TOPICS: The retreat of the fifth ray – Only one truth? – Differentiation does not have to lead to conflict – No angry god in the sky – The ultimate truth is oneness – Truth is beyond words – The turning point – The real purpose of a teaching – True spiritual teachers – The psycho-spiritual crisis –

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Ascended Master Hilarion, November 26, 2011 through Kim Michaels. This dictation was given at an event in Sneek, Holland.

As the chohan of the fifth ray, I, Hilarion, come to build upon the foundation set by my brother, Serapis. Truly, what he explained about the experience in the retreat of the fourth ray, is that students must come to a point, where there is something they value higher than the continued struggle to convince others that their way is right.

What, then, is that unifying element? It is when students on the fourth ray first of all come to realize that harmony, cooperation, is more important than being right, than being proven right. But it is also when they begin to realize, that passing the initiations of the fourth ray means that you become ready for the initiations of the fifth ray. And of course, the fifth ray has traditionally been seen as the ray of truth.

So, as they begin to see the need to go beyond the merry-go-round of the continuous struggle to prove yourself right or prove others wrong, some students begin to see, that it is more important for them to find a higher truth than the truth they have seen so far. And when you then are ready to pass the initiations, or to take the initiations, on the fifth ray, then you have to deal exactly with the question that we asked you to discuss earlier, namely “What is truth?”

The retreat of the fifth ray

And so, in the retreat of the fifth ray, that I oversee, we have a similar arrangement – as for that matter, by now, you should begin to realize you find in the retreat for every one of the seven rays – as Serapis Bey described. We have the arrangement where people are put into groups, where they then have to deal with this question: “What is truth, who has the truth, who has the higher truth, who is right, who is wrong, what is true, what is false?”

And so, what can happen in some of these groups, again, is that we always seek to put people together who have opposite views, or who have strong views of truth, a strong attachment to truth. And this then, again, creates the potential for conflict, but we are, of course, not seeking to create conflict. For we are not creating conflict by putting people together. What are we then doing? We are making the conflict visible, that has so far been hidden to the people themselves. For they have not seen the conflict in their own minds, in their own subconscious minds.

And so, when they are put together with other people, who also have unseen conflicts in their minds, then they tend to clash, and that then makes the subconscious conflicts visible at the conscious level. This does not necessarily mean, that you become conscious of the conflict or the cause of the conflict, but at least you cannot deny the effect of the conflict, namely that you cannot come into agreement with others.

And so you, again, of course see the parallel in the spiritual world on earth, where so many spiritual and religious people – even scientists and materialists – are engaged in this age-old question: “What is truth, what is the highest truth, who has the truth, who is right?”

Only one truth?

And so, of course, the first step to take is to deal with the concept: “Is there only one truth?” And there are indeed many students who come to my retreat, having for many lifetimes grown up in environments, where they firmly believed there had to be only one truth. Either the earth is flat or it is round, either the moon is made of green cheese or it is not.

This, however, is a product of the material world and the world of form. Do you not see, my beloved, that there is a fundamental principle in the world of form? Contrast the world of form with the formless. In the formless, there is nothing to differentiate, for differentiation is a product of form, as we indeed might say that form is a product of differentiation.

Where that which is one creates a differentiation in its mind, and this differentiation in the mind is then materialized as a distinct form, that is set apart from other forms. So, a form must have a distinct shape that sets it apart from other forms. A circle is round; a square is square; a line is flat. There can be no other way; you cannot have a geometric shape that is both round and square at the same time; it makes no sense.

Differentiation creates the necessity to differentiate, to choose, to say that something is “this” and therefore not “that.” Yet even in the spiritual realm, where there is no ego, no duality, there is still differentiation. So why are we not fighting amongst ourselves, we the seven chohans, about whose ray is truth, whose ray is superior, whose ray is right?

Because we do not make the critical mistake that most people on earth make. You see, we realize that it is quite possible to have differentiation without having to apply the evaluation of whether something is true or false. Is a circle more true than a square? No; it is just different.

You see, there are indeed many aspects of life, where you do not apply this value judgment, this either-or, where something is either right or wrong. Do you see the difference? Something is either a square or a circle, something is either right or wrong. Many people think it is the same thing; they think that if two religions are different, then only one of them can be right.

Differentiation does not have to lead to conflict

And this is the first challenge that students face in my retreat. They have to overcome this age-old tendency to think, that something must be true or it must be false, to think that there is only one truth, one superior truth. But in reality, you can only overcome this illusion by realizing, that the value judgment springs from the level of duality, the consciousness of separation, the consciousness that we call the ego.

For now you are using differentiation to set yourself apart from the whole, rather than using differentiation as different ways to express the whole, and as different ways, different expressions, that magnify the All. Do you see, that when you are not blinded by duality, you see that it was the one formless God that expressed itself as the differentiated forms? But you also see that all of the many differentiated forms and beings form a larger whole.

This is not the same as the formless, because there is differentiation, but there is still a wholeness, a oneness. The whole is more than the sum of the parts, because it is not made of only the parts. It is also made of the one formless God, that is imparted in every part. And so, when you have this vision, you realize that differentiation does not have to lead to conflict, and will not lead to conflict, when you do not see this through the dualistic glasses.

So you realize, that it is quite possible, that many individual lifestreams can each have a unique individuality, and they can grow and expand that individuality without being in conflict with each other, without limiting each other, without having to compete with the other. So that some people, as you see on earth, have set themselves up in dominant positions, where they can express their individuality almost without any responsibility, because they have managed to suppress the individuality of all those beneath them in this earthly hierarchy.

This, of course, does not exist in the spiritual realm. We do indeed have a hierarchy, but we do not see, that those of us who are at a certain level of hierarchy are being limited or restricted by those above us. On the contrary, because in the spiritual realm the flow of energy does not go from the lower to the higher, whereas on earth you see that it is the people at the lower level of the pyramid who are doing the hard work and those at higher levels who are reaping the benefits of their labor.

So you see, the flow is from the lower to the higher and the higher take advantage of this. In the spiritual realm it is exactly the opposite. Those at the top of the pyramid are the ones who are like the suns, who always giving, always passing on to those below them. And that, then, gives those below the ability, the driving force, to express their individuality in greater and greater measure.

No angry god in the sky

So we do not have this sense, that we are limited or restricted by those above us, we do not have the sense of the angry god in the sky, who wants us to follow his will—or he will send us to hell. On the contrary, we experience the infinitely loving God, who is constantly radiating its own Being and Light to us. And this is what we then take and express through the facets of the diamond of our individuality, that we have polished and made unique over a long time—if we can talk about time in the spiritual realm.

And so, we then see that God is the ultimate servant, for he who is greatest is truly serving the All. There is only one desire in God: to raise up all extensions of itself. Yet of course, God desires this to happen through free will. So when you realize this, you realize that differentiation actually has one purpose only, and that is to give the individual lifestreams an environment in which to expand their self-awareness, until they reach the level of the Creator, where they do not define themselves based on differentiation.

And when you begin to realize this, you realize, that the material universe has only one purpose: to facilitate your growth in self-awareness. And therefore, you can begin to grasp – at least some of the students on the fifth ray eventually begin to grasp – that the question “What is truth?” is actually a meaningless question.

The ultimate truth is oneness

For it is not a matter of finding an ultimate truth—and once you have found that ultimate truth, you are guaranteed to go to heaven. How do you actually go to heaven? Well, as Serapis pointed out: by entering the ascension spiral, which is a spiral, where you are constantly accelerating yourself by transcending your current state. So if you think that you have found an ultimate truth – whether it be in Christianity, Buddhism, Islam or an ascended master teaching – then you are not accelerating.

For now you are using the outer teaching to create a framework, a mental box, or a weapon to use against others in the egoic desire to raise yourself up in comparison to others. “Truth” has so often on earth been used as a weapon to justify aggression against others. Yet, you will not get beyond the kindergarten stage on the fifth ray, until you completely let go of this tendency to use “truth” to put others down.

For what is ultimate truth? It is that all life is one and that God the Creator wants all life to grow, and transcend, and come back into oneness. And so, if you are trapped in the idea, that there is a truth that can be defined on earth and that can be set apart from all other truths, so to speak, then you are trapped in the belief that truth is relative. You have taken one relative truth and elevated it to the status of being absolute. Yet the absolute truth is, of course, the Spirit of God. The absolute truth is the wholeness of the entire world of differentiation. And so, to take one part and impart it with absolute value is a fundamental misunderstanding of the very nature of the differentiated world.

It can only spring from ego, it can only spring from separation; there simply is no other explanation, regardless of the fact that people will come up with seeming explanations or justifications.

Truth is beyond words

For another thing you must realize on the fifth ray – in order to get out of these initial groups, that are the kindergarten stage – is that ultimate truth cannot be expressed in words. Because words have different meanings, and thus you can always twist and turn the words to justify anything that you want to justify. And this is precisely the initiation that is illustrated in the story of the serpent and Eve. Where the serpent presents her with the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. This is, of course, as we have said before, the relative knowledge of two dualistic polarities, that can only exist in relation to each other.

Truth is only truth – relatively speaking – when it is contrasted with error or lie. And that is why – when you are trapped at this level of looking for the ultimate truth, and thinking you have found an ultimate truth on earth – then you will so easily be tempted to use it to judge other people, and to try to either control them, or if they will not be controlled, try to punish and destroy them.

This is a pattern that you see repeated so many times throughout the world. Look at how religious organizations, such as Christianity and Islam, have fought wars over this. Look at how two fragments of Christianity, the Catholic and the Protestant fragments, fought wars over this issue. Look at how communism set itself up as having the ultimate truth, and again was warring with everyone, was willing to kill millions of people in order to establish their truth as the dominant one.

You see, my beloved, there is absolute truth and there is dominant truth. If you think that while you are still in embodiment on earth, you have found an absolute truth, that can be defined as a system in this world, you are demonstrating that you have not grasped the reality of absolute truth. Thus, you are not really on a quest for absolute truth; you on a quest for a dominant truth, that you can use to domineer others. And this is, indeed, the power struggle you see in so many religious movements, and in political movements, and even in the movement of materialism.

You will not get beyond the kindergarten stage in the fifth ray retreat, until you see the futility of seeking to use a relative truth as a weapon against others. And you see this when you tune in to the fact, that absolute truth is beyond words, and that the absolute truth is that all life is one and that God wants to raise up all.

You cannot then believe in the lie, that you can do God’s work by putting down another part of life. You know that you are only doing God’s work, when you are seeking to raise up the whole. And therefore, you might very well challenge other people, but you do not seek to put them down. For you realize, that then you are putting down the whole and that is also your self, your greater self.

The turning point

So then, there comes a point in the process that I take students through in the fifth ray retreat, where they realize the futility of this power struggle for what is the ultimate truth. And then they say to me: “Hilarion, we see this; we see how people have struggled for ages, we see that the ultimate truth must be beyond this earthly level of what can be expressed in words, but now what do we do?”

And the method I give them is always the same. For a time, you have abandon the very concept of truth. Take note, I am not saying you have to abandon truth. But you have to abandon the concept, that there is a truth that is contrasted with error.

And in the beginning, this is often extremely confusing to students, because for so long they have actually seen how they have raised themselves up through the first four rays by always reaching for a truth. And they thought, that the process of reaching for a higher and higher understanding would eventually lead them to this ultimate truth. But now I am telling them: Abandon the idea that there is an ultimate truth.

And after their initial confusion, and sometimes even objections, they come to this point, where they say: “Okay, I do not agree with this master. I do not understand what he is saying. But I sense that he has something I do not have. After all, he is ascended and I am not. So is there something to what he is saying. What if I did for a moment allow my mind to be completely free from this concept, that I have to evaluate every idea based on whether it is true or false? What if I just let my mind relax and float for a minute, and see what happens?”

And at that point, the students can then step out of the consciousness that wants to reduce truth to a dualistic system, with a contrast between true and false. And then, they can experience the Spirit of Truth. And when they experience this, they suddenly see: “Ahh, there is a truth, there is an ultimate truth, but it is completely beyond form, beyond differentiation.”

And then, they can see what I spoke about earlier: that it is not necessary to look at differentiation and apply a value judgment that this is true and everything that is different is false. For they see, that the purpose of the world of form is to raise up the whole. And thus, every so-called truth that is expressed on earth has the potential to raise people higher.

Even if a teaching is deliberately formulated by beings who seek to deceive humankind, even such a teaching can be used by students to raise themselves higher—when they see through the falsity of the ideas and concepts, when they see that these ideas do not spring from oneness but spring from separation.

The real purpose of a teaching

And thus, again, students then begin to take a more realistic – a more pragmatic, one might say – view of truth, where they realize, that the purpose of any teaching, of any thought system, really is to help people transcend their level of consciousness. And how do you transcend your level of consciousness?

You do so by taking the way that Serapis described, where you have a circular movement, which you give a specific direction, so you turn the circular momentum into an upward spiral. And so, what is the purpose of a thought system, such as a religion or a spiritual teaching? It is to enable people to create a momentum, so that they are indeed moving. They are not just sitting there indifferently, thinking they can know nothing.

They are moving, but the problem is that as long as they are moving within the system, it is a circular movement. But once they begin to understand this, and realize that the true value of any teaching expressed in words can only be realized when you transcend the words, then suddenly there is an upward thrust. And now, the circular momentum is turned into a spiral, and it propels them forward with great speed.

In fact, as Jesus said, “I wish you were either hot or cold,” because those who are hot or cold have a momentum, have a drive. It may be directed in the wrong direction, but they are moving. And so, if they can suddenly break through and see the need to go higher, to transcend the outer teaching, then their zeal can indeed be turned into a forward movement.

But of course, it is also valid to have the stand of seeking for the middle way, where you may not be zealous, where you may not be emotional, but you are still moving very much so, because you are always striving to transcend your present level and see with the pure mind, see with “beginners mind,” see with naked awareness.

True spiritual teachers

And so, this is when students on the fifth ray begin to pass the initiation. And they begin to see, that it is really pointless to seek to establish one superior truth or religion on earth. The real spiritual teachers are the ones who seek to help people see, that you do not grow by following a system. You grow by transcending the system, by using the system as a way to stimulate your mind, so that you go beyond the outer words.

And then, suddenly, you glimpse a hem of God’s garment. You experience the Spirit of Truth, that is both beyond differentiation, but that is also present everywhere in any differentiated form. That is, then, when you realize an eternal principle: The ultimate goal is oneness.

You cannot come into oneness by running away from some “thing.” You may think there is a devil, who will take you to hell. But if your religious or spiritual quest is driven by the desire to run away from the devil, then you will not run towards God—in the formless sense. You will run towards a false god; the image of god that is the opposite polarity of the devil.

And thus, when you realize that you are no longer running away, for there is no need to run away from anything, but instead you are running towards oneness, then you have shifted your momentum. And now, you are going in the right direction.

Of course, this is not to say, that you can keep running towards oneness. For there comes a higher point, where you need to realize that you can never catch up to oneness. For how can you run towards something that is everywhere present? But that is an initiation, that students cannot pass on the fifth ray, and that they only pass on the higher rays, in the retreats of those rays.

The psycho-spiritual crisis

And so, indeed, my purpose here is to show you the way to pass the initiation of the fifth ray. But I say this not only for yourselves. I express this also, and I anchor a flame and a light here, for this is also what needs to be understood in western society—if western society is to do what Serapis Bey described, of reaching for that higher level. You need to simply get beyond the dysfunctional approach, that there must be some higher truth, so that you are always coming across that you are trying to solve a problem by getting everyone to accept this higher truth.

But you also need to go beyond the approach that you see so much here in the Netherlands, of saying either that there is no higher truth or that in government affairs, we must shut out this quest for a religious truth, or some ideological truth, and be completely pragmatic. You must find that middle way, where you realize that you need to strive for acceleration.

And thus, it is not a matter of looking for some religious truth, but it is a matter of looking for certain universal, natural principles, that help people transcend their current state of consciousness, that help people turn their lives into a forward progression, an upward spiral that has a goal and a direction. And that has an understanding of how to move step-by-step, rung-by-rung on the spiral staircase towards that goal. So that people do not live their whole lives without any sense of purpose, and therefore naturally cannot overcome the psychological problems, such as depression and whatever flows from that sense of worthlessness.

Because how can you fail to feel worthless, when you sense that there is no purpose in your life and that nothing really matters? Of course you will feel worthless, if this is what you believe and what you were brought up to believe. So a modern society, an enlightened society, cannot bring its children up with this mindset. They must offer them an alternative that transcends traditional religion, transcends political ideologies, transcends materialism, but finds this universal way to show the forward progression of life—and the practical methods for realizing this.

This is the challenge that the West is facing, or rather not facing, right now, but which they need to face in order to transcend, not only the current financial crisis. For I tell you, that the biggest crisis in the western nations is not the financial crisis. The biggest crisis in the western nations is the psycho-spiritual crisis. And even when the financial crisis is long forgotten, the psycho-spiritual crisis will still be there. And it will remain and only get worse, until there occurs a shift in the way we approach the question—not “What is truth?’ but what is the “I,” what is a human being, what am I?

Am I just a material being, am I just a sinner, or am I more? Do I have the potential to be more? Does our society have the potential to be more than the modern welfare state, that thinks it can throw money at any social and spiritual and psychological problem—and then it is supposed to be solved. Because they think that psychological problems are like mechanical problems. If you have a problem with an engine, you find the part that is the problem and you replace that part. But that is not how the psychology functions.

For the psychology of an individual cannot be broken into parts. For it is a whole—that is the very definition of an individual being. It is a whole, and if you think you can break that individual being into parts, then you cannot heal the whole. You cannot heal the hole by fixing a part or by cutting out a part. You can heal the whole only by accelerating the whole to a new level.

That is the universal principle of the fifth ray, which is why we have also called the fifth ray the ray of wholeness. Because this is when you then – when you free your mind from the quest to strive for a truth that is based on differentiation – then your mind is free to grasp the wholeness behind the conflicts, the dualistic opposites that you saw previously, and that you thought was all there was. And therefore, instead of being engaged in a quest for truth, you were engaged in a quest to raise one relative truth as being superior to others. Therefore, trying to make a relative truth absolute, rather than transcending the mindset that sees relative truth, and then discovering truth as a whole that has no opposite. For it sees the whole and is based on raising the whole.

That, then, is my delivery; that is the light I have anchored; that is the fohat that has gone out, so that the words are driven by the light, that will drive them into the collective consciousness, where it will penetrate the barriers that individuals and society have set up around their minds, in order to be able to reject this truth.

Well, I, Hilarion, am exercising my right as the Chohan of the Fifth Ray, and the representative of all of the hierarchs of the fifth ray, to radiate my light through the physical vehicles of all of you.

And therefore, I say: “What is truth?”
“I am truth!”

And you are truth—if you discover who the I AM in you is. So discover that “I AM,” and discover that the I AM in you is part of the whole of the I AM, the greater I AM. And therefore, when you know this, you seek to raise up every part of the whole, for that is the only way to raise the whole. And raising the whole is the only way to raise any part. You do not raise yourself as an individual part, as a separate part. You can only raise yourself by raising the whole, by being the servant of all.

THIS IS TRUTH—as far as truth can be expressed in words. Deny it if you will, argue with it if you will, for you have free will to tie yourself on the merry-go-round of seeking to raise one relative truth to the status of being absolute.

It will never work, until you realize that your zeal can be turned into the upward spiral, when you give up the quest to establish one truth, one expressed truth, as superior.

Truth I AM. For I, Hilarion, have come into oneness with Christ, and thus I too am the way, the truth and the life. It is finished.