Saint | Mudrashram® Institute of Spiritual Studies

Q: Does the conscience evolve? Are there core expressions of the conscience?

A: We see the full expression of the conscience in the following roles:

1st Ray – The Prophet manifests on this Ray, as the one who speaks the Word of Power as God inspires. The archetype for this expression is the Fire atop the Mountain that is the presence of the Divine.

2nd Ray – The Psychologist or Therapist adopts this posture, and seeks to bring about psychological wholeness. The archetype for this expression is the Soul at the core of the psyche.

3rd Ray – The Social Reformer aims to change others’ behavior so they live in a way he or she believes is best, through enacting rules, policies, and laws, and enforcing those laws. He or she seeks to compel others to follow the rules, using rewards for compliance and punishments for non-compliance. The archetype for this expression is the Horned God, the Lord of Matter.

4th Ray – The Saint exemplifies holy virtues and lives love and service. The archetype for this expression is the Christ, the fourfold image of the whole Self.

5th Ray – The Law Giver views the ancestry and phylogeny of human beings going back to the origin of life, and views the entire content of the ancestral unconscious. He or she brings moral rules to humanity based on their state of spiritual evolution. The archetype for this expression is the Manu, the guardian of the potentials of the human race.

6th Ray – The Devotee follows scriptural guidelines scrupulously, and attempts to be a perfect role model. The Devotee conscience style may be found as the good son or daughter, the exemplary student, the model employee, or the impeccable soldier. The archetype for this expression is the Crucified One.

7th Ray – The Theocrat attempts to impose his or her religious doctrine and morality on the entire society, demanding obedience. Those that do not comply may be threatened with excommunication, inquisition, torture, or execution. The archetype for this expression is Kal, the Dark Lord.

Most people do not reach these depths of development of the conscience. Instead, what you will see is character style.

The Prophet character style gives commands and expects obedience. He believes he is always right, and does not handle criticism well.
The Therapist character style is empathic, listens, and considerate. She may attempt to analyze your behavior and give you feedback on how it impacts her.
The Social Reformer character type tries to change the world. He may be involved in politics or advocacy for his chosen causes.
The Saint character style is self-effacing, modest, and humble. She finds things to be grateful for, to appreciate. She treats others with love and kindness.
The Law Giver character style is highly aware of the language, non-verbal signals, and culture of others and attempts to enter their frame of reference to reach them and communicate to them in a way they can understand.
The Devotee character style holds her self to the highest standards. She may be self-critical, perfectionistic, and seeks to please others. She may deny herself and neglect her own needs to be a role model of the behavior that is held out to her as ideal.
The Theocrat character style seeks to impose his religious or political values on others. He may be intolerant of views other than his own. He may seek to convert of others to share his beliefs and values through preaching or arguments.

It is sometimes hard to determine what character style a person embodies, as there are overlapping characteristics. For example, 1st Ray, 3rd Ray, and 7th Ray types may seek to force their viewpoints and values on others. Both the 4th Ray and the 6th Ray types may wish to be good and virtuous. Both the 2nd and 5th Ray types are empathic and work to understand others.

As you study these character styles in yourself, you may find that there are strengths that this type embodies, as well as some negative characteristics. You may wish to identify and strengthen the positive qualities this character style embodies through practicing that trait; and lessen the negative characteristics through choosing to not express them.

We do a lot of comparisons in our writing between the Seven Rays. We have an introductory section on the Seven Rays in our book, A Mudrashram® Reader: Understanding Integral Meditation. We recommend this book to those of you who want to have a resource that will help you understand the meditation types we introduce in Mudrashram® and many key meditation concepts.

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.

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Types of Spiritual Expression of Initiates