The Great White Brotherhood: The facts

The Great White Brotherhood is a teaching of Theosophy, a mystical movement movement that arose in the nineteenth century. It has nothing to do with racism, but denotes the assembly of the ascended masters, those spiritual beings who have attained enlightenment. Members of the brotherhood include great spiritual achievers of many faiths, who can influence humans for the good.

Philosophical foundations

Theosophy The Great White Brotherhood is a product of Theosophy. This was a nineteenth century movement instituted by Madam Blavatsky, which still exists and has influenced occult and new age movements up to and including the present day. Theosophy believes there is good and truth in all religions and that their founders/teachers and saints should be accorded respect. The Great White Brotherhood includes the founders of all religions, though it is more than that. Higher beings The whiteness of the brotherhood has nothing to do with race or ethnicity, but is all to do with the aura of spiritual light that surrounds holy people. The beings in the brotherhood consist of a spiritual hierarchy of higher beings. These include celestial beings of various kinds, often unspecified, angels and ascended masters. The ascended masters, who may include women as well as men, are humans who have risen to higher spiritual levels. They include Buddha, Jesus, Mother Teresa, Francis of Assisi and the French alchemist St Germain, These beings have denied themselves the journey to the highest levels so that they can influence human beings for goodness and truth. Yet, there are others in the brotherhood. It exists upon earth in the unascended disciples [Chelas] spiritual adepts and followers of these great people. It is identified with no particular religion, and membership depends upon spiritual status. None of these beings is identified with God. Thus, Jesus is a member, but as a great spiritual teacher rather than Son of God.

Role

Linked to the brotherhood is the idea of Shambala. This is a mystical Tibetan city where many masters dwell. None has yet discovered it, and it was the inspiration for Shangri La. Some people believe that it was set on an island in the Gobi Sea, now the Gobi desert. This shows that Theosophy thinks in terms of many thousands of years, well before recorded history. Not every believer accepts Shambala. The White Brotherhood [including sisterhood] is open to every human being who seeks to become a spiritual adept. It is believed that the masters try to influence human beings through various intermediaries. It is thought by some believers that the brotherhood set aside the occult rule of secrecy in the 1930s so that the brotherhood could transmit its message more easily.