By George A. Boyd © 2019
Q: I saw a movie about a great Buddhist saint, the Dalai Lama. Do all genuine spiritual Masters also function as saints?
A: Not necessarily. There are seven major spiritual expressions of Initiates: Masters may function in one or more of these types—they do not always function as a saint. These expressions are briefly described below.
- Saint – A Saint is involved in service and charity to others. He or she is involved in the affairs of humanity, and has a public face through which he or she interfaces with the world. The attributes of a saint are service to humanity, compassion, love, and practice of virtues in human life. In the Mudrashram® system of Integral meditation, this expression of an Initiate corresponds to living your Soul’s realized truths in daily life, which we call Dharma Yoga.
- Siddha – A Siddha uses meditation to gain spiritual powers. His or her meditations may involve transforming a nucleus of identity or an ensouling entity with an aim to activate supernormal powers (siddhis), to contact selected gods or goddesses, or to ascend to the throne of Mastery. Many Siddhas engage in secret or esoteric practices. Some Siddhas withdraw from the world to do their meditation. Siddhas may use methods derived from Mantra Yoga, Kundalini Yoga, Kriya Yoga, or so-called Tantric practices to bring about inner transformation and to awaken the powers over Nature and Consciousness. In the Mudrashram® system of Integral meditation, this expression of an Initiate corresponds the work of awakening awareness to gain realization of the Soul (Kundalini Yoga) and unfolding the Soul through transformational (bija) mantra (Mantra Yoga).
- Savior – A Savior leads the spirit to salvation, which occurs when the spirit has purified the stored karma that fills the channels of the Nada to the point where it opens into the origin of the spirit. Development of the spirit enhances purity, love of humanity, and devotion for God. In the Mudrashram® system of Integral meditation, this expression of an Initiate corresponds to the practices of opening the channels of the Nada and freeing the spirit (Nada Yoga).
- Sage – A Sage develops highest insight, illumination, and enlightenment through meditation. At the highest stages of development along this Path, the Sage becomes capable of transmitting his or her illumination to others through teaching and attunement. In the Mudrashram® system of Integral meditation, this expression of an Initiate corresponds to progressive construction of the bridge of intuitive knowledge that culminates in Gnosis, which we call Jnana Yoga.
- Thaumaturge – A Thaumaturge gains the ability to translate the Soul and its vehicles of consciousness, effectively unfolding the Soul along its track. This is variously known as the power of Shaktipat, the ability to grant Initiation, or to bestow the Light Fire of God. In the Mudrashram® system of Integral meditation, this expression of an Initiate corresponds the ability to make attunements (Agni Yoga) and bring about balanced spiritual development (Guru Kripa Yoga).
- Bodhisattva or Lineage Holder – This being, who renounces entering final liberation to serve others, is called a Bodhisattva. He or she may serve in one of the Octaves of the Hierarchy of Light or as a lineage holder in a Supracosmic or Transcendental Path. The Bodhisattva engages in regular ministry to the spiritual essences of humanity.
- Avatar or Divine Incarnation – He or she may incarnate the Divine in human life, or may anchor a new teaching for humanity in the Aethers of the Superconscious mind. The Avatar may function as the World Teacher in the Octaves of the Planetary Hierarchy, or may found a new lineage.
Most Initiates operate through one or more of these expressions. For example:
The Dalai Lama operates as a Saint (1); imparts secret teachings to develop powers (2); is a Sage promoting enlightenment, (3); and is established as the lineage holder for one of the Buddhist Paths (6).
Avatar Meher Baba functioned as a Saint (1); a Savior (3), opening the Path of the spirit on the third Transcendental Path; and an Avatar (7).
My first spiritual teacher, Maha Genii Turriziani, was a Thaumaturge (5); and Bodhisattva, functioning as an Office Holder in the Cosmic Hierarchy (6).
My second teacher, Sat Guru Balyogeshwar, was a Savior (3) imparting the methods to unfold the spirit on the seventh Transcendental Path; and a Sage (4), who taught others to realize Satchitananda, the ensouling entity of the seventh Transcendental Path: and a lineage holder of the seventh Transcendental Path (6)
My third teacher, Sant Darshan Singh, was both a Saint (1); and a Savior (3), who opened the Nadamic channels on the second Transcendental Path; and a lineage holder of the second Transcendental Path (6).
For more information about my spiritual teachers and my experiences with them, see the article, “My Spiritual Journey.”
In Mudrashram®, we teach methods that will enable you to develop aspects of expressions 1 to 5. You learn these techniques in our intermediate courses, the in-person Mudrashram® Master Course in Meditation and the by-mail and online Accelerated Meditation Program.
The Multiplane Masters of the Mudrashram® lineage primarily operate simultaneously as Saviors, Sages, and Thaumaturges. Several of these teachers also have forms in different Octaves of the Hierarchy of Light; all teachers of the Mudrashram® tradition appear in our lineage at the entrance to the highest Plane of the Bridge Path, Adi Sat Guru Desh.
We encourage you to become familiar these different expressions of Initiates, and learn to recognize these aspects in action. You will value from determining which of these expressions seems matched to your own spiritual development—this will enable you to identify techniques that will help you bring that aspect of your nature into full fruition.
