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Jesus the God, or Jesus the
Man? Although thousands of books have been written about His life and death and over 30
percent of Much of the confusion about His life centers around one issue - Was He God, or was He man? For some of the early Christians there was little dispute. Groups like the Gnostics and the Essenes taught that He was born a human being like every other human, but because He was so highly evolved He had begun to embody certain aspects of divinity. These early believers accepted reincarnation and taught the perfectabilityof man, avowing that through many successive lifetimes the human being could so purify its nature as to eventually achieve the same spiritual status that Jesus did. Much of the fervor and total dedication expressed in their documents attests to this belief. The letters of Paul are a brilliant testimony to his hope of such future possibility. What gave these believers a faith in accomplishments that are not even considered possible by most Christian sects today? The Ancient Wisdom Although Jesus taught the masses of people in simple parables, there was also a secret, esoteric tradition which He revealed to His closest disciples. This tradition contained certain occult truths as well as instruction in the art of healing, prophecy, and meditation. It was not begun by Jesus, but stemmed from very ancient sources. The roots of all religions draw from this pool of knowledge, but many of its practices have been guarded from the public for fear of misuse. In our present age many of these teachings are no longer secret but are being released into the world. What is needed, to understand Jesus' role and mission, is a comprehension of the orderly progress of evolution. Everything in cosmos evolves. Everything in the manifested world continually develops into a higher and more purified form. Each kingdom of nature spends eons of time purifying its expression until certain of its members undergo a process of transmutation and actually evolve into the next higher form of evolution. In this way, the mineral becomes a plant, the plant becomes an animal, the animal becomes a human. Above the human kingdom is the spiritual. It is known as the Spiritual Hierarchy and its members are called by various names - Angels, Bodhisattvas, the Masters of Wisdom. This kingdom oversees and nourishes the human kingdom. Its members totally understand humanity's problems because they themselves have passed through the long course of human evolution. The destiny for humanity is to evolve into the spiritual kingdom. Entering the Spiritual Kingdom Towards the end of the human journey, when the disciple is expressing a high degree of intelligence and morality, there comes a time of supreme testing called the path of initiation. This period is designed to quickly propel him into the ranks of the Spiritual Hierarchy. It covers 5 major steps, or initiations. The object is to completely transcend the allurements of physical plane existence. When this is accomplished he becomes a Master of Wisdom. Jesus, like every other being, was subject to this same trial and testing on His journey into the higher life. When He was born He was an initiate of the 3rd degree, a very advanced level for His day and time, but still not one of mastery. He came into incarnation at the time that He did to fulfill a mission, to act as a vehicle for an even higher initiate, Maitreya. Theirs was the task to inaugurate the Age of Pisces. Jesus could step down the higher energies of Maitreya for the world to more easily use. In a few short years they accomplished a magnificent work that more fully opened for all of humanity the door into the spiritual kingdom. Between His baptism and crucifixion Jesus gave Maitreya the use of His body. This process, called overshadowing, is used by the Hierarchy to advance certain work in the physical world. In one sense, when we read the New Testament we are reading about the work of Maitreya as much as we are about Jesus. The name Jesus Christ reveals this relationship. The Christ refers to Maitreya. It is a term which designates the office He holds as the head of the Spiritual Hierarchy, the Master of all the Masters. One of their missions was to demonstrate to humanity the path of initiation. In the Gospel story we see portrayed symbolically, the 5 steps leading to spiritual mastery - birth, baptism, transfiguration, crucifixion, and resurrection. On Golgotha, Jesus took the 4th initiation, one of the final steps to mastery. This particular initiation is marked by great sacrifice and suffering, for the initiate must renounce everything which binds him to the physical world. This achieved, he begins to operate in a body of ethereal substance. It therefore truly becomes a triumph over death, symbolized by the resurrection which followed. After a disciple takes the 4th initiation physical incarnation is taken only as an act of service to the world. This teaching of evolutionary progression was obliterated in the first few centuries of Christendom. Instead of encouraging its people to achieve their hidden divinity, the churches relegated humanity to an inferior position with the impossible task of having to achieve perfection in one lifetime. Concurrently they exalted the personage of Jesus and distanced Him from human reach by declaring He was identical with the one and only God of the universe. Christians everywhere are beginning to challenge the inadequacies of such beliefs by accepting that reincarnation and evolutionary advance answer many of life's perennial questions. Putting aside centuries of guilt and shame, they are now discovering inner psychic powers which hint of the possibility of greater attainment. The Second Coming Today we live in an age of miracles, not unlike the times of Jesus Himself. Our newspapers and TV reporters tell us of visions, healings and other wonders. Many think these are signs of Jesus' return, just as He had promised so long ago. Those who study the esoteric truths know that we can expect a great Teacher to come in our present day, to inaugurate the Age of Aquarius, to show us the way into its future. There now lives in London a teacher named Maitreya, who is said to be the same spiritual personage who overshadowed Jesus in Palestinian times. Since 1977 He has been releasing His energies into the world. He has given certain teachings which present His vision and plans for the future times. Additionally, there is another teacher, living near Rome, who is said to be the Master Jesus, returned as He promised. In the coming years He will work with the Christian churches, helping them revitalize the ancient traditions. One task will be to reinstate teachings about initiation and the path of attainment. Eventually other Masters will come to work along with Maitreya and Jesus. Not since the days of ancient Atlantis will the world have known such spiritual leadership. They are working quietly now, because the changes to come must be gradual and measured. But day by day, they will take bolder steps into our everyday world until we become accustomed to their presence. In time they will advise, inspire, and assist us in finding ways to correct the evils of the past, to lift our planet into a brighter future. Greater Works Than These Shall You do Today we see the germination of the seed that was sown in Palestine when Maitreya and Jesus, in a completely selfless act of love, opened the door to a higher life. In these coming decades, if we so choose, we will have the opportunity to watch it bloom and taste its fruit. We will discover the true Christianity which Jesus taught. We will find hidden gifts and witness miracles we never thought possible. We will fulfill the promise He gave so long ago, "Verily, I say unto you, he that believeth in me, the works that I do shall he do also, and greater works than these shall he do, because I go unto my Father." (John 14:12) The ideas discussed are based on the work of 3 Christian esotericists: Helena Blavatsky, Alice Bailey, and Benjamin Creme. For further information about Maitreya and the reappearance of the Christ contact: Tara Center, P. O. BOX 6001, Los Angeles, CA 91603 More articles by Bette Stockbauer Who is Maitreya? Directory of articles by several authors Share International ShareAudio: Listen here! Be sure to visit: Share International, a non-profit, non-denominational organization documenting the emergence of Maitreya, the World Teacher.
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the world's population follow His teachings, Jesus Christ is still one of the
most mysterious personages in recorded history. From the earliest centuries of the
Christian era controversy has existed about His essential role in the scheme of creation.
In our own time the Gospels are being minutely searched for clues about the 'real' Jesus.
Magazine articles still question His very existence.