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Concerning the Aspirant Stage of Spirituality

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By George A. Boyd © 2019

Q: How is the aspirant stage different than discipleship?

A: The disciplic path can be considered as the spiritual journey viewed from the standpoint of the ensouling entity. The overarching schema we use in Mudrashram® comprises four stages:

Stage I discipleship comprises the journey of the Soul Spark through the Subtle Realm (1) and the Soul through the Planetary Realm (2). This is spiritual development on the etheric level.

Stage II discipleship includes the unfoldment of the Monad in the Transplanetary Realm (3) and the Astral Soul in the Cosmic Sphere. This is the astral level of spiritual development.

Stage III discipleship consists of the Supracosmic Soul’s unfoldment in the Supracosmic Sphere (5), the completion of your aligned Transcendental Path (6), and the movement of the Soul of the Bridge Path to the Mahatma Stage (7a). This is the causal level of spiritual development.

Stage IV discipleship covers the remainder of the Bridge Path, T6, and T7 to the Infinite Stage (7b). This is the Supracausal level of spiritual development.

The aspirant path can be viewed as the orientation of the personality to the Soul from the initial quest for truth to the stage when the personality can become an instrument for the Soul. These ten aspirant stages mirror the growth of the personality from a separate entity apart from the Soul to being the vehicle through which the Soul expresses in the world:

  1. Personal Integration – The Self takes charge of the ego and begins to direct human life, using the personal octave of the will. This personal integration is the foundation upon which spiritual life builds.
  2. Interface with the Soul Spark – At this stage, the personality becomes aware of the Soul Spark in the Subtle Realm. Aspirants attempt to commune with the Soul Spark through inducing trances, taking psychedelic drugs, or opening themselves to spirit possession. Later in this stage, their personality may be led to engage in occult practices designed to magically control the world and to dominate others.
  3. Discovery of the natural man or woman – As the Soul awakens through the Biophysical Universe, aspirants discover they are part of Nature, and seek to harmonize themselves with the natural world. For some aspirants, this may take the form of becoming protectors or guardians of the earth.
  4. Activation of innate genius – As the Soul journeys through the Abstract Mind Plane, the personality learns to express the Soul’s gifts in the areas of Athletics, Science, Art, and Philosophy. It may learn modalities to work out issues in the Subconscious mind and begin to activate the Superconscious mind manifest its desires.
  5. Dawning of psychic abilities – As the Soul traverses the Psychic Realm, the personality may become the channel of the Soul’s psychic gifts, and receive intuitive messages from the Soul. This zone of the higher mind is subject to distortion and fantasy, so sometimes the material that the personality gleans from this interface with the content of this band of the mind is inaccurate and flawed.
  6. Emergence of wisdom – During its sojourn through the Wisdom Plane, the Soul reviews human experience and the choices the personality has made, and begins to correct these through the light of wisdom. The ability to understand others motivations and to forgive them emerges at this stage. The Soul corrects the beliefs and perceptions received during the psychic phase of development through discernment.
  7. Aspiration to righteousness and holiness – As the Soul enters the First Exoteric Initiation, the Moon Soul nucleus of identity becomes activated. The moral octave of will overshadows aspirants’ personalities, and they begin to reform their character. They develop virtues, attempt to live up to higher standards, and act in a way that is pleasing to God.
  8. Aspiration to enter the presence of God – During the Soul’s passage through the First Mesoteric Initiation, the character is further purified, and the personality becomes an instrument for unconditional love and compassion. This stage culminates with the activation of the form of the Saint, in which the Soul can bestow the Holy Spirit. The personality begins to become a channel for Grace and spiritual ministry.
  9. Aspiration to understand mystery and revelations – As the Soul crosses the First Esoteric Initiation, the personality may receive the downpour of symbolic knowledge. The intellect may become engaged in studying and decrypting the arcane knowledge of a Mystery School.
  10. Aspiration to empowerment – As the Soul undergoes the Second Initiation, the Solar Angel begins to operate, and the personality witnesses great power and inspiration coming forth from this inner fiery crucible. The personality may be imbued with great magnetism and charisma during this state of spiritual development.

As the Soul migrates onto the Plane of the New World Servers of the Third Initiation, it gains the ability to bring the personality under its control and directing through using its transpersonal will. At this stage, the Monad and an Initiate of the Planetary Hierarchy overshadow the Soul—when this occurs, the aspirant process is completed, and the Soul emerges as a Disciple on the Path. At his level of development and beyond, the Soul governs the personality and directs it to carry out its purpose and mission. The personality comes under the aegis of the Divine Will and human life begins to enact the Soul’s mission.