http://www.blavatsky.gr

In the series of events that marked the history of Modern Theosophy some of them were outstanding and have become its characteristic and determinative points.

In my opinion the most important one has been the appearance of Spiritual Hierarchy and its leading role in the Theosophical Movement. The presence of the Mahatmas through their messenger, H.P.Blavatsky, has been one of the most exciting events that took place on our planet in the last century. Their appearance is a turning-point in the course of mankind, because it means that humanity is recovering its communication with the invisible spiritual world and that, through a messenger, it can comprehend all or part of the metaphysical facts that Hierarchy wishes to announce.

The key question for the researcher is who the Mahatmas are, what their role is in the evolution of man and what their relationship with humanity can be.

Starting from the etymology of the word “Mahatma”- Maha Atma, meaning Great Soul – we realize that it concerns an Entity pertaining to spirituality. The Mahatmas are Entities that were outstanding in humanities older than ours and who, through their personal efforts, inclinations and pursuits, managed to transcend the ring of personality and enter into the field of individuality. As individuals who have forsaken the bliss of Nirvana, they belong to the Hierarchy of Compassion and their only aim is to offer their assistance to the younger and less spiritually developed brothers of theirs, that is human people.

The Mahatmas are beings extremely developed in terms of spirituality, they control the forces of Nature through their own ones, developed during hundreds of lives they led in the near or remote past. At the present time, they are the Masters of Wisdom and Life.

According to the Theosophical Glossary “Mahatma… An adept of the highest order. Exalted beings who, having attained to the mastery over their lower principles are thus living unimpeded by the “man of flesh”, and are in possession of knowledge and power commensurate with the stage they have reached in their spiritual evolution. Called in Pali Rahats and Arhats.”

Arhat is the worthy one, this one who deserves divine honours. “The Arhat is one who has entered the best and highest path, and is thus emancipated from rebirth.” (Theosophical Glossary, arahat or arhat…. ) Arhat is the one who ascended the stairs of the Ladder of Life successively, following the path of Self-Immolation. This path is called Secret Path or the Path of Renunciation. “But Path the Second is – RENUNCIATION, and therefore called the “Path of Woe”. That Secret Path leads the Arhan to mental woe unspeakable; woe for the Living Dead, and hepless pity for the men of Karmic sorrow, the fruit of Karma Sages dare not still.” (The Voice of the Silence, p.41-2)

They are to be found in objective manifestation and continuous activity. Their influence is always beneficial, peaceful and gentle. They energize fraternity, progress, love, hope, courage, inspiration, intuition, harmony, good-will, the spiritual activity and the inclination to spirituality. Many times they rouse people up from their mental and spiritual lethargy by methods known only to Them. When they detect that material goods cover so much the human soul as to deprive it of the intercourse with spirituality, implementing the Law, they dissolve their veils so that the soul can be freed to listen to the call of the inner God.

They are the transmitters of the Law as it is mentioned in the Secret Doctrine, because “The Universe is worked and guided from within outwards….. The whole Kosmos is guided, controlled, and animated by almost endless series of Hierarchies of sentient Beings, each having a mission to perform, and who …. Are “messengers” in the sense only that they are the agents of Karmic and Cosmic Laws.” S.D. I, 274

They are the Elder Brothers of humanity. They look after us and protect us exactly as we look after our younger brother, sister and child. They are our Masters, the Ones who have taught us everything, from the minute to the utmost, through the centuries, depending on the needs of our perception. They have instructed us on mental issues as well as spiritual ones. Moreover, they have indicated to us the path of spirituality and the way that will lead us back to the spiritual level from which we once started, while at the same time they train us on the methods which will facilitate our course in the mystic path.

They are the Masters of Wisdom or the Brothers of Light. They work through other people whom they choose among mankind. The point is about the Great Men who are the Mahatma’s disciples or chelas. The succession of Prophets and Initiators who appear in our world, has its root in the brotherhood of the Mahatmas, while the physical side of it, is covered by the Great Men of our earth. This succession has shown up as the Hermetic Chain or the Golden Chain and was considered by the Greek mystics and philosophers to originate in Zeus while it reached common people through a number of spiritual and gentle human beings.

The transmission of consciousness from the core of spirituality to the physical man has always been the most important part of initiation, because this conversion constitutes the process of Nature itself; while according to the ecclesiastical terminology it is called Apostolical Succession.

H.P.Blavatsky was the messenger and earthly teacher of their spiritual series of Entities. These messengers are also called Apostolical Messengers and bear no relation whatever with the mediums we know. Mediums convey messages from the lower sidereal world and are persons without any spiritual consciousness and secret knowledge; while the Apostolical messengers impart spiritual teachings transferring the knowledge that is coveyed through the succession of Spiritual Hierarchy.History frequently mentions the sequence of Great Entities since their presence has been a turning-point in religion, philosophical thought and human culture. Buddha, Sankaracharya, Lao-Tse, Comfucius, Zoroaster, Chrishna, Jesus, Pythagoras, Ploutarcchus, Plato, Origenis, Apollonius Tyaneas and so on, all of them have been transformers and messengers of the Great Lodge or the White Brotherhood from which emanate the great religions-philosophies of our planet, like Modern Theosophy.

It is said that the Secret Home of this Great Brotherhood of Mahatmas is Sambhala. From this place, invisible to us, come forth the mandates for spiritual and intellectual work among men, which mandates are carried out by the messengers of the Masters. These Great Masters of Spiritual Hierarchy are the rear-guard of Modern Theosophy. They stand beside the persons who are responsible for the renewal and promulgation of the Ageless Wisdom, THEOSOPHY, they guide them and support them in ways both inconceivable and unintelligible to people who are not initiates.