CONTENTS
Chapter One THE DEMIURGE
The suprahuman intelligence of the Demiurge - the ancient idea of a limited God - the directed evolution of life - coming of mind - the early magicians - coming of creative power - Adam - the first twelve thousand ears
Chapter Two THE EARLY MASTERS
Four centres of demiurgic work - agriculture and settlement - the creation of the root languages and conceptions of God - epoch of diffusion - epoch of conflict • heroic epoch - the beginnings of civilization - the destruction of Minoan power foundation of the Sarman Society
Chapter Three THE FIRST REVELATIONS
The need for love - a new dispensation - changes in the four cultures - Lao Tzu and Confucius - Buddha, Jain and Gosala - Zoroaster - the Israelites - fall of the Achaemenid empire - decay of religion
Chapter Four THE TIME OF CHRIST
The Magi and the Essenes - John the Baptist and Jesus - the true mission of Jesus - next stage of human evolution - the gospel of Matthew - the Sermon on the Mounts. a legominism - sending out of the disciples - the Transfiguration - the secret of love - humiliation of James and John - humiliation of Peter - the Last Supper - Judas taking away the sins ot the world - the new commandment - the way of the first Christians
Chapter Five A THOUSAND YEARS OF LOVE
The meaning of humiliation lost - martyrdom and asceticism - cruelty and hatred in Christendom - world wide disasters - Zurvanism, Gurdjieff and the idea of a limited God -the rise of Islam and collapse of Zoroastrianism - the influence of the Masters - Wisdom - degeneration of Islam - disappearance of spiritual leadership
Chapter Six THE RETURN OF THE MASTERS
Persia and Turkestan - difference between northern and southern Sufis - peace and prosperity in Central Asia - Yusuf of Hamadan - the way of the Khwajagan - Yusuf and his pupils - practical techniques of transformation - Yasawi and his influence over centuries - Abd al-Khaliq Ghujduwani keeper of the main tradition - his 'Counsel* and the aphorisms of the Way of the Masters
Chapter Seven CHINGIS KHAN
Chinghis Khan the leader - the invasion of Turkestan - attitude of Mongols to holy men - the Khwajagan in Bukhara - the vision of Chinghis Khan - his able successors
Chapter Eight THE MONGOL ERA
Shamanism - activity of the Masters - stages of fans - the final annihiliation - Azizan, Samasi and Kulal - Baha ad-din Nagshbandi - his early days - his vision at the tomb in Bukhara - chance of Christian unity through the Mongols lost - Persia becomes Muslim
Chapter Nine THE MASTER TRAINING
Treatment of pupils - suhbat - extract of group meetings with Attar - a typical programme of work - training of Baha ad-din - conscious labour and intentional suffering - the chain ot transmission - Khidr - spiritual experiences of Baha ad-din - his teachers.- work with Khalil Ata - visit to king of Herat - humiliation and commitment - meaning of marifat - jazba - Ubaidallah Ahrar - his carly days - his dreams - his state of abandonment - his teachers - becoming a farmer - initiation by Yaqub Charkhi - Ahrär's teachings - Mawlana Jami - his abandonment of science and mathematics - his withdrawal - contact with Ahrar - disappearance of - Masters of Wisdom from Central Asia
Chapter Ten THE MASTER PEACEMAKERS
Tamerlane and his successors - powers of the Khwajagan - spiritual side of Tamerlane - Khwajagan act to bring peace - peace ignored by historians - Ubaidallah Ahrar - his family - his supranormal powers - relationship with Sultan Ahmad - twice stopping the invasion of Samarkand by mystic power - protection of the people