensures the reception of more accurate information leading to more correct action and results.

This is the way forward for humanity. Until now, the break in consciousness between the waking and sleeping states has proved an obstacle to large scale advance. More than anything else, it has kept humanity in ignorance of the true nature of reality, and, consequently in superstition and fear.

Nearly a third of life is spent asleep and much information is given and received during that period. Many are the experiences which may be had and known, enriching the life of every individual. Never before, on a large scale, has the opportunity been present for a gradual shift in consciousness to take place. Already, a large group stands ready to achieve this continuity, lacking only the practical techniques for its achievement.

Soon, steps will be taken to make more known and available the information already given on the subject. Much has been imparted which awaits study and application; few, today, realize the treasure-chest of instruction which has been recorded and published.

Mental polarization is the key to this achievement. Correct alignment of the astral and physical bodies provides the basis on which mental polarization can gradually be built. This achieved, continuity of consciousness naturally unfolds. There are, of course, degrees of this achievement and the process covers a considerable period of time.

Much has been written about the need for spiritual detachment. This quality most readily provides the field for the correct interpretation of phenomena and information carried over from the sleep state. Otherwise, despite continuous consciousness, much distortion can ensue.

Spiritual detachment results from decentralization. Through service and correct meditation, the orientation of the disciple shifts from his limited self to the not-self. This begets a state of divine indifference in which desire subsides and the true inner man can appear.

With his appearance, the way is open for continuity of consciousness to begin. Safely, the out-of-body experience can be correctly registered and known, and a new chapter opened in the life of the disciple. The halls of Learning or of Wisdom become his conscious fields of knowledge, depending on his level on the Path.

So far, we have discussed only the continuity of consciousness between the sleep and waking states. A further expansion of awareness awaits the disciple who can bridge the gap between the two great areas of experience to which we give the names of life and death.

Life alone exists. Death is but the name for another level of experience of life, continuous and unbroken except for man's limited consciousness. The time is coming in which the experience we call death, the intervening period, and the return to outer manifestation will be recalled in full consciousness by the man. Then will man lose the fear of death and reap the harvest of the inner planes of knowledge and bliss in total awareness of his true identity as a Son of God.

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From the November 1987 issue of Share International

The Master – is a senior member of the Hierarchy of the Masters of Wisdom; His name, well-known in esoteric circles, is not yet being revealed for various reasons. Benjamin Creme is in constant telepathic contact with this Master Who dictates His articles to him.

The Common Good

by the Master –, through Benjamin Creme 

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As the millennium draws ever nearer, it becomes increasingly evident that new values are gradually entering the minds and hearts of humanity. No longer are millions, erstwhile all but slaves, prepared to tolerate their lot; they rise against the tyranny which oppresses them and demand a better life.
Elsewhere, a new concern for honesty and the rule of law calls into question and condemns the corruption and laissez-faire of the recent past. A new sense of responsibility for others grips the conscience of many who seek to serve their brothers and sisters around the world. From whence comes this cleansing power, this salutary Grace?
For many years now, Maitreya has focused in the world the energy of the Spirit of Peace or Equilibrium. This mighty, cosmic avatar is changing, under our eyes, the fabric of men’s lives. Through His beneficent power, that which destroyed and tore apart is rendered harmless and benign; that which separates and divides now seeks to bring together. In equal measure, in opposite balance, Action and Reaction impose their restoring rhythm, and bring harmony to the world.
When Maitreya works openly, men will see more clearly the working of this great Law.


Collapse
Meanwhile, the old order crumbles, driven to the edge by its own extremes. Men are witnessing the collapse of the Empire of Greed, the tyranny of market forces, the freebooter’s heyday. From now on, the tendency in all affairs will be towards the Common Good. That which works for and upholds the Common Good will flourish; that which works against will wither away. Thus will the new forms and institutions fulfil the needs of all men.
The time is soon coming when the Common Weal will be the benchmark by which all actions are judged. Thus will be safeguarded the integrity of the new.


Change
Many are clamouring for change yet fear its advent, so influenced are their minds by established institutions and media. When Maitreya, soon, emerges, men will realize that the changes which He will advocate are for the betterment of all men, that no group need fear the future. Thus will the Great Lord work to unite the forces for Good, to invoke the latent Goodwill in all.
Soon, Maitreya will begin His process of emergence, appearing before the people in many public broadcasts. Thus will He gain the interest and attention of the masses whose voices will call for His Declaration.
Thus will the Teacher fulfil His pledge to return among men and to lead them into a new and higher light. Thus will it be, and thus will men begin again their journey to the stars. 

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From the January/February 1999  issue of Share International

The Master – is a senior member of the Hierarchy of the Masters of Wisdom; His name, well-known in esoteric circles, is not yet being revealed for various reasons. Benjamin Creme is in constant telepathic contact with this Master Who dictates His articles to him.

The Coming Century

by the Master –, through Benjamin Creme

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When mankind nears a moment of major crisis it reacts in one of two ways: either it falls into apathy, awaiting, fatalistically, the inevitable, or else it is galvanized into indiscriminate action and runs in all directions without sense or purpose. Today, at this time of change, it is the latter reaction which holds sway. Everywhere, men act as if the future no longer exists, as if they represent the ending of meaning and value on Earth. Greed has taken hold of their hearts and senses, and, as if in dream, they walk wild-eyed to the precipice.
Thus it is that men approach the coming century: many in fear and most in doubt. They know nothing of the marvels which await mankind’s astonished eyes. They know less of the wonders which they, themselves, will one day perform. Ignorant and afraid, they grasp blindly at all that they can hold in greedy hands, thinking that thus they may be safe, and secure from future loss.

Harmony

While many live thus, there is a growing number who are awakening to a different view, who see the possibility of undreamed of harmony, and who resist both apathy and chaos. As yet, they are the minority, but soon the forces of chaos will succumb to their vision of justice and peace; a new world will be born from their fearless hold on life and creative action. These men and women of goodwill will challenge the old concepts of division and strife, and, stage by stage, will reconstruct the world. Thus will it be. Not alone but guided and inspired by Maitreya and His Brothers, this group of stout hearts will wax strong and influential, eagerly encouraged by the following masses.

In a short time, major inroads will be made into solving the many problems which afflict mankind today: hunger and oppressive poverty and the denial of basic rights; destructive competition among the nations and environmental decay; ethnic bigotry and the army of refugees which results; above all, the scourge of war.

Solvable

When men realize that these problems are solvable naught will for long delay their ending. With a will, men will tackle them one by one, with growing understanding of the urgency and the means.

Maitreya and His growing group of Masters will show the way, outline the possibilities and pitfalls, encourage and inspire. Men, themselves, will set in place the framework of the new world, born out of necessity, out of a longing for justice and peace, for the establishment of brotherhood and the rule of divine law.

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From the July-August 1998 issue of Share International

The Master – is a senior member of the Hierarchy of the Masters of Wisdom; His name, well-known in esoteric circles, is not yet being revealed for various reasons. Benjamin Creme is in constant telepathic contact with this Master Who dictates His articles to him.