“Life and Teaching of the Masters of the Far East”
By Baird T. Spalding
6 Volume set
DeVorss Publications, California

These wonderful books come as a 6 volume set and are a must for all those who truly want to try and understand how spiritual Mastership is attained. The first volume appeared in print in 1924 and begins with a factual expedition of the Far East that actually took place 1894. Baird T. Spalding was a respected archaeologist and became world famous as a teacher of metaphysics during the first half of the 20th Century, lecturing widely concerning his experiences in the Far East, in which he met many of the Masters of the human race. He was part of a research party of eleven people who visited the Far East during 1894 and the 6 volumes cover those experiences in depth including questions and answers and lecture excerpts. 

Mr. Spalding and his companions stayed with these Masters for three and a half years in the mountains of the Himalayas. The first three books deal specifically with those fascinating experiences and encounters in which the Masters demonstrated all of the faculties that one would associate with beings such as Jesus and Buddha. These Masters clearly demonstrate and state that all of us without exception can perform the wonders that they perform. Some of those events stated in the book may come across as incredible and hard to believe, but somehow, one finds it easy to accept these books as a true account, due in large part, I think, to Mr. Spalding’s adamantine stance that the amazing things he describes did actually take place. Perhaps we can lend more credence to these books because Baird T. Spalding was also in contact with great minds such as Albert Einstein, Nikola Tesla, Khalil Gibran and J. Krishnamurti. Mr. Spalding was also the technical advisor on the famous Cecil B. DeMille film “King of Kings” which depicted the life of Jesus the Christ.

In reading the books, I am constantly reminded of the famous legend of Shangri-La which some say has always existed somewhere amongst the remotest parts of the Himalayas in areas normally inaccessible to men. But more than this, the teachings in these books absolutely radiate with a pure light and wisdom that is hard to put into words, because they seem to have the ring of Truth that appeals to the aspiring human soul. No matter how stupendous the claims in these volumes, it always seems possible, somehow, that we can attain as all the great Masters have done.

What stands out so profoundly from these volumes is that these teachings are based on an actual expedition which did take place, and for the rest of Baird T. Spalding’s life he spent all of his time and energy passing on these teachings to others, so that all men and women everywhere might recognize their own inherent Divinity and express it without fear or shame.

I have been an avid reader of the ‘Bailey books’ as they are often called, for over twenty years and have read and re-read many of them. Alice Bailey (1880-1949) was a renowned esotericist who produced 24 books of esoteric and spiritual wisdom that were laid out as a series of instruction manuals for disciples of the modern day.

Whilst I do not ascribe ultimate truth to any of these books, and often find that they aren’t always very practical, they are most certainly fascinating to read and most empiric in their enormous scope. Alice Bailey was the telepathic channel for Djwhal Khul, a Master known as The Tibetan who is said to be the originator of the teachings in these books.

I think that we need not agree with every line that is written in the books yet still extract a great deal of knowledge and indeed, wisdom from them. One of the main things that I can see as a result of these books is that they have highlighted the need to establish a programme of spiritual education for disciples of all levels everywhere. Courses of instruction are given through The Arcane School, the teaching arm of the Lucis Trust, the organisation which is founded on the Bailey books. I was at one time a student of the Arcane School (for about two years in my early twenties) and although I cannot say that I derived much from it, it did make me feel less alone on the Spiritual Path which can be a very lonely one indeed.

You may find out more about Alice Bailey and her writings through the website of the Lucis Trust above. Please see my own appraisal of some of the titles listed as follows:

This is a marvellous and inspiring volume which offers great encouragement to the serious and earnest disciple who is taking a conscious role in his or her spiritual evolution. The book explains what initiation actually is and what it involves. We see that all creation is evolving towards a definite and positive goal, back towards the Godhead.

Let us understand clearly that the word “occult” used here is not to be confused with anything of a Satanic nature. This is one of those greatly misunderstood words which in essence really refers to that which is hidden or kept secret. Even in the medical field the term “occult blood” is a reference to blood which has been occluded from sight or hidden in some other way perhaps during surgery or some other medical procedure. Once we understand that this word need not have dark connotations we can use it more freely in its proper context.

Although I gleaned very little in regard to the practical techniques of meditation, this book does nevertheless hold much in relation to the theory and underlying philosophy of meditation and is worth reading for that reason alone. The goal of the book is to help the student to align him/herself spiritually as we progress towards the Christ within. It is a book which aims to guide the student to make use of the mind in a controlled and regulated way and to subdue the urges and promptings of the disorganised astral/emotional nature.

This is a most interesting book, being thought-provoking at many levels. We witness a basic symmetry in Nature which governs all types and grades of evolution; ultimately, it emerges that we are each and all ‘Gods in the making’. We see that every form of life, from the basic atom up to man, is a cell in the body of a greater being, and even the planets themselves, including the Earth world are but atoms revolving within a mighty cosmic consciousness.

There is no end to the scope of this subject, and this book sets us up very well for thinking about our ultimate evolution in a far more expansive way.

The incredible series of Edgar Cayce books have fascinated me for many years now and I hold them as being amongst the best in the field of metaphysical and spiritual literature. Edgar Cayce lived from 1877 to 1945 being born into a farming family in Kentucky in the United States. As a child he was brought up to be very religious and he studied the Bible every day for the rest of his life, reading it several times over. He found his school work difficult but discovered that he could know what a particular book contained by literally sleeping on the book by placing it under his pillow. In the morning he would be able to recite from the book precisely.

As time went on, he was able to enter a deep trance when lying down, and apparently asleep. From his mouth a resonant voice would emit and diagnose illnesses and offer prescriptions for them. Various people from many walks of life tried these remedies with enormous success and this led to Edgar Cayce becoming known as the Sleeping Prophet. A great many other messages came through him concerning subjects such as past-lives, relationships, God, Jesus, the nature of the Universe, Atlantis and Lemuria, besides many other fascinating and enlightening topics. I could elaborate much more concerning him but you can find an overwhelming amount of information concerning him on the Internet, but one of the best sources is the official Edgar Cayce website above which I recommend investigating.

It is my personal opinion that Edgar Cayce stands out as one of the best natural psychics ever seen in modern times with the additional plus that his work and teachings have such practical application. He was in fact more than a psychic (a term which I’m not altogether comfortable with myself as it doesn’t express the totality of metaphysical work) for he was not just an extraordinary clairvoyant, he was also a gifted seer or prophet as well as a medical intuitive. Currently, many thousands of people throughout America and the rest of the world are seriously studying his work and applying the teachings which were channelled through his ‘sleeping mediumship’ to their everyday lives. Please see my books reviews about some of the works concerning Edgar Cayce below.

“The Story of Edgar Cayce – There is a river…”
By Thomas Sugrue

If you want to know the details of Edgar Cayce’s life story, this is it. It is a fascinating and moving account of how a simple farm boy from Kentucky (who was raised with the traditional values of Christianity) struggled with his spiritual conscience to finally recognise the wondrous gifts which he exhibited and use them for the service of mankind.

Edgar Cayce – On Dreams
By Dr. Harmon H Bro
Edited by Hugh Lynn Cayce

This is a most wondrous book of Dream analysis and interpretation. It not only reveals the psychological and spiritual currents operating through various types of dream, but throws the light of a great philosophical wisdom onto dreams and the dream-nature. As always, Edgar Cayce’s Readings reveal a profound and authoritative interpretation of the human condition in which there is witnessed an ordered Universe which runs on immutable spiritual laws.

Edgar Cayce – On ESP
By Doris Agee
Edited By Hugh Lynn Cayce

I found this book to be a most excellent presentation of ESP and the workings of the subconscious in general. It reveals so many great truths and offers them to the reader in a sane and acceptable way that takes us out of the realm of the mysterious and into the realm of the natural. Our psychic gifts are then seen as a perfectly normal aspect of ourselves, albeit functioning at subconscious levels. Yet we see that we can bring the subconscious into the conscious with effort and a firm recognition of its reality. 

Edgar Cayce – On Healing
By Mary Ellen Carter & William A. McGarey
Edited by Hugh Lynn Cayce

This book is a very good account of Edgar Cayce’s remarkable ability to aid the recovery of so-called ‘hopeless’ cases. The medical commentaries by Dr. McGarey add great weight and authority to the efficacy of Edgar Cayce’s cures.

Edgar Cayce – On Mysteries of the Mind
By Henry Reed
Edited by Charles Thomas Cayce

This book is yet another excellent aid for the one who needs to explore their inner consciousness and utilise the faculties that lie within the mind which are waiting to be tapped and brought forth into manifestation.

Edgar Cayce – On Remembering your Past Lives
By Robert C. Smith
Edited by Charles Thomas Cayce

This book is one that shows you how to use various exercises to tap into the subconscious mind and discover the possible roots of your past lives. You will be able to truly study your inner nature in this book and know what moves you inwardly through the practices outlined, thereby discovering likely past-life connections. The study of dreams and meditation are recommended as modes of discovering residual past-life memories as well as other practices involving concentration and visualisation. To me, reincarnation is a proven fact, but whether you feel that you have proof of this dimension of our consciousness or not, this book is a most worthwhile tool which may indeed guide you safely to the threshold of genuine recollection of other lifetimes and thereby assist you in understanding this current life more fully.

Edgar Cayce – On Reincarnation
By Noel Langley
Edited by Hugh Lynn Cayce

This is one of the very best books on the subject of Reincarnation. Besides the evidential information from the Cayce Readings and the clear and precise logic exercised throughout the book, it elaborates on the historical suppression of Reincarnation.

The Christian Church bears a heavy burden of debt to the human race in its ignorance and denial of this Truth and will ultimately pay the price of the karmic implications inherent in this suppression. Reincarnation reveals to us a God of both Justice and Love in the highest degree and the understanding of this subject therefore gives us great hope for believing in a Universal Principle which is based on compassion, wisdom and love.

Peter Dawkins
www.peterdawkins.net

Dear readers, if you love Shakespeare and if you love Truth in all its forms, do please investigate The Francis Bacon Research Trust (FBRT) above. There has been a very long-standing controversy concerning the true authorship of the Shakespeare plays and a large number of scholars (many of them most eminent) have pointed towards Francis Bacon as being the true author of the plays citing many logical reasons for this. I have become convinced that their instincts are correct and that Francis Bacon truly did write the plays but for many reasons he chose to use a pseudonym to disguise his identity.

Sir Francis Bacon lived from 1561 to 1626 through the reigns of Elizabeth I and James I. His title was Viscount St. Alban and he became the Lord Chancellor of England. He was the originator of the English Renaissance and his purpose in life was to educate mankind in the mysteries of life so that they might evolve their spiritual consciousness. His approach was both scientific and alchemic and he was heavily involved therefore with Freemasonry and Rosicrucianism. He wrote an enormous number of philosophical works and even in childhood was known as a child genius of his time. He developed a method of learning known as the Great Instauration which was aimed at changing human consciousness.

The following books are produced by the FBRT and they are well worth the reading. Peter Dawkins is the author of the books listed here, sometimes in conjunction with other writers. I first heard Peter speak in England at The Seekers Trust, Maidstone, Kent, in about the year1981. He was joined by the distinguished historian and spiritual pioneer Sir George Trevelyan who co-authored the first of the FBRT Journals, The Pattern of Initiation. Thereafter, I was hooked after purchasing that particular book. I then often attended several of the FBRT meetings at Canonbury Tower in Islington, London, and over the years purchased more of Peter’s excellent books. The books are very deep in content, but I have read them all several times, each time getting more out of them. They truly form a firm basis for understanding Truth and the nature of this Universe in which we live, move and have our being.

To find out more about Sir George Trevelyan please peruse the website dedicated to him at www.sirgeorgetrevelyan.org.uk to read about his fascinating life. Other than hearing Sir George speak at The Seekers Trust with Peter Dawkins, I saw him at the Mind, Body and Spirit Exhibition in London around the early 1980’s. He was a humble man yet had a great presence of being and walked about the various stands that were on exhibition smiling at those of us engaged in working on the stands. (I was demonstrating healing along with other members of the National Federation of Spiritual Healers). Sir George sat at my table once but I was accompanied by someone else which proved to be a distraction and somehow the opportunity to talk with this great man slipped by. We were never introduced, and I was younger and less forthright in those days, and so to my regret I never conversed with him. However, Sir George remains one of those highly developed souls who paved the way for the emergence of modern spirituality in the Western world, encouraging many modalities of spiritual practice and bringing them into the public eye. He undoubtedly loaned a certain respectability to the so-called New-Age movement.

The FBRT will give you much more information on the life and works of Francis Bacon if you explore their fascinating website. You may learn more about Peter Dawkins and his work by perusing his own website above.

Please see the FBRT books below: 

“The Pattern of Initiation” Series 1, Volume 1
By Peter Dawkins and Sir George Trevelyan

This is a wonderful book which clearly outlines the initiations which all of us undergo on this long journey of the soul in physical incarnation. The evolution of human consciousness is discussed in clear and precise terms which brings enormous clarity to this subject in an unsurpassed way. You may even gauge your own progress along the evolutionary ladder if you study the book with care. This book contains an outline of why the FBRT was founded and gives an overview of Francis Bacon’s mission. Many of the old spiritual mystery teachings are expounded beautifully as well as the main seven Initiations which every soul must eventually undergo. All of these are accompanied by excellent graphics for ease of comprehension.

You will also learn about the early roots of Christianity and how the mysteries of Egypt and Israel were passed down through the centuries. The Great Instauration is explained beautifully and much of the esoteric symbolism involved in the world’s religions and mystery schools is expounded.

“The Virgin Ideal” Series 1, Volume 2
By Peter Dawkins and Thomas Bokenham

This book develops the theme of Elizabeth I portrayed historically as The Virgin Queen and links it wonderfully to the esoteric mystery teachings. We learn about the meaning of the Virgin Mary, Jesus and the Immaculate Conception in deeper, more significant terms. The reader will understand that there was a deliberate attempt to portray Queen Elizabeth in a ‘Goddess’ form which would evoke an impact upon human consciousness.

Much will be gleaned from the explanations of esoteric symbolism expounded throughout this excellent book and further light is shed on the purpose and works of Sir Francis Bacon.

“Dedication to the Light” Series 1, Volume 3
By Peter Dawkins

A fabulous and exciting book in many respects as it goes into much depth concerning the nature of the love affair of the Earl of Leicester and Elizabeth I. There is an enormous impact upon the reader through the revelation of the incredible story of Francis Bacon’s birth and adoption. I will tease you by not disclosing who his mother was, but the cipher and cryptic evidence as well as other more direct information, points towards an astonishing revelation which has been kept secret for centuries and to this day only believed and known by relatively few. The implications of this book are enormous, backed up with astounding verification.

“The Great Vision” Series 1, Volume 4
By Peter Dawkins

Another great work is presented here which gives the best account I have ever read of the Judaic-Christian Mysteries. Peter has excelled himself with this work in which he leads us from the ancient roots of spiritual revelation so that a definite pattern may be seen like a golden thread weaving itself through history and time itself. The nature of the Godhead will be thoroughly and deeply understood, and the mission of Jesus known to us as The Christ, is comprehensively illustrated.

Peter leads the reader into the life of Francis Bacon and his ‘Great Vision’ for the “reformation of the whole wide world” taking you through Francis’ university days up to the impact of the revelation of his true birth-mother and the identity of his real father. This is a brilliant book, both for its spiritual teachings and for its revelations concerning the life of Sir Francis Bacon.

“Arcadia” Series 1, Volume 5
By Peter Dawkins

Arcadia is massive in scope and incredible in its depth. A wonderful and magical portrayal of the ancient Egyptian Mysteries is explained in full leading us into both the Lesser and Greater Egyptian Mysteries of Initiation.

More is given concerning the life and times of Francis Bacon with much cipher and symbolic evidence revealed in the life of this great soul including the many pseudonyms which Francis Bacon used to mask his literary works.

Once more, I found myself thoroughly fascinated by the breadth and depth of Peter Dawkins’ works concerning the life and mission of Sir Francis Bacon and how that mission has impacted human consciousness down the centuries.

To quote Sir Francis Bacon, “Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested.” Peter Dawkins’ books definitely fit the latter.

This book is one of the most important books of modern times in my opinion. The Tao of Physics (Tao is pronounced ‘Dow’) explores the startling parallels between modern physics and ancient Eastern mysticism. It’s implications in the study of and development of human consciousness and the nature of Reality are of paramount significance. It is at once a marvellous study in quantum physics and the deeper revelations of mysticism. 

Fritjof Capra is a highly respected physicist who pioneered the concepts of Eastern spirituality in such a way as to make them accessible to modern thought and therefore intellectually attainable for those who might ordinarily refute such concepts as illogical or impractical. If you need confirmation that metaphysical theories can be verified by modern science then this is the book to read.