Ascended Master

Ascended Master

In the Ascended Master Teachings, Ascended Masters are believed to be spiritually enlightened beings who in past incarnations were ordinary humans, but who have undergone a series of spiritual transformations originally called initiations.

Both "Mahatmas" and "Ascended Master" are terms used in the Ascended Master Teachings. Ascended Master is based on the Theosophical concept of the Mahatma or Master of the Ancient Wisdom. However, "Mahatmas" and "Ascended Masters" are believed by some to differ in certain respects.

The Ascended Master Teachings refer to the Sixth Initiation as Ascension.

According to the Ascended Master Teachings, a "Master" (or "Spiritual Master") is a human being who has taken the Fifth Initiation and is thereby capable of dwelling on the 5th dimension. An "Ascended Master" is a human being who has taken the Sixth Initiation and is thereby capable of dwelling on the 6th dimension. An "Ascended Master" is a human being who has regained full union with his "Mighty I AM Presence." When a human being has regained full union with his "Mighty I AM Presence," that state of full union is referred to as "Ascension." Technically, a human being "ascends" when he takes the Sixth Initiation, and not before then.

A "Chohan (Lord) of a "Ray" is an Ascended Master who has been placed in charge of one of the 12 "Rays" (until recently, 7 Rays were generally known, and 5 Rays were "secret"), due to having an extraordinary natural spiritual affinity for that Ray. A "Ray" is a concentrated stream of spiritual energy emanating, ultimately, from the Godhead. Each "Ray" is the embodiment/expression of one of the 12 great God-Qualities, such as Divine Will, Divine Wisdom, Divine Love, etc. The "Chohans (Lords) of the Rays" thus constitute a special grouping of Ascended Masters (Sixth Level Initiates).

Those who have taken the Seventh Initiation hold the Senior Administrative Posts in the Great White Brotherhood on Earth. These senior administrative posts are divided into 3 departments: The Department of the Manu, the Department of the Planetary Christ, and the Department of the Mahachohan. "

A "Lord of the World" is a human being (or a being of some lifewave other than the human lifewave) who has taken the Ninth Initiation. The Ninth Initiation is the highest Initiation possible on a 3rd-dimensional planet such as Earth. Until very recently, Sanat Kumara (a "Lord of the Flame" originally from the higher-dimensional levels of the planet Venus) was the being who held the spiritual office of "Lord of the World" on planet Earth.

The term "Ascended Master" was first used in the book Unveiled Mysteries (1934) by Guy Ballard (1878-1939). Ballard was the founder of the first "Ascended Master Teaching" in modern times, known as The "I AM" Activity (in full: The "I AM" Religious Activity of the Saint Germain Foundation ). The concept of "Ascended Masters" was further popularized by authors such as Baird T. Spalding during the 1930s, and by organizations like The Bridge to Freedom (founded 1951) (known in the 1980s as The New Age Church of the Christ, and later as The Bridge to Spiritual Freedom), The Summit Lighthouse (founded 1958), and various other organizations such as the White Eagle Lodge (1936).