THE
AWAKENING OF CHRIST CONSCIOUSNESS
A powerful shift (from outer to inner
initiations) occurred 2,000 years ago with the initiations of Jesus. In His
initiations, Jesus attained the level of consciousness referred to as “Christ Consciousness”,
meaning that He remembered His true identity. The events in the life of Christ
outline the identical steps of other saviors after Jesus, but with this important difference: Initiation is no longer as dependent on
outer rituals, or external processes, as
it is on internal experiences.
Jesus is said to have completed his inner initiation into Christ
Consciousness at the symbolic age of thirty-three, a number always held as the
highest external initiation of the Freemasons and other esoteric groups. The number
“thirty-three” secretly represents the symbolic evolution upward along the
spine, which has thirty-three segments.
The early stages of the spiritual path
usually take many years in comparison to the final stages. Note how Jesus’
physical birth and water baptism were separated by thirty years, while the next
steps were taken within three years. This difference in time demonstrates the
concept that once you start to “get it”, changes and awakenings begin to occur
more rapidly.
The
Aquarian Gospel of Jesus the Christ, by Levi H. Dowling,
gives one version of the seven temple initiations that Jesus undertook. These
are (1) Sincerity; (2) Justice; (3) Faith; (4) Courage; (5) Philanthropy; (6)
Love Divine, and (7) Christ Consciousness. Every event described in the life of
the Christ becomes an example of initiation within the body and life of each
initiate. Now, we can all become a Christed one—a beloved child in whom our
Divine Father is well pleased.