Jesus, Master

One of the masters originally contacted by Helena Petrovna Blavatsky, cofounder of the Theosophical Society. According to theosophical teachings there exists a spiritual hierarchy composed of individuals who have finished their round of earthly reincarnations and have evolved to the spiritual planes, from which they guide the affairs of humanity. Those members of the hierarchy closest to humanity are the "lords of the seven rays" (of the light spectrum). Each ray represents a particular virtue, which the lord of that ray exemplifies.

The identity of Master Jesus is somewhat complicated in Theosophical history. According to the Theosophical Society, Master Jesus was not the same person as Jesus Christ. Rather, he took embodiment as Apollonius of Tyana.

Master Jesus is the lord of the sixth ray of purity and fiery devotion. As such he is the master of devotees, saints, and mystics of every religious tradition. He is the guardian of the Christian Church, founded by Maitreya (commonly known as Jesus Christ). He was also incarnated as the Indian teacher Ramanujacharya, who lived in the twelfth century. He currently inhabits the body of a Syrian and lives in Lebanon among the Druse people. Over the centuries his mission has been to found "magnetic centers."

Through the twentieth century, most theosophical movements have continued the original teachings tying Master Jesus to Appolonius rather than Jesus Christ, but others have quietly adopted an identification of the master with the ascended Jesus Christ. Most prominently, that identification has been made in the I Am Movement and in groups that have roots in the I Am Movement, such as the Church Universal and Triumphant.

Sources:

Ransom, Josephine. A Short History of the Theosophical Society. Adyar, Madras, India: Theosophical Publishing House, 1938.