A. This is not, in fact, the case. The Masters direct Their energies and attention at least as much to the Third World as to the developed world. However, the changes which must take place in the world have to be initiated from the seat of the problem: the greed, selfishness and complacency of the developed nations. Therefore, much of the Masters' work involves inspiring disciples in the richer countries who can work for change.

Q. Are the Masters a group of people?

A. The Masters form a group, They have only group consciousness. They have no personality consciousness at all; They think and work and live in terms of group consciousness. That is not to say that they are not all quite different in quality and character, depending on the particular ray under which They are formed. They will have their differences of opinion: on how to proceed in dealing with a particular point of the Plan, different ideas of whether humanity is ready for this stimulus or that, whether it is too soon, or whatever. They have different ideas but They work habitually from what is called the Buddhic level of consciousness, as a group. They are in continuous telepathic rapport with each other.

Q. What role and what tasks will the Masters take on?

A. Like the Christ, the Masters, too, will act as advisors on matters of all kinds, relating to all aspects of our lives. As I have said, there will be a Master in what one might call a presidential post in certain countries and in these countries you will find, therefore, some aspects of Hierarchical government, perhaps forming a two-tier system with a democratic form of government. One does not preclude the other. Many young people are very suspicious of the term ëëmaster.'' They see it as conferring some authority over us. This is not the case; a Master is simply a master over Himself and the forces of nature. By token of Their experience and Their spiritual achievement, a degree of Hierarchical supervision will be seen to be totally acceptable within a democratic framework.

Q. What I want to know is, were Masters born the same as anybody else, or did They come into the world in a different way?

A. The Masters who have come into the world now have come in fully physical bodies. Two-thirds of the Masters today are in fully physical bodies.

There are certain Masters Who are in the same body as They were when They took the Fifth Initiation, which takes Them into Mastery, so They have not taken on another body. There are other Masters Who have created what's called the "Mayavirupa"; this is a body of manifestation, created by an act of will. There are other Masters still, Who are in bodies which are born in the normal way, as children, and they've grown up, but as Masters. There are many different methods for the manifestation of a Master.

The normal method, or the most frequent, for the manifestation of an avatar, is to take over the body of a disciple, as happened with Jesus. The Christ took over the body of Jesus and manifested through it for the last three years. The Christ, Maitreya, remained in the Himalayas, but His consciousness, or some aspect of His consciousness, whatever was needed at that time, took over the body of the Disciple Jesus and worked through Him for the last three years of His life. This time He has come Himself.

Q. On average how many lives do we have to become a Master?

A. It takes hundreds of thousands of incarnational experiences to come up to the first initiation, the first of five. Usually, it takes an average of seven or eight incarnations between the first and second initiation. Between the second and third the whole process speeds up and the third can be taken in the same life as the second if that is taken early enough; then probably the fourth and fifth in the next two or three lives. So, there are very few lives in the last phase of the initiatory process, but up to the first initiation there are literally hundreds of thousands of incarnations.

Q. If Masters were present throughout history, how could They stand by and watch happenings like Holocaust, wars, the Inquisition, the decimation of humanity in many different ways, without helping?

A. They did not stand by and watch it happen. There has never been a war, a holocaust, pain or suffering of any group in which the Masters did not help that group to the greatest extent allowed by the Law of Karma. They are not allowed simply to take away the results of humanity's actions. The Law of Cause and Effect, which is the Law of Karma, binds the Masters as it binds us. We have the power, individually and as a group - as humanity - to change the way we act. It is we who create holocausts and wars, who involve whole groups in assassination, murder, rape, pillage and the rest. We created the Inquisition - the cruelty of the Inquisition is the cruelty of humanity itself. It came out of the fanaticism which is the direct result of the misuse of the energies of Pisces. The fanatical belief in their own ideal created the Holocaust, the Inquisition, and almost every war. Some wars have been for gain, but the wars which involved an ideology were the result of a fanatical belief that a particular ideal was the only one fit for humanity. That has nothing to do with the Masters.

The Masters are perfect. Their involvement with us is by grace: They do not have to be here, They have finished with this world and are here simply to serve the Plan of Evolution, which involves us. But we are not the only part of that evolution - there is the animal kingdom, the vegetable and mineral kingdoms, the great angelic or devic evolutions, so that what the Masters have to do vis-a-vis humanity is only a tiny fraction of Their work. In so far as They are able - under law - to intervene and prevent suffering of humanity, so They do.

Q. The Tibetan (Master D.K.) talks of esotericists responding to the astral reflection of the Hierarchy rather than the reality. How do you yourself know which you are communicating with? What advice would you give to aspirants regarding discriminating between two? 

A. It is true that on the astral planes there are powerful thought-forms of the known Masters, the astral constructions of devoted aspirants and disciples over the years. Many astrally sensitive people contact these illusory 'Masters' and receive back the 'teachings', astrally embodied, which at least to some extent have come originally from real Masters through mentally polarized and soul-focused disciples. There are many such instances today, some of them very well known and respected. (There are several groups and probably many individuals who consider that I come into this category of deluded disciples. I leave it to time to prove conclusively that this is not the case.)

To come to the question, how do I know with which I am communicating, the real or illusory Master? It is obviously possible to contact an astral reflection and think it a Master, but it is impossible, I would say, to be contacted by a Master (because the disciple is contacted by the Master and not the other way round) without knowing with certainty that one is so contacted. Obviously, if a Master wishes, for his purposes, to contact a disciple, He will find a way to do so - and leave the disciple in no doubt. This can be either a physical or a telepathic contact. In my case, since I am engaged in this public work of preparation for Maitreya, my Master was at pains to establish his reality - and I insisted that he did so. No astral thought-forms can heal. My Master and his Colleagues perform acts of healing which amaze those who know of them. No astral thought-form can make solid objects disappear and re-appear (see the preface to my book The Reappearance of the Christ and the Masters of Wisdom). No astral thought-form can or does put the disciple through the intense de-glamorization and disillusioning which my Master put me though in preparation for my public service. No astral thought-form sends a photograph of itself to the disciple in contact. I could go on and on. In a thousand ways my Master has proved his reality to me (and countless others). The touchstone is objectivity and lack of glamour. It is true to say that my Master has never made one statement which could feed the glamour or ambition of any individual, myself or others. On the contrary, many disciples have been enormously enriched by his wise advice, objectively but lovingly given.

My advice to aspirants is this: discrimination is the key. Look for objectivity. Beware of those who offer initiations from Masters - with or without a certificate! Beware of those who tell you that the Masters need your very special help (usually financial!) in Their plans. Beware of those of low degree who claim an impossible contact with the Chohans (6th degree Initiates) and beware of any communication, through others or direct, which feeds your ego and glamours, and gives you the sense of importance which all long for and few indeed deserve.

Q. Can you say something of the notion of 'Hierarchy'?

A. The spiritual Hierarchy of this planet has been in existence for about 17 million years. However, since the ending of the Atlantean civilization and the break-up of the Atlantean land-mass (of which America is a remnant), the personnel - Masters and high Initiates - of the Hierarchy have worked esoterically, behind the scenes of our everyday life. From Their retreats in the mountain and desert areas of the world, They have been the guiding inspiration of our successive cultures and civilizations. Through the activity of the three great departments in the Hierarchy - under the Manu, the Christ and the Lord of Civilization - the evolutionary stimulus and guidance of all the manifold areas of planetary life takes place. The trans-Himalayan Lodge is responsible for the training of disciples in Europe and America, but the "traditional Eastern teachings" are likewise part of Hierarchical endeavour. The Indian tradition has been oriented, largely, to the devotee, but that is just a stage through which all aspirants pass. With the growing mental focus of humanity, Hierarchy can look for a more conscious co-operation in his own evolution on the part of the disciple.

Q. What is the chief role of the Hierarchy?

To develop self-consciousness in all beings, and consciousness in the lower kingdoms. To be an example for humanity, and to transmit the Will of the Planetary Logos. They prepare Their disciples for Initiation and provide them with a field of service. They also protect us from an excess of cosmic evil. They are releasing energy of one kind or another into the world, all the time. They are the custodians of these energies, and release them in a scientific manner to bring about the changes in the evolution of the world. We respond to them well or badly, and our civilisations and our life in every respect are the outcome of our response. These energies make us what we are. They are making the new world. They are forming the Aquarian Age. We are at this moment, through our response to them, intuiting, feeling our way towards, apprehending, the kind of structures, the kind of civilisation, which the new age will exhibit. We are building it now.

Q. How is the Hierarchy organised now?

The Hierarchy is divided into three major groups on the three great lines of force, each one embodying, channelling, being influenced by, one or other of the three major aspects of Divinity that we know - the Will aspect, the Love/Wisdom aspect and the Intelligence aspect. The department under the Will aspect has as its Head the Manu, the Perfected Man, the Exemplar for our race, the fifth root race. He is the perfect expression of our fifth root race in its completeness. The Manu (the second of two) of the fourth root race is also still on the planet, in China. He is the perfect expression of the Atlantean race and His work will be to gradually take the Atlantean aspect of humanity out of incarnation. This will gradually become synthesized into the fifth root race; it will have done its work. 

At the head of the department under the Love/Wisdom aspect is the Bodhisattva, or World Teacher, the One we in the West call the Christ. He is known in the East by other names: as the Lord Maitreya to the Buddhists, as the Bodhisattva to the Hindus, the Imam Mahdi to the Moslems, the Messiah to the Jews. Each of these names, religious terms, is the name of the Head of Hierarchy. His personal name is Maitreya.

At the head of the other department is the Lord of Civilisation, the Mahachohan. These three Great Lords, Aspects of God, for that is what They are, have together stimulated and overseen the development of mankind throughout the centuries by the transmission of energies, and the impression of men's minds with the ideas which embody these energies. 

The Hierarchy has changed form, personnel, many times over the ages, as members of the human race became Initiate and then Masters, so that the Masters of the higher levels could go on to higher work. Many leave the dense physical planet and go on to higher spheres, or to higher planets, or even leave this system altogether. Some of the Masters, for instance, if They are on a certain line of work, go to Sirius. 

Stemming from the department on the third aspect, that of the Lord of Civilisation, are four further groups, on the four secondary Rays of Attribute, thus making seven major groups or ashrams. Each of these has seven subsidiary ashrams, making forty-nine in all. Not all of these are complete at this time, both as to personnel and also as channels for energy.

Q. Can you say something on the externalisation of the Hierarchy? 

A. Slowly, gradually, over the next twenty-five years, the Hierarchy will externalise itself. Not all, but most of the Masters, and many of Their Ashrams (the groups of disciples through whom They work, which are also centres of energy) will be externalised, known outwardly on the physical plane. It will be the aim of large sections of mankind to find their own line of energy, whatever ray they may be on, and gravitate to the Ashram which embodies that energy. There are seven major Ashrams and forty-two subsidiary Ashrams, making up forty-nine altogether. They will not all be externalised but many will be, and most of the Masters. Many of the Initiates of the Hierarchy will work openly, outwardly, on the physical plane, known to all men. The Mystery Schools will be re-opened and men will go to them as they now go to University, to learn and to take the disciplines which will prepare them for Initiation, and so into the Hierarchy. This will become the aim of advanced humanity in this coming age.

Q. It seems that Hierarchy is only interested in contact with higher initiates and never approaches common people. Is that true? 

A. No, not really. For instance, the Labour movement was originated by the English Master in the 19th century among a group of workers who where not so very evolved. In fact, if they had been really advanced initiates, they would have had no real contact with the workers around them. That is why the idea of the Labour movement spread out rapidly throughout the world. Hierarchy always acts as a hierarchy. Some people don't like to think that there are lesser ones and higher ones; to them, that is not fair, not true equality. Of course, as Gods we are all equal. But no amount of pretending, no amount of thinking, no amount of will power, will make you a Master if you are only a first or second-degree initiate.

Q. Do any of the members of the Hierarchy or the Masters ever speak to man through mediums in trance? 

A. Very, very rarely. It is one of the ways with which They prefer not to work. There are a few cases, indeed, where They have done so. One of the most famous and wonderful is the use of a man called "The Boy". Those who have read the book by Swami Omananda, The Boy and the Brothers, will know whom I mean. He was a slum child from the East End of London, a great Initiate, in fact of the fourth degree, and in his incarnation before Liberation. He suffered a great deal. He was an empty shell, simply a hollow personality, which was taken over by the Masters.

They do not normally use this method. They use telepathy which is the higher clairvoyance, through the medium of the soul. It was in this way that H. P. Blavatsky was given The Secret Doctrine by the Master D. K.; in this way Alice Bailey was given the Teachings by D. K.; it was in this way, too, that Helena Roerich was given the Agni Yoga Teachings. This is the normal mode. There are occasionally individuals who use the higher kind of trance. In very special cases. The usual lower Psychism is never used by the Masters. It is used by entities on the inner planes, of course, on some level of the astral or mental planes, but not by the Masters Themselves. It is only on the higher mental planes that the Masters can be contacted. They work only from the higher mental, not from the astral level.