"The Masters of Wisdom" is the last book to have been published during the John Bennett's lifetime, and is probably the most unusual, having little in common with his previously published works, except in serving a number of discrete objectives. Originally planned to be incorporated into a single volume to be entitled "Gurdjieff and the Masters of Wisdom" this work was separated from what became "Gurdjieff: Making a New World" which eventually was published a year earlier in 1973. In the last years of Bennett's life, he had been deeply affected by his close association with the Turkish mystic, Hasan Lutfi Shushud, and originally a contract was drawn up with a London publishing house for the combined work, in which both men were signed as joint authors. However, before anything was written, Shushud abruptly withdrew his support for the project, ostensibly on the grounds of a disagreement with the publishers. Only after Bennett's death in 1974, Shushud indicated privately that he found Gurdjieff's teaching and methods offensive. There is however some overlap between the two books, and "The Masters of Wisdom" draws on Gurdjieff's resources as well as material provided by Hasan Shushud. "The Masters of Wisdom" is unlike Bennett's other books not only in the way it is constructed, which appears to be somewhat out of balance, but also in the content. The first three chapters provide an overview of material presented 8 years earlier in the fourth volume of "The Dramatic Universe", of the Earth as single intelligent whole, in which humanity plays an increasingly active role and - must accept greater responsibility. These chapters provide an introduction to Chapter 4 which presents an account of the Christ Event not to be found anywhere else, and by Bennett's own account, arising out of insights vouchsafed to him privately by Gurdjieff. The next chapter serves as a bridge to the second major detailed message Bennett shares, which concerns the extraordinary period spanning at least 350 years, when a group of men within a single unbroken tradition played a pivotal and benign role in otherwise catastrophic events. It is not clear why Bennett devotes an entire chapter to Genghis Khan in a book entitled "The Masters of Wisdom" except that he appears to have been an exceptionally gifted individual whom Bennett apparently admired for his great self-control, and his willingness to accept guidance from a spiritual director. The researches Bennett completed in his last years led him to certain conclusions which may not have been fully expressed in this account. Unlike Bennett's other books, "The Masters of Wisdom" contains hidden messages, and also occult elements which are accessible to those able to access them. "Beelzebub's Tales to His Grandson" and "The Dramatic Universe" showed the transformative power of books, but like "Meetings with Remarkable Men" this book imparts information which remains hidden except from those readers who find the key. The book is also unlike any of Bennett's other books in containing secret "magic" elements, opening mystical channels. Since the text was left unfinished when Bennett died, it is not possible to know for certain whether the message of the book is complete or would have included other material such as the very detailed accounts that Bennett gave to his student in the last months - the "esoteric phase" - of the Third Basic Course. Overall the message is of the planet we inhabit seen as a single indivisible whole, of which we human beings are an important element, but which is subordinate to the Cosmic forces.

RAISE YOUR CONSCIOUSNESS WITH THE HELP OF 33 ASCENDED ENLIGHTENED MASTERS FROM WORLD-RENOWNED ANGEL EXPERT AND BEST-SELLING AUTHOR OF RAISE YOUR VIBRATION, KYLE GRAY A FRESH AND INSPIRATIONAL BOOK FULL OF SPIRITUAL TOOLS, AFFIRMATIONS, SACRED GEOMETRY, AND HEALING MEDITATIONS TO HELP YOU FEEL MORE PEACE AND JOY A new and fresh guide to the Ascended Masters and how to work with them for greater peace and connection. Discover new tools and wisdom to connect with the enlightened Ascended Masters, and receive their guidance, healing, protection and support on your spiritual path. “I adore Kyle Gray. He helps you to reconnect with all that is wanting to rise up within you, be available to the benevolent support that already surrounds you and release what is wanting to fall away with grace and ease. Who doesn’t want some of that?!” – Rebecca Campbell, author of Light is The New Black and Rise Sister Rise Best-selling author Kyle Gray offers a close look at the Ascended Masters and explains how they can bring healing to the Earth, the cosmos, and your life. The Ascended Masters are enlightened souls who once walked the Earth (or other planets) and continue to offer their emotional intelligence and spiritual teachings to the world. You may already know some of them—Mary Magdalene, Buddha, and Jesus—but did you know there are many more, and that they are here to support you on your spiritual path? In this healing spiritual book, you will discover: Many Ascended Masters, from Quan Yin to Saint German and Gaia to the Divine Director A short history of the Masters and how they ascended for the greater good of humanity How to call upon the Masters for spiritual protection, to remove blockages and to open up to powerful spiritual connections What the Council of Light and Etheric Retreats are, and how you can access their wisdom for healing, guidance and connection Book Sections Include: PART I: INTRODUCING THE MASTERS Who Are the Masters? The History of the Masters Ascension Explained The High Council and Etheric Retreats PART II: MAKING THE CONNECTION The Divine Matrix Opening Up Spiritual Alignment PART III: WORKING WITH THE MASTERS Awaken the Master Within There are many incredible keepers of ancient wisdom out there and it’s my prayer that the 33 that I have chosen to include here will support your journey and enrich your life. I pray that with this book I have opened doorways to experiences of love and connection, and that I have done so in a way that honors and respects the Divine Masters. I am grateful for all that I have learned along the way and for all of the personal experiences that have unfolded while I have been writing this book. May it support the activation of the ancient wisdom that resides within you. Love, Kyle Gray Divine Masters, Ancient Wisdom includes many powerful exercises and spiritual tools to help you increase your awareness and raise your consciousness. “Kyle Gray changes lives!” – The Sun Newspaper

Wisdom of the Kadam Masters is the second volume in the Tibetan Classics series, which aims to make available accessible paperback editions of key Tibetan Buddhist works drawn from Wisdom Publications' Library of Tibetan Classics. The phrase "Kadam masters" evokes for many Tibetans a sense of a spiritual golden age--the image of a community of wise yet simple monks devoted to a life of mental cultivation. These eleventh- and twelfth-century masters were particularly famed for their pithy spiritual sayings that captured essential teachings in digestible bites. In these sayings one unmistakably detects a clear understanding of what comprises a truly happy life, one that is grounded in a deep concern for the welfare of others. Like the Sayings of the Desert Fathers, Lao Tzu, or Rumi, the teachings contained in Wisdom of the Kadam Masters can be approached as a part of the wisdom heritage of mankind, representative of the long history of the long human quest to understand our existence and its meaning. This volume offers some of the most beloved teachings of the Tibetan tradition.

A rigorous historical and philosophical examination of the controversial spiritual Masters who guided Madame H.P. Blavatsky in opening the world to Eastern and esoteric spirituality in the late nineteenth century. In the late nineteenth century, Russian noblewoman and occult philosopher Madame H.P. Blavatsky enthralled the world with revelations of an ancient “secret doctrine” behind the major faiths and a cosmic theology that united the insights of religion and science. Blavatsky said she was operating under the guidance of hidden Masters of wisdom, or mahatmas, who led her to reveal forgotten wisdom to modern people. The mythos of Blavatsky’s Masters left a deep mark on Western culture and spawned more than a century of debate: Were the Masters real? What did they teach? Are they reachable today? Now, independent scholar of religion Edward Abdill provides an authoritative, historically reliable, and delightfully readable study of the background and ideas of the Masters – in particular highlighting their message and its enduring relevance.

G.I. Gurdjieff (d. 1949) remains an important, if controversial, figure in early 20th-century Western Esoteric thought. Born in the culturally diverse region of the Caucasus, Gurdjieff traveled in Asia, Africa, and elsewhere in search of practical spiritual knowledge. Though oftentimes allusive, references to Sufi teachings and characters take a prominent position in Gurdjieff's work and writings. Since his death, a discourse on Gurdjieff and Sufism has developed through the contributions as well as critiques of his students and interlocutors. J.G. Bennett began an experimental 'Fourth Way' school in England in the 1970s which included the introduction of Sufi practices and teachings. In America this discourse has further expanded through the collaboration and engagement of contemporary Sufi teachers. This work does not simply demonstrate the influence of Gurdjieff and his ideas, but approaches the specific discourse on and about Gurdjieff and Sufism in the context of contemporary religious and spiritual teachings, particularly in the United States, and highlights some of the adaptive, boundary-crossing, and hybrid features that have led to the continuing influence of Sufism.

An exploration of the profound Sufi practice of Itlak Yolu • Examines the three main facets of this practice: zikr or breathing exercises, fasting, and mental suffering • Shares new Sufi parables, the sayings of Sufi master Hasan Lutfi Shushud, and Rumi’s philosophy on annihilation of the Self • Reveals how once the Self is annihilated higher levels of perception are reached In this exploration of the profound spiritual practice of Itlak Yolu, the Sufi path of annihilation, Nevit Ergin examines the three main facets of this path: zikr or breathing exercises, fasting, and mental suffering. Sharing experiences and discussions with Hasan Lutfi Shushud, renowned Sufi saint and final guide of Gurdjieff’s disciple J. G. Bennett, the author illustrates how suffering--“the searing fire of contrition”--is the most effective instrument of spiritual progress, for it is suffering that burns the Self. He explains how faithful practice of zikr and fasting will bring on this kind of suffering when the student is ready and will make the suffering tolerable. He shows how once the Self is annihilated higher levels of perception take hold and one finds oneself on the path to sainthood and immortality. Interwoven throughout with sayings by Shushud, Sufi parables, and poems by Rumi, Ergin shares the unique Itlak perspective on the major questions of every seeker: the true nature of love and religion, life and death, and other major spiritual questions. The book also includes an essay on annihilation and absence in Rumi’s philosophy and biographical portraits of Hasan Lufti Shushud by other aspirants who met with him.