FIND
A GENUINE TEACHER
WHEN
a person is prepared to make whatever effort is needed to gain
in spiritual understanding, the first decision to be made is the
choice of the right teacher - the subject of channeling, however,
is misunderstood by most people, and presents one of the greatest
obstacles to the Great White Brotherhood in bringing in the New
Golden Age for this planet. (For a more detailed discussion, including
the criteria the Masters gave for recognising a true messenger,
read Man, His Origin, History and Destiny (Bridge to Freedom Publications),
available at www.theascensiontimes.com.
To distinguish between different presentations of Ascended Master
Teaching is a difficult task, usually taken much too lightly by
seekers of truth. Numerous so-called channels, star-commanders,
authors of books, messengers, and spirit guides appear, clamoring
for the attention of students, all offering "the very latest".
They often challenge the student with: "Do you wish to be left
behind?" It has been estimated that, on a world-wide basis, there
are now thousands of individuals alleging to be channels of Ascended
Masters. Not only does one have to learn to distinguish truth
from among the many sources, but also from the voices of our four
lower bodies (physical, mental, emotional and etheric), all of
which have intelligence. Master Kuthumi, commenting on the problem
of selecting the right teacher, said that he realises it is difficult
to discriminate. "but that is one of the reasons you came to embody
on Earth, to learn discrimination" .
El
Morya suggested that students: "Test ... every activity in which
you place your faith and that to which you give the power of your
attention, before you are led into unhappy experiences which can
result from blindly accepting, as truth, that which is presented
to you from the seen, as well as the unseen." This includes paying
attention to the characteristics of a true channel, as given by
the Ascended Masters and comparing those with other channels.
"People are very hungry for spiritual teaching," the Dalai Lama
said in an interview. "But there are many unqualified individuals,
charlatans with financial and power motivations, who are not very
spiritual. First, I always tell seekers of religion not to be
too hasty. Examine the teacher well. You can get the teaching
without taking on the person as a guru. Learn as much as you can
and make sure the person is authentic and reliable. There have
been cases where persons, not really known in Nepal or India,
came to the West, and suddenly they have become great teachers."
