Wednesday, 7 October 2015

Are the Masters Demons?

You might think it odd for me to include a question like this here but I do so because it expresses a legitimate concern. Essentially it points to the difference between the psychic and the spiritual which is a difference not sufficiently appreciated in our day when anything that is not material is often regarded as spiritual, taking that word to mean intrinsically good as opposed to just non-physical. But traditionally it was understood that there are many beings in the spiritual world which comprises a vast range of different types ranging from the very high to the very low. Anyone contacted by one of these beings was expected to exercise prudence and discrimination.

Q. "I'm a Christian and, according to my beliefs, most of the beings contacted by spiritualistic methods are actually demons whatever they may pretend to be. I must admit that your Masters don't seem to fall into this category but can you say anything to alleviate my concerns? I know that the fallen spiritual powers can be very deceptive and can even appear, as we are taught, as angels of light."

A. It may surprise you to hear that I actually have a lot of sympathy with your attitude which is by no means as alarmist as some people might think. I share your belief that some of the spirits that communicate through channeling or by other means are what you call demons, and are seeking to lead genuine seekers astray, whether that be in order to absorb energy from them or to sully spiritual truth by mixing it with enough falsehood to poison the well. Of course, not all are 'demons', the majority being simply discarnate spirits of varying levels of insight and understanding just as exist in this world, but some assuredly are though what a demon might actually be is open to discussion. When I asked the Masters about that they simply said that they were 'erring souls'. However I think that we can reasonably speculate, given religious tradition and the frankly mad state of much of the world today, that there are forces of division and deceit, spiritual powers of darkness to use a term that may sound melodramatic but which is literally accurate, that work against the upliftment and enlightenment of the world. And, yes, they can certainly present themselves as wise and benevolent beings dedicated to truth.

For, at the moment, there is an all out assault on humanity's understanding of the spiritual. This manifests itself as the stimulating of atheism and materialistic science (science is not, of course, anti-spiritual in itself), together with increasing reliance on machine technology, on the one hand, and the corruption of religion and distortion of spirituality on the other. There is also a gradual falling away from traditional morality, with its sense of responsibility and obligation to a higher power, and encouragement of attachment to the senses, the self and the independent, thinking mind. All potential points of weakness are targeted by these fallen spiritual powers which have as their ultimate agenda the separating of man from God. I appreciate this sounds like nothing so much as an occult conspiracy theory, but I consider the Christian view that Earth is a battleground for the souls of men to be nothing less than the truth, unfashionable as such a belief might be today to the intellectually sophisticated but spiritually unawakened. If it is asked why this is permitted, the answer would be that it is only through exposure to danger that one can learn courage. Only through the struggle to know truth from falsehood can an individual actually become truth.

So, are the Masters demons? Well, of course, they are not, though naturally I would say that! However I don't believe that anyone who reads their words could possibly think so. I don't think you think so which is perhaps why you ask the question instead of just making the assumption that they are, based on your religious beliefs. Quite apart from the quality of their presence, something of which I hope comes through in the book, their constant emphasis on the need to acquire humility and love seems to me to be the approach to spirituality most consistent with the teachings of Christ. Indeed, the only spiritual figure from the past they mentioned was Christ, and they did not mention him or stress what he stressed simply to slip in other teachings that might cause one to wander off into sidetracks and end up in a marshy bog as some discarnate speakers certainly do, whether intentionally or not. Catholics might not be happy to hear them refer to Catholicism (like any outward form of religion) as good for souls on a certain level but we now need a new and higher understanding of life, but this reflected their attitude that the spiritual path is an inner path, though they would add that only those who have fully assimilated the lessons of the outer path are truly ready for the inner. By their fruits you will know them, and the fruits of the Masters' words can surely be seen to be truth and goodness. So, far from beings demons or the like, they are, using conventional Christian terminology, members of the company of saints in heaven.

There are many channeled teachings. As a Christian you will be aware of the instruction in the epistle of St John to 'try the spirits, whether they are of God'. This is sound advice. You try (or test) them with  your head and with your heart, and if they pass that test then you may give them your attention. Always remember, though, that no external being should ever replace the inner connection you have with your Creator.

Christianity in its essence is probably the purest expression of spiritual teaching yet to appear on this planet and, in the figure of Christ, it contains the highest representation of a spiritual being. But with its understandable desire to protect itself from lower influences, arising from the time when it was struggling to establish itself in a pagan world, it can sometimes reject other approaches to truth that are perfectly valid. One should always exercise discrimination with respect to anything purporting to come from the spiritual world, but to write off anything that is not specifically Christian as demonic is a mistake that can lead to narrowed vision and unnecessary fear. It is certainly both arrogant and foolish to say that we are entering a new age so can throw off the superstitions and restrictions of the past (the ego always wants spirituality on its own terms), but the ways of the past can always be supplemented by new understanding as long as you see that understanding, like Christ said of himself, as coming not to abolish but to fulfil the law and the prophets.


5 comments:

  1. I agree with a lot of your post but we've been agreeing on a lot so I'll comment on a disagreement. There are no literal demons. Demons are a hyperbolic name for lost souls. Lost souls in the next world have no power. This is true from western religion's scripture but also from near death experiences (which I admit is very shaky evidence) who report seeing lost souls in a paralyzed and moan-y state. The appearance of demons influencing from above has to do with the dangers of using psychic powers. In Baha'i scripture it is said to be dangerous to cultivate psychic powers, at least in this world. (I like in your post you point out there is a distinction between psychic and spiritual experience.) I strongly suspect demons aren't influencing people who say channel but rather the psychic is paying a consequence for using ability he or she wasn't meant to have yet. Like a 3 year old playing with a sharp knife.

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    1. I don't mind disagreements at all. One can learn a lot from them. However I do think that there are in the subtler worlds what the questioner here called demons. Whether they are human lost souls or corrupted angels, as many traditions say, (or both) is another matter. But my teachers did tell me that the more progress one made on the spiritual path the more one would be attacked by evil, and they made clear that this evil was not just some impersonal objectification of ego forces but actual beings. I have found that to be the case. What these beings might be I don't know but, if pressed, I would say that some are human lost souls and some are good old fashioned devils.
      Don't the Muslims say there are good and bad djinn?

      Regarding their power, I think that the only power they have is influencing us through our own points of weakness, the flames of which they can fan so to speak. So, yes, they have no real power and can only affect us to the degree that we let them.

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    2. I can agree with a lot of that but just not from literal standpoint. Baha'is don't believe in a literal evil. Evil is just the absence of good. Now I think its okay to say something is evil relative to some other thing. But I don't usually think in those terms. But there is a verse in Baha'i scripture that says roughly ~if a man where to disclose a certain truth, he would be crucified by everyone else~. Everyone has a "demon" inside them and if you purify your own demon, other people's demons will come after you because most won't understand you. People attack what they don't understand. So yes actual beings, people, will come after you more and more if you become more spiritual. I guess I just don't believe in the afterlife having any demons or devils that can affect us at all. Many, many near death experiencers at the time of their death assume their spiritual body and want so much to comfort their loved ones and tell them "Don't be sad" but they give up because they realize they have no voice on this earthly plane. If God allowed that, this life would no longer be the test to discern the spiritual from the foolish. God must also forbid the "demons and devils" in the spiritual world from communicating with us.

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    3. I forgot to add, all we have to worry about is the demons on this earthly plane...

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    4. I would say that evil is more the absence of God (or comes from that) than the absence of good. It has no reality in itself, of course, but does have the ability to pervert reality and destroy or deconstruct, much of which it is doing nowadays. So I do believe that there are actual dark forces, for want of a better phrase, rebels against God and the good, that are seeking to undermine spiritual truth. These are disembodied beings but they also work through individuals in this world who are open to their suggestion, probably because they share similar failings of pride, egotism, hatred of God and so on.

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