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The Esoteric Teaching is eternal; yet, it is beyond eternity. It is timeless. It is the fundamental root of all existence, yet in itself does not exist in the same sense as physical objects. You could say it is an illusion, yet it is the ultimate reality upon which all other realities are based. It is present everywhere and pervades everything, yet it cannot be seen or sensed. It is the abode of all possibilities, including the impossible. Ultimately it is a person; a person we call God. Actually, the Esoteric Teaching is the key to God’s inner life. Can anything be more significant than the Esoteric Teaching?

From time to time (if that means anything in the present context) in the vast unfathomable abyss beyond eternity, an emanation from the Supreme Personality of Godhead takes place. This is the external dimension of eternity, and it is the first creation of the material universes. Inside the material universes, of course, none of this is knowable. There is only unmanifest darkness. Then the Esoteric Teaching extends into the universe, filling it with the manifestation of light, life and activity. This is the secondary creation.

Along with the secondary creation, complete transcendental knowledge—the Absolute Truth—is injected into the material universe for the benefit of its inhabitants. This knowledge is passed down to the beings of that universe by the subsequent Self-revelation of the Esoteric Teaching. The Absolute Truth issues from the Esoteric Teaching in the form of a person and manifests in the material world. This person is born among the inhabitants of a planet—apparently in the ordinary way—but his consciousness is saturated with Absolute Truth, therefore he can see and manipulate the Esoteric Teaching. When he attains maturity, he remembers his purpose and begins to teach. He then becomes a Master Teacher, and the Esoteric Teaching expands into the material world through his person. As far as we are concerned, the Master Teacher is the Esoteric Circle.

When a Master awakens and starts an esoteric school, he typically attracts a handful of direct disciples. These are the beginning of the Mesoteric Circle of that particular esoteric school. Finally the disciples begin to teach a larger congregation, and the Exoteric Circle is born. The school may remain small and insignificant, or it may grow into a worldwide spiritual organization. Please note that this process describes the creation of every bona-fide religion and spiritual teaching in the world. Therefore, every religion comes from and is originally connected to the Esoteric Teaching.

However, each esoteric school has a lifetime fixed by the laws of manifestation. Like people, they are born, attain maturity and ultimately die. The school may thrive for a few years or a few centuries, but it inevitably becomes diluted, weakened, diseased or corrupted. Its esoteric and mesoteric functions then cease, leaving only an exoteric shell that keeps going on its built-in momentum. It may appear externally to be functional, but the esoteric heart of the school is missing. It has become an empty, mechanical shell. This is the common fate of all religions and esoteric schools. Therefore one must be careful to search for an esoteric school that is still alive—whose esoteric functions remain active. One such living, active esoteric school is the Esoteric Teaching, as discussed in my book Search for the Absolute Truth. And you can participate in this school by hearing this podcast on a regular basis.

When I was a young fellow, I had what I thought were very high spiritual goals: I wanted to know the Absolute Truth and be able to speak with God. For many years I searched for the hidden wisdom that would allow me to attain my goals, but beyond acquiring some external knowledge, I made very little progress.

Then by some great good fortune, I met my spiritual Master Teacher and became his disciple, and from that point everything became auspicious. Today I can happily say that I have attained the high spiritual goals I had as a young man—not only attained them, but far exceeded them.

I feel very fortunate and blessed. How many people in this life get to have such a rare experience? How many can say in the autumn of their life, that they have attained far, far more than they set out to achieve? So I am very satisfied.

This is all due to the mercy of my spiritual Master Teacher and the great wisdom contained in the Esoteric Teaching. The Esoteric Teaching is the ontological background that produces spiritual consciousness. Every spiritual path and religious teaching is based on it.

The Esoteric Teaching is also an independent entity, fully conscious and powerful, who alone can give the blessing of full spiritual realization. Our path then, is to take full shelter of the Supreme Personality of Godhead by means of the wisdom and practice of the Esoteric Teaching. This will really make us happy, for the fruit of the Esoteric Teaching is the object of all desires and the reservoir of all pleasure.

Next: Brotherhood of the Esoteric Teaching