SPIRITUAL HIERARCHY
ASHRAMS
- In Bailey’s esoteric framework, an ashram is a spiritual group or center of conscious, coordinated energy — not merely a physical place or hermitage (as sometimes understood in the West), but a living spiritual body of aligned beings working together under a Master of Wisdom. These Centers are subtle, existing primarily on higher planes of consciousness, and connected with the unfolding of the divine Plan on Earth.
- Ashrams are not just physical locations but energetic and hierarchical spiritual bodies that influence life on many levels — physical, emotional/astral, and mental/spiritual — through directed will, love, and intelligence.
1. Definition of an Ashram
a. The Ashram of the Hierarchy vs. Individual Ashrams
b. The Inner Ashram vs. the Ashramic Periphery
Alice Bailey distinguishes between the inner core of an Ashram and its outer, peripheral field of activity. This distinction describes how Ashramic life functions at different levels of consciousness.
Alice Bailey teaches that the greatest Ashram is the Hierarchy itself — the full assembly of advanced spiritual beings working to bring about the Plan of Evolution. Within this, there are:
- Seven Major Ashrams — each associated with a major ray and presided over by a Chohan (Master Head of a Ray).
- Affiliated Ashrams — smaller groups working under the influence of the major ones, often focused on specific tasks.
- Lesser Ashrams — groups organized around specialized work or service fields.
This hierarchical network of Ashrams is sometimes referred to as the Ashram of the Christ or the hierarchical body working closely with the spiritual Will and Love of the manifested Logos.
Alice Bailey distinguishes between the inner core of an Ashram and its outer, peripheral field of activity. This distinction describes how Ashramic life functions at different levels of consciousness.
- The Inner Ashram consists of the Master and advanced initiates. It functions on higher mental and buddhic levels, is governed entirely by group consciousness, and is free from personality influence. Relationship to the Master at this level is impersonal and based on shared purpose and service.
- The Ashramic Periphery surrounds this inner core and includes accepted disciples and probationers. It operates closer to human affairs and world service, serving as a distributing and externalizing agency for Ashramic energy. Through this peripheral field, the Ashram maintains its link with humanity and the outer world.
2. Hierarchical Structure of Ashrams
a. Spiritual Synthesis and Development
Bailey describes Ashrams as centers of coordination and energy for the Plan — they gather disciples and aspirants who are ready to work consciously with higher spiritual forces. Their purpose includes:
b. Transmission and Integration of Higher Forces
An Ashram acts as a point of transmission from higher planes of consciousness into the lives of its members and into the collective field of humanity. The strength, availability, and usefulness of an Ashram depends on:
Bailey describes Ashrams as centers of coordination and energy for the Plan — they gather disciples and aspirants who are ready to work consciously with higher spiritual forces. Their purpose includes:
- Assisting individual disciples in their evolutionary progress toward initiation.
- Distributing energy into the world for service, especially through meditation and invocation (e.g., the work of the Arcane School).
- Training and preparing aspirants to serve humanity in a balanced, selfless way.
b. Transmission and Integration of Higher Forces
An Ashram acts as a point of transmission from higher planes of consciousness into the lives of its members and into the collective field of humanity. The strength, availability, and usefulness of an Ashram depends on:
- The sum total of the spiritual potency of its members.
- The cooperation of Masters who channel energy from higher sources.
- The unifying effect of shared group purpose.
3. The Purpose and Function of Ashrams
Each Ashram has:
The Master of an Ashram is responsible for:
Ashrams are usually not monolithic; most have several cooperating Masters, with one at the apex guiding the group's work.
- A Master of Wisdom (often of 5th initiation or above) as its leader.
- Associated Masters and advanced disciples forming the governing triangle of the Ashram.
The Master of an Ashram is responsible for:
- Guiding the aspirants’ growth.
- Harmonising will, love-wisdom, and intelligence in the group.
- Helping integrate higher forces into physical plane realities (especially through meditation and service work).
Ashrams are usually not monolithic; most have several cooperating Masters, with one at the apex guiding the group's work.
4. Role of the Master in an Ashram
Bailey stresses that Ashrams exist at many levels of consciousness, corresponding with different aspects of the Spiritual Triad:
Level Aspect of the Triad Type of Work
Lower Ashrams Physical or astral Service and humanitarian work
Middle Ashrams Mental Teaching, instruction, planning
Higher Ashrams Spiritual will/love Directing evolutionary impulses
Masters themselves occupy higher levels and thus operate with deeper synthesis and broader perspective than aspirants or lower initiates.
Level Aspect of the Triad Type of Work
Lower Ashrams Physical or astral Service and humanitarian work
Middle Ashrams Mental Teaching, instruction, planning
Higher Ashrams Spiritual will/love Directing evolutionary impulses
Masters themselves occupy higher levels and thus operate with deeper synthesis and broader perspective than aspirants or lower initiates.
5. Levels and Planes of Ashramic Work
a. Ashram Entrance
According to Bailey, a disciple’s entry into an Ashram is not physical but energetic and conscious:
b. Discipleship and Group Identity
Once inside an Ashram, the disciple’s identity shifts from individual personality goals to group service and unified purpose. Each disciple contributes what they can of light and understanding to others on the Path.
According to Bailey, a disciple’s entry into an Ashram is not physical but energetic and conscious:
- A disciple must demonstrate purity of heart and alignment with the Plan.
- Only then can the disciple penetrate into the Ashram — meaning their consciousness becomes aligned with that Ashram’s level of work.
b. Discipleship and Group Identity
Once inside an Ashram, the disciple’s identity shifts from individual personality goals to group service and unified purpose. Each disciple contributes what they can of light and understanding to others on the Path.
6. Ashrams in Relation to Discipleship
Alice Bailey — through the Tibetan — taught that at the dawn of the New Age, five major Ashrams are particularly influential in the external world through their energy:
These do not exhaust the Ashrams in existence but highlight those whose influence was prominent in Bailey’s era.
- The Ashram of the Master K.H. – education and spiritual training.
- The Ashram of the Tibetan (D.K.) – aspirants and probationary disciples.
- The Ashram of Master R – social and cultural transformation.
- The Ashram of Master Morya – political and practical leadership influences.
- The Ashram of Master Hilarion – science and healing discoveries.
These do not exhaust the Ashrams in existence but highlight those whose influence was prominent in Bailey’s era.
7. Five Ashrams especially active in the Age
a. Meditation as a Link
b. Extension into the Physical Plane
- Ashrams are not isolated mystical retreats; they are centers of energy feeding into the world — especially through meditation work and group invocation (such as in the Arcane School and the “Triangles” meditation groups).
- Meditation serves to align aspirants with Ashramic energy, enabling them to act as channels of divine will, love, and intelligence into collective life.
b. Extension into the Physical Plane
- Bailey explains that esoteric schools are outer extensions of inner Ashrams — meaning the work done in outer, organized groups is the physical plane reflection of Ashramic work.
8. Ashrams and Meditation / Service
Bailey teaches that the final, complete Ashram — the whole of all seven major Ashrams together — is the Hierarchy itself, unified under three supreme influences (Christ, Manu, and the Mahachohan). This is the Ashram of the Christ, the ultimate center coordinating the planetary Plan.
Esoteric Studies
In this view:
Esoteric Studies
In this view:
- Individual Ashrams can be absorbed into higher ones.
- The work of all Ashrams contributes to the progressive work of the Hierarchy.
- The Hierarchy functions as one great Ashram
9. The Ultimate Ashram: The Hierarchy
- Ashramic Strength: The collective spiritual potency of an Ashram, heightened by purity and cooperation of members.
- Triangular Cooperation: Master + disciples forming a triangle that directs energy.
- Ashramic Penetration: The process by which a disciple’s consciousness harmonizes with the Ashram’s frequency.
- Externalisation: The Ashram’s influence appearing more in the physical plane through service and meditation.
10. Key Terminology from Bailey about Ashrams
- Ashrams are spiritual groups, not just physical places.
- They are centers of coordinated energy for the Plan.
- They operate on many levels of consciousness (physical through spiritual).
- Each Ashram is associated with a Master and ray energy.
- Entry into an Ashram is energetic alignment, not external ceremony.
- Meditation and service are key means to connect with Ashramic work.
- The ultimate Ashram is the Hierarchy, the unified body of all Masters.
Summary — Core Points
