Excerpt from the book *The Externalization of the Hierarchy* by Alice Bailey,
Alice Bailey was a disciple who conveyed the teachings of the Tibetan Master in her books between 1919 and 1939. These books are a treasure of wisdom but difficult to understand; it must be read and reread.
The excerpt concerns the Tibetan Master’s presentation of the Hierarchy
Much has already been done to familiarize the general public with the concept of the Hierarchy. Often, actions have been taken that have served to discredit the entire subject. Groups that disseminate occult teachings would be well advised to change their methods if—behind their pronounced ignorance and their taste for the spectacular—there exists genuine faith and a genuine humanitarian desire. Information concerning the Hierarchy should take the following form:
1 The emphasis must be placed on the evolution of humanity, with particular attention to its goal: perfection. This is not the idealistic perfection of the visionary mystic, but rather the mastery of the instrument—the incarnated human being—by the soul that inhabits and overshadows the form.
2 It will be necessary to teach the relationship of the individual soul to all souls, and to make it understood that the Kingdom of God, so long awaited, is nothing other than the appearance on earth, in daily life, of people in whom the soul dominates, at all levels of this domination of the soul.
- Once this relationship is understood, one can deduce the reality of the spiritual Hierarchy, and one can emphasize the normal nature of its existence.
- When this recognition has become widespread, the idea (which by then will still be present in the consciousness of people everywhere) and common sense alike will attest to the presence of Those who have attained the goal. Their manifestation of divinity will be regarded as normal, constituting a universal goal and guaranteeing the future perfection of humanity; the degrees of this divine expression may then be identified, ranging from the probationary disciple, then the disciples, to Those who have attained mastery, and up to the Christ.
- Thus, gradually, the idea or concept of the existence of the Masters in physical presence will be instilled and steadily accepted; a new attitude toward the Christ will develop, one that will encompass all the best of the past but will integrate humanity into a healthier and more appropriate approach to the entire problem.
- The time will come when the fact of Christ’s presence on earth, as Head of the Hierarchy and administrator of the kingdom of God, will be accepted; people will also understand the truth of the statement—revolutionary today—that at no time has He left the earth.
- Increasing emphasis must also be placed on the unfolding Plan, and humanity will come to recognize this through the study of the evolution of the human family, through a rigorous examination of historical processes, and through a comparative analysis of ancient and modern civilizations and cultures (…)
By approaching the central fact of human evolution in this way—the steady development of divinity and the revelation of divine powers through man—we will counteract the fanciful and fantastical portrayal of the Hierarchy that has characterized all occult movements (…) The subject will be presented in an acceptable and reasonable manner
The key to the Hierarchy, and to its reappearance on earth in physical form, and the subsequent materialization of the kingdom of God among men, is the simple truth of the immanent God. This is the key to the evolutionary process, and the eternal hope of all forms in all the kingdoms of nature. This is the central truth, the compelling truth, the truth of revelation that will underpin all information concerning the Hierarchy.