Inscribe His Image on My Heart*
by Michael Robbins

***A talk given at the Annual International Conference of the Seven Ray Institute and the University of the Seven Rays on April 5, 2005.

We welcome all of you to the Aquarian Christ Conference. Our purpose is to clarify the true image of the Christ, not only as He is now, but as He will be during the coming approximately 2500 years when He will be “with us.”

So much has been said of Lord Maitreya, the Christ, and one would think that both His image and His energy would be very easily recognized, but this is far from true. In many ways the Christ is elusive to the seeker and His energy is far from commonplace—only those seekers who seek Him in the spirit of truth, love and spiritual willingness, plus a deep and sacrificial spiritual humility, will truly find him.

The idea for this talk and for the song based upon the theme of inscription came to me when I was reading the following paragraph from Esoteric Healing:

Here we touch upon a point of real interest.  The use of the Lord's image is frequently of vital importance, but—and it is here that I seek to lay the emphasis—it must be the image arrived at by oneself through the medium of the expansion of the Christ consciousness in one's own life, and by arriving at the stage of conscious discipleship.  At that particular stage when a man is definitely linked with a Master and His group, he is then, automatically and as an individual, linked with the Master of all Masters.  He can then, via his own soul and the soul of his particular group, draw on the force of Maitreya Buddha.  Why, think you, is there no good and true picture of the Blessed One, There are only a few speculations by the devotees of the early church and none by those who knew Him.  The reason is a definite one.  There is no true image of Him because it must be upon our hearts and not upon our canvases.  We arrive at knowledge of Him because He is ours, as we are His.  Do you understand that whereof I speak?  He is the world Healer and Saviour.  He works because He is the embodied soul of all Reality.  He works today, as He worked in Palestine two thousand years ago, through groups.  There He worked through the three beloved disciples, through the twelve apostles, through the chosen seventy, and the interested five hundred.  Ponder on this fact, little emphasised.  Now He works through His Masters and Their groups, and thereby greatly intensifies His efforts.  He can and will work through all groups just in so far as they fit themselves for planned service, for the distribution of love, and come into conscious alignment with the greater potency of the inner groups. (1)

Let us use these words as a point of departure for our thoughts. First, a technical question: Would it really be possible for humanity to possess an image of the Great Lord based on any outer experience? We may judge today that the Christ’s true body is a Mayavirupa—a will-created body and that only those who have come into His presence would have a true image of Him.

In those early Palestinian days, as well, the Christ (being then a Master of the fifth degree) almost certainly possessed a Mayavirupa as well. The Roerich painting--“Christ in the Desert”--depicts a blond man drawing in the sand, accompanied by a figure we may judge to be Roussel M. (perhaps an earlier incarnation of the Master Morya). This painting emphasizes the likelihood that Christ used a Mayavirupa. In fact, we know that the Lord Maitreya overshadowed and also took possession of the body of the Master Jesus, and thus the gathered images supposedly of the Christ would have been images of the face and form of Master Jesus, and not of the Mayavirupa of the Christ.  Because He overshadowed the Master Jesus, there would have been no true outward image of Him, per se.

Interestingly, most Masters, in creating their Mayavirupa, use an image of the body they had when taking the fifth initiation. In The Rays and the Initiations, p. 705, Master DK says the following: “The majority of the Masters who are definitely working with humanity either preserve the old body in which They took the fifth initiation or else They build the ‘mayavirupa’ or body of maya, of physical substance.  This body will appear in the original form in which They took initiation.  This I personally did in reference to the first case; i.e., preserving the body in which I took initiation.  This the Master K.H. did in creating a body which was made in the form in which He took the fifth initiation.”

We cannot be sure when the fifth initiation occurred for the being we call the Christ. Was it as Krishna, or later, in yet another incarnation? Or was the Lord Maitreya not bound by that usual custom? The fifth degree would certainly have to have occurred before 500 B.C. DK says the following when defining the term Bodhisattva: “The exponent of second ray force, the Teacher of the Adepts of men and of Angels.  This office was originally held by the Buddha, but His place was taken (after His Illumination) by the Christ.  The work of the Bodhisattva is with the religions of the world, and with the spiritual Essence in Man.”(2)

Of course, such questions point to a somewhat external approach to the image of the Christ. The external image, when accurate, can be of great assistance in creating rapport with the Master, otherwise, in the new esoteric schools, the pictures of the Masters would not be in use, as they clearly are according to the following selection from Letters on Occult Meditation:

Each room must be non-communicating, save with the central corridor, and must be in three divisions, necessarily small yet distinct.  One division will be given up to the student's life and study; another to the bath and the third will be the place for meditation containing the pictures of the Great Ones duly curtained.  This third division is kept for the sole purpose of meditation and will contain little save the mat on which the student sits, a couch on which he will repose his physical vehicle during certain stated exercises and a small stool in front of the Master's pictures, on which will be found the incensor and a vase for floral tributes. (3)

It is clear that (for all of us) the soul ray and soul quality place their stamp upon the outer face and form. He who really understands the art of spiritual reading can go far in experiencing the soul of another through the experience of the outer face and form. And, of course, there are the eyes, which have always been considered “windows to the soul.”

In regard to the authentic images of the Great Ones (and the great majority are fanciful and inauthentic), special attention should be paid to the expression in the eyes, through which the student can come en rapport with the Great One as a soul.

I am always struck by what Master DK said of the eyes of two of the great ones:

Of Master Morya:

He is a man of tall and commanding presence, dark hair and beard and dark eyes, and might be considered stern were it not for the expression that lies in His eyes. (4)

Of Master Koot-Hoomi:

He is of fair complexion, with golden-brown hair and beard, and eyes of a wonderful deep blue, through which seem to pour the love and the wisdom of the ages. (5)

Of Master Jesus:

He Himself is rather a martial figure, a disciplinarian, and a man of iron rule and will.  He is tall and spare with rather a long thin face, black hair, pale complexion and piercing blue eyes. (6)

It would seem that if we are to arrive at the Lord’s image, we must do so internally:

The use of the Lord's image is frequently of vital importance, but—and it is here that I seek to lay the emphasis—it must be the image arrived at by oneself through the medium of the expansion of the Christ consciousness in one's own life, and by arriving at the stage of conscious discipleship.[7]

The Lord’s image is of vital importance as an instrument of rapport. How is it that the “expansion of the Christ consciousness in one’s own life” can help one arrive at the image of the Lord? For one thing, it is the consciousness of the soul, the Christ-consciousness, which will lead from the Path of Probation, through the Path of Discipleship, onto the Path of Initiation and into the chamber of initiation where there will be a direct encounter with the first Initiator—the Christ. Thus the growth of the Christ-consciousness in our lives will bring us to the Great Lord, into His immediate Presence, where we may see Him for ourselves.

Probably there are many here assembled who have taken the first initiation, for they love their fellow human beings, are deeply interested in pursuing the Ageless Wisdom and spirituality, and are seeking to discipline their lower natures so as to be more fit vessels for the expression of the soul. These are the three requirements given.

Those who have stood before the Great Lord during the ceremony of the first initiation have, indeed, seen Him face to face—as the poet Robert Browning suggests. As a result, His image is inscribed upon their hearts, for that image must be unforgettable—except that the brain consciousness forgets.  The first degree initiate has experienced a degree of spiritual intimacy with the Great Lord, and though in his brain consciousness he may not recall the specific images of the initiation ceremony (including the face of the Initiator), there is that within Him which knows what the image is not.

There is also that within him which will continue, by resonance, to seek that image through the expansion of the Christ-consciousness, until the image can be forever secured in consciousness. It is not the image of the Lord, per se, which is of the greatest importance; rather, it is His energy, His consciousness, His Presence.

One way of seeking both the image and presence of the Great Lord, or of any other Master, is through that foundational and immensely powerful meditation called the Master in the Heart. It is as if the Tibetan has given us, at once, a very preliminary and a very advanced meditation. The meditation is ideally suited to start the young disciple on the way to increasing rapport with his soul and his Master. It is also one of the surest ways of remaining in ever-ready contact with the Master once the later stages of discipleship have been reached.

Through the Master in the Heart a small image of the Master (about a quarter inch in diameter) is imaginatively built into the heart center through visualization. In time, this image becomes more than simply an image and may reflect both the image and the presence of the Master. This is one of the ways, perhaps, of finding the true image of the Christ and, certainly, His Presence.

In the major paragraph we are referencing, the Tibetan speaks of arriving at the stage of conscious discipleship. He says: “At that particular stage when a man is definitely linked with a Master and His group, he is then, automatically and as an individual, linked with the Master of all Masters.  He can then, via his own soul and the soul of his particular group, draw on the force of Maitreya Buddha.”[2] This is another way of saying that the person who has arrived at the stage of conscious discipleship is definitely an initiate of the first degree and has stood before the Great Lord in the chamber of initiation (the Temple of Solomon, the causal body—the “causal temple”).

Living in the Presence of the Christ are words easily spoken, but rarely achieved. This would mean total soul infusion. It would mean being on the brink of achieving the fourth initiation, at which time the principle of buddhi is released in the life as never before as the predominating spiritual principle.

What would it mean to live in that Presence?--that the “mind that is in Christ” and the “heart that is in Christ” would never leave one’s field of perception and activity. Let us think about what that would mean—here and now. The factual Presence of the Great Lord would influence our every thought and utterance, our every perception and the conclusions drawn from such perceptions.

All would be done within the Presence of the Christ. The discipline would certainly be severe and uncompromising. To sustain real Love is the greatest of all disciplines. One would be increasingly drawn into His aura, and could not experience life except from within the influence of His aura. This would be a remarkable achievement and would signify a remarkable transformation.

Let us think now about the process of inscription—the process by which the image of the Christ, the Name of the Christ and the Presence of the Christ are inscribed upon our heart. What is the inscription process? Let us think of it symbolically as “writing upon the heart.”

The writing is indelible. Once the Great Lord has been encountered in the initiation process it is impossible to erase His image, Name and Presence from the heart. This is so also for those who turn completely away from him even after the second initiation—to their great and inevitable torment. It is as if the image of the Lord is burned into our heart through the agency of Solar Fire—the great fire of love or of loving-mind. But it will not do for the canvas of our heart to be filled with many other distorted forms. That canvas much undergo a great cleansing, so a clean surface is presented to the Christ—that His image may be emblazoned upon it.

The drastic processes preceding the first initiation cleanse the canvas of the heart.

And when the image comes, it will be a great weight upon us every time we turn from the Christ Consciousness and a great source of inspiration and upliftment every time we reinforce that consciousness. If the true image of the Christ is inscribed on our heart (and we remain cognizant of the fact), we shall carry that image of beauty with us with unbroken continuity.

What is it that is written upon the heart when the inscription occurs? Certainly, the great Law of Love, the Principles that He taught, and which can be gleaned from any red-letter version of the Bible—the principles and pronouncements so clearly given by His first ray mind. The Golden Rule—that great Libran Law. “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” The Sermon on the Mount with its Beatitudes.

So many statements with which we are so familiar: “Father, not my will but thine be done;” “I am come that they may have life more abundantly;” “It is better to give than to receive;” “Let him who is without sin cast the first stone;” “By their fruits ye shall know them;” “Greater things shall ye do than I do because I go to my Father;” “He who hath seen me hath seen the Father;” “Get thee behind me Satan;” “Man doth not live by bread alone but by the very Word which comes forth from the mouth of God;” “It is written, thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God;” “The first shall be last and the last shall be first;” “He that is not with me is against me; and he who does not gather with me scatters;” “I come to bring not peace but the sword;” “When thine eye is single, thy whole body shall be filled with light;” “Leave the dead to bury the dead; your task is to go and spread the news of the kingdom of God;” “He who has set his hand to the plough and turns back is not fit to enter the Kingdom of Heaven;” ‘They will persecute you for my sake;” “Love your enemy;” “Turn the other cheek;” “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, all thy soul, and all thy strength and with all thy mind, and thy neighbor as thyself.”

These are the words, and so many more, that have shaped our western culture and civilization. And in the East, the figure of the Lord Maitreya has also been potently influential. It becomes clear from reading the ancient books that He was a great exponent of Vedanta and knew, with intimacy, the Oneness.

Now, what if the “Name” of the Christ were inscribed upon our heart? This Name is no outer name, but the very quality of His soul or consciousness as much as we can possibly apprehend it. If the “Name” of the Christ is inscribed upon our heart, then the Divine Word will resound in all our speech and thought and we shall hear that Word speaking through all the processes of civilization, culture and Nature. The “Name” is the Christ-Archetype, which marks out for spiritual salvation (i.e., for conscious inclusion within Reality) all those who recognize that Name and serve its glory

Salvation—what is it really, spiritually considered, and in relation to our planet and solar system? It is a severing from the program of the first solar system and its reflection the Moon-chain, and a total immersion in the program and culture of this, our second solar system, with its prevailing theme of Love and Wisdom. “For the Christ’s sake and the glory of His Name” is the greatest and most powerful of all Words of Power. The inscribed image carries His Presence….the Saving Presence. That presence is His pervasion of all who belong to Him and, ultimately, of all humanity. The presence is a source of redemption in all circumstance and even of salvation.

In words reminiscent of the 17th Chapter of John where the true nature of Identification as Christ understood it is imparted to us, the Tibetan tells us that we shall come to know Him, “Because He is ours. Because we are His.” The knowledge therefore is immediate and unmediated. It is as if no one can tell another about the nature of the Christ-Presence. It has to be experienced. No one can experience it for us.

What is our proper attitude towards the Christ? How can we really know Him? There are certain indispensable fulfillments with which we are probably familiar: Approach through Truth; Approach through Love; Approach through Will; Approach through Sacrifice—becoming what has been called “a man for others”—a human being who lives for other human beings; Approach through Service—which means the giving of oneself for sake and welfare of others; Approach through Pure Altruism—which means that the other is of equal and, in fact, greater value than oneself.

The very first Rule for Applicants to Initiation tells us something of what our approach must be:

Let the disciple search within the heart’s deep cave. If there the fire burns bright, warming his brother, yet heating not himself, the hour has come for making application to stand before the door.

When love for all beings, irrespective of who they may be, is beginning to be a realized fact in the heart of the disciple and yet, love for himself exists not, then comes the indication that he is approaching the portal and may make the necessary preliminary application… This application is necessitated before his Master can hand in his name as an applicant for initiation.

If he cares not for the suffering and pain of the lower self. If it is immaterial to him whether happiness comes his way or not, if his sole purpose is to serve and save the world and if his brother’s need is of greater moment than his own, then the fire of love is irradiating his being and the world can warm itself at his feet.

This love has to be a practical and tested manifestation and not just a theory, an impractical ideal or a pleasing sentiment. It is something that has grown in the trials and tests of life so that the primary impulse of the life is toward self sacrifice and the immolation of the lower nature.(8)

I would like to close with the words of the English poet Robert Browning who describes in his poem “Saul,” the meeting of the Christ at the initiation process. Saul, we remembered, is the “old man,” the “Man of Adam” who becomes Paul the Apostle, the initiate, the one who represents the soul.

He spoke of that which all of us have either inwardly seen or may soon expect to see:

"Oh, Saul, it shall be
A Face like my face that receives thee; a Man like to me
Thou shalt love and be loved by, for ever: A Hand like this hand
Shall throw open the gates of new life to thee!
See the Christ stand!"

1. Alice Bailey, Esoteric Healing, Lucis Publishing Company, 1953, p. 360
2. Alice Bailey, A Treatise on Cosmic Fire, 1951, pp. 119-120
3. Alice Bailey, Letters on Occult Meditation, 1922, p. 322
4. Alice Bailey, Initiation, Human and Solar, 1922, p. 55
5. Ibid.
6. Ibid., p. 56
7. Esoteric Healing, p. 360
8. Initiation, Human and Solar, pp. 192-93