When we desire to affiliate with the ascended masters, there are five levels of initiation through which we pass, the first being student. In this time of study, students read, listen and learn. Most initiates on the path of the ascended masters are students. At this level, the individual begins sorting and sifting in an earnest search to find the right teacher. It’s an exciting phase of the journey, but dangerous, too, for there are many teachers in the world. Some have more of the truth than others, and it can be difficult, until the student acquires sufficient discernment, to separate the wheat from the chaff. For protection, the sincere student is admonished to pray and ask for guidance. Once firmly on the path, the student graduates to chela, one who serves as a disciple of a master. In this guru-chela relationship, perhaps the culmination of lifetimes of searching, the chela receives important initiations, balances karma and seeks Christhood. Next week, Friend and Brother