The Shamballa School, international residential spiritual school

History and Unfolding Expression of the Preparatory School

at Highden Manor, New Zealand

.....from a talk by Suchitra Davenport

This experiment at Highden, which has always stemmed from the Tibetan’s focus on The Future Schools in Alice A. Bailey’s book, “Letters on Occult Meditation” has had a short, yet intricate and rich beginning.

After many years of meditation and preparation, seeds were planted at the Wesak Valley at the time of the Shamballa Impact in May of 2000. The agreement of purchase of the property itself occurred on the Winter Solstice, June 21, 2000. On Oct. 15, 2000, with Uranus on the ascendant, the archetype of the mandala, each zodiacal, rayological, and trinity point that the original subjective work had repeatedly revealed, was anchored with “standing stones”, that is friends and co-workers, participating in a grounding ceremony. I know that some of you were present for that. Then on June 21, 2001, Winter Solstice and a Solar Eclipse, The School, a full residential preparatory esoteric school, commenced with students from Australia, New Zealand, the US, Denmark and Iceland. Just prior to the school opening in June, 2002, the large stones arrived on the property, were set in place through rain and sun, were beautifully carved with symbols and words and were grounded fully with ceremony, thus bringing the Stone Mandala of the Archetype into full physical manifestion. I was honored to ground the 7^th ray stone that day, my first ceremonial function at Highden.

On June 21, 2002, we inaugurated the second year, with 3 returning students and 9 other students from New Zealand, Australia, Denmark, the US, Iran and Columbia.

These first two school years were structured, not perfectly at all, but with intent, by the rhythms and cycles of Life, a living curriculum. In the first year, the 1^st Ray Sword of Fire was a symbol, in the second Ray year we built the Heart, the Blue Chalice. We endeavored to create horoscopes for the solstices, equinoxes and full moons for each year and to make these points on a zodiacal-based monthly calendar, with waxing and waning cycles clearly shown to emphasize “intake” during waxing, and “expression” during waning. Monthly inbreath and outbreath. We created meditative, academic, service, expressive and recreational activities, according to daily rayological and monthly zodiacal energies. We began each year with an opening ritual coinciding with the Winter Solstice and concluded with a closing ritual at the Summer Solstice. We had a break at Libra. We also emphasized the Full Moon periods as group and individual transformational opportunities…we participated in fasting, either food, or word or other, and in rituals that reinforced the monthly energies of the sign and its opposite sign, often using “The Labours of Hercules” for inspiration.

With the study and practice of occult meditation a foundation for the curriculum, we followed daily cycles of meditation at 7:00 a.m., noon and 5:00 p.m., seeking to embody throughout the day the inspiration and guidance received in the inner worlds. Students participated fully in the community life, with rostered chores, cooking, Working Bees, with multiple opportunities to purify the 3 lower vehicles enhanced by daily group living and rhythmic counseling sessions. Creativity and renaissance skills were encouraged through Rumi nights, music, drama, poetry, painting, etc. The Rules for Initiation were studied and tested in livingness. And our relationship to the wider world and our service within it deepened through an understanding of the destiny of the nations, our roles in the externaliziation of the Hierarchy and ultimately how we might individually and collectively prepare others for the coming Reappearance of the Christ. The quickening experienced by these students through the immersion in this curriculum is immeasurable, but was constantly evident and palpable and continues still within them. They cannot turn back now.

In the Outbreath time following the 2^nd year, the ownership of the property came into question, and this created a crisis for the Core group, bringing us to a full surrender of the property, the project and whatever was left of our personal lives to the Will of God at the time of the Full Moon of Aquarius. We opened wider into the Mystery and allowed the Mystery then to reveal herself more fully though us. The next stage began its revelation with the arrival of Kent Fergusan and his partner Wendelin Wagner, educators from the US seeking to manifest a school in New Zealand. Their prototype for an exoteric school, The School Down Under, matched with uncanny resemblance an exoteric prototype already developed by us, The Upside Down Under School. The multiple synchronisities and continued shared revelation, allowed us to see that the vision was expanding exponentially before our eyes. The shared vision at that time was to be 6 months of exoteric school to be followed by six months of esoteric school, however, the Life pouring into the School at Highden moves and changes quickly and we must be ever responsive toThat.

The manifestation process has proceeded to the point where the ‘entity’ which is the School has drawn to itself an outer expression of its essential purpose. We are currently calling that The School Down Under, with website available, students expected in January, a dormitory and new buildings ready to build, council permission in place, funding proceeding and many new incoming teachers arriving. The community is growing quickly, as are the challenges and opportunites held within that expansion.

Highden is now a living, threefold being – this symbol might help to give you sense of this.

The outer circle refers to the physical place of Highden Manor in both its outer structures – the land, the buildings, the gardens and newly forming farm, the growing animal life, as well as it’s inner intelligence, the devic lives, the etheric body and so forth. “Sacred space” is an integration of these inner and outer dimensions of ‘place’. Everyone who lives in, works at, or visits the actual location of Highden comes into this space and interacts with this field. Its structural beauty and vitality is the outer expression of the School entity. It’s very fabric weaves through every cell and atom, every part of every part.

The interpenetrating triangles or six-pointed star refers to the dual second aspect or ‘consciousness’ of the School entity. Everyone who is involved in learning, teaching and developing consciousness has a part in this field. Specifically there are two initiatives within the School which represent the attempt to organize this developmental field.

The ‘exoteric school’, The School Down Under, focuses primarily on the education, or drawing forth, of the individual/group through the encouragement of interaction with the spiritual, mental, emotional and physical environment. It brings the Soul, or consciousness into expression through experiential learning. It assists the individual to ‘engage’ with the world and to develop their unique Soul contribution…to do their part within Purpose.

The ‘esoteric school”, focuses primarily on subjective education – the opening up, the ‘drawing within’ of the individual or group through meditative practice to explore the inner worlds of consciousness. It attempts to ‘detach’ and observe or witness the play of consciousness itself and to see the interrelationship of all Life in its various expressions. These two ‘directions’ of consciousness we can relate to the eastern and western approaches and they form part of an integrated whole. They are the inbreath and the outbreath of Soul. When the triangles are placed one on the top of the other they form a diamond in the circle, which was the symbol of Kent’s school in the US and also a symbol for the ‘jewel in the lotus’ of Tibetan esoterism. And in this symbol we see that essentially there is only One School at Highden, and it is one part of the One Fundamental School expressing through the Soul of New Zealand.

This second field, related to consciousness is represented as inside the circle and yet it extends further – just as the consciousness of an individual is not restricted to the physical vehicle. This expanded field pulses with past and future teachers and students, those who participate in this field who will never visit the outer location – the consciousness of those who wrote the books that are read in the library, inner teachers and guides, meditative supporters, friends and families who are affected by the changes in consciousness and capabilities of a student, members of our various egroups, and those who visit our various websites and so on, and so on..

The third field is represented by the dot in the centre of the six pointed star, making in effect the ‘seventh point’. This is a point of synthesis and focus on the ‘Spirit’ aspect of the entity. We might call it ‘The Great Mystery’ or “The Will of God”. It relates ALL, the whole field, through Purpose or, we could say to the unfolding evolutionary purpose of the planet. It is the answer to the question “What’s the point?” The Shamballa School Group, composed of 7 core group members, holds this subjective point in the field and is an initiative that seeks to work primarily with this aspect of the whole. Through this subjective work, the Purpose or Life can sustain the living organism of the School at Highden. Though the ‘point’ is the smallest of the three symbols it is related the most extensively to the wider world, and serves to link similar centres around the globe and to nourish the world wide group and the One Fundamental School. Everyone and all are related to this point whether or not they are conscious of the fact. When they have balanced the dual aspects, inner and outer, of the soul and consciously come into relationship with their essential life Purpose or ‘monad’, then they are responding to this aspect of the centre, to the Will of God.

Anyone who comes into relationship with Highden is participating in all three aspects of the centre, although they may only be consciously focused in one. Each level is important for the overall health and well being of this living, breathing organism.

This third year, the Preparatory School of Occidental Meditation, or PSOM, the current name of the esoteric faction of the School at Highden, began on the Winter Solstice, 2003 with 3 returning students, and 2 others who were working on their own projects within the community. Because of the many shifts and changes in the field, this year was seen to be a “transition” year with a focus on curriculum and teaching tool development. Two students and Vicktorya Stone have continued to work in these areas and have continued the meditative, ceremonial and cyclic rhythms of the School. Other members of the Shamballa School group have focused on different aspects of the unfolding work allowing for expanded creativity and joyful individual expression within the group while continuing the vital subjective work and the honoring of the rhythms and cycles. .

As we steadily move toward year four, change continues to be our constant companion. We do listen deeply each day to this Entity, seeking always to hear the directive which holds us in alignment to the unfolding Purpose. The outer manifestation of The School Down Under is currently a more “out there” noisy happening. This school will be a residential school for international students ages 16-19 and will offer adventure, academics, ritual, small intimate classes, the idea that learning happens everywhere, preparation for future endeavors, technological tools, the arts, an individual approach to learning styles, rites of passage, a focus on alignment and balance and a cultivation of a sense of the sacred and a reverence for all Life. The rhythms and cycles will be integrated into this more exoteric form, rituals will crossover, consciousness will stimulate consciousness. The students who go through this program will have a clearer sense of how to live an evolving Life and will be inspired and encouraged to be of service to humanity. Some of the students and some of the teachers in this school, will be drawn to the esoteric classes and practices that further and intentionally educate the Soul toward Initiation. They will have the questions, the remembrances and the inner calling to reach in that direction.

Highden is becoming more and more a conscious being, a Solar Community and is educating everyone who comes near. Even the Wwoofers,(willing workers on organic farms) who pass through, experience transformation, take new risks, seek deeper answers and recognize inner longings unnoticed before. The School at Highden, this evolving, repetitive, beautiful, awesome, dynamic, destructive and constructive Life form which brings the inner and outer worlds into One, LIVES. David Spangler said back in 1980 that education in the new age would be the very process of Life itself. Our experience tells us that this is Truth. And because of this we are often unclear about what is happening, having to Trust and wait for the next step and revelation. We have struggled, but we are beginning to get good at listening and getting out of the way. We have been witness to miracles and magic. And we have had times of great uncertainty and fear. We are learning to rejoice in the obstacles, and we answer a resounding YES, to Morya’s questions, “Can We be assured that the seeming obstacle will tenfold multiply your resourcefulness? Can We send you the arrow of help, assured that you will catch it in flight? Can We pronounce the word of the New World in unison with you? Can We vouch for your vigilance?

The esoteric work at Highden continues and we are currently exploring ways to build upon the consciousness which is the foundation of the preparatory work here. At this time we are contemplating curriculum for the future, exploring ways to work co-creatively with and within the more exoteric model. We are exploring course ideas and the practicalities of having a more esoteric curriculum running simultaneously with the exoteric work. We continue to work experimentally, holding in place the Divine Principles of Purpose, Evolution, and Activity with the meditative work, the rhythms and cycles, the rituals, study and service. We are once again standing, willing to create anew, to uplift and strengthen students and provide an ever-alive Aquarian organism within which students may know themselves as Soul, honor others as Soul and by their presence and actions in the world do their part to manifest the Kingdom of God on Earth.

If you have interest in this experimental preparatory school and its continued unfoldment, as potential student, as potential teacher, or in any capacity, please direct inquires to Suchitra Davenport at suchitradavenport@highden.org .

*Shamballa School* Coming Initiation Schools General Information Curriculum Location & Design Personnel The Highden Experiment in NZ Specific Initiatives New Schools - Quotes What is an Esoteric School - The Key Note of The Modern Mystery School - Money & The New Schools Externalising an Esoteric School - Bruce Lyon The Externalisation of The One School - Bruce Lyon Funding HOME		History and Unfolding Expression of the Preparatory School at Highden Manor, New Zealand .....from a talk by Suchitra Davenport This experiment at Highden, which has always stemmed from the Tibetan’s focus on The Future Schools in Alice A. Bailey’s book, “Letters on Occult Meditation” has had a short, yet intricate and rich beginning. After many years of meditation and preparation, seeds were planted at the Wesak Valley at the time of the Shamballa Impact in May of 2000. The agreement of purchase of the property itself occurred on the Winter Solstice, June 21, 2000. On Oct. 15, 2000, with Uranus on the ascendant, the archetype of the mandala, each zodiacal, rayological, and trinity point that the original subjective work had repeatedly revealed, was anchored with “standing stones”, that is friends and co-workers, participating in a grounding ceremony. I know that some of you were present for that. Then on June 21, 2001, Winter Solstice and a Solar Eclipse, The School, a full residential preparatory esoteric school, commenced with students from Australia, New Zealand, the US, Denmark and Iceland. Just prior to the school opening in June, 2002, the large stones arrived on the property, were set in place through rain and sun, were beautifully carved with symbols and words and were grounded fully with ceremony, thus bringing the Stone Mandala of the Archetype into full physical manifestion. I was honored to ground the 7^th ray stone that day, my first ceremonial function at Highden. On June 21, 2002, we inaugurated the second year, with 3 returning students and 9 other students from New Zealand, Australia, Denmark, the US, Iran and Columbia. These first two school years were structured, not perfectly at all, but with intent, by the rhythms and cycles of Life, a living curriculum. In the first year, the 1^st Ray Sword of Fire was a symbol, in the second Ray year we built the Heart, the Blue Chalice. We endeavored to create horoscopes for the solstices, equinoxes and full moons for each year and to make these points on a zodiacal-based monthly calendar, with waxing and waning cycles clearly shown to emphasize “intake” during waxing, and “expression” during waning. Monthly inbreath and outbreath. We created meditative, academic, service, expressive and recreational activities, according to daily rayological and monthly zodiacal energies. We began each year with an opening ritual coinciding with the Winter Solstice and concluded with a closing ritual at the Summer Solstice. We had a break at Libra. We also emphasized the Full Moon periods as group and individual transformational opportunities…we participated in fasting, either food, or word or other, and in rituals that reinforced the monthly energies of the sign and its opposite sign, often using “The Labours of Hercules” for inspiration. With the study and practice of occult meditation a foundation for the curriculum, we followed daily cycles of meditation at 7:00 a.m., noon and 5:00 p.m., seeking to embody throughout the day the inspiration and guidance received in the inner worlds. Students participated fully in the community life, with rostered chores, cooking, Working Bees, with multiple opportunities to purify the 3 lower vehicles enhanced by daily group living and rhythmic counseling sessions. Creativity and renaissance skills were encouraged through Rumi nights, music, drama, poetry, painting, etc. The Rules for Initiation were studied and tested in livingness. And our relationship to the wider world and our service within it deepened through an understanding of the destiny of the nations, our roles in the externaliziation of the Hierarchy and ultimately how we might individually and collectively prepare others for the coming Reappearance of the Christ. The quickening experienced by these students through the immersion in this curriculum is immeasurable, but was constantly evident and palpable and continues still within them. They cannot turn back now. In the Outbreath time following the 2^nd year, the ownership of the property came into question, and this created a crisis for the Core group, bringing us to a full surrender of the property, the project and whatever was left of our personal lives to the Will of God at the time of the Full Moon of Aquarius. We opened wider into the Mystery and allowed the Mystery then to reveal herself more fully though us. The next stage began its revelation with the arrival of Kent Fergusan and his partner Wendelin Wagner, educators from the US seeking to manifest a school in New Zealand. Their prototype for an exoteric school, The School Down Under, matched with uncanny resemblance an exoteric prototype already developed by us, The Upside Down Under School. The multiple synchronisities and continued shared revelation, allowed us to see that the vision was expanding exponentially before our eyes. The shared vision at that time was to be 6 months of exoteric school to be followed by six months of esoteric school, however, the Life pouring into the School at Highden moves and changes quickly and we must be ever responsive toThat. The manifestation process has proceeded to the point where the ‘entity’ which is the School has drawn to itself an outer expression of its essential purpose. We are currently calling that The School Down Under, with website available, students expected in January, a dormitory and new buildings ready to build, council permission in place, funding proceeding and many new incoming teachers arriving. The community is growing quickly, as are the challenges and opportunites held within that expansion. Highden is now a living, threefold being – this symbol might help to give you sense of this. The outer circle refers to the physical place of Highden Manor in both its outer structures – the land, the buildings, the gardens and newly forming farm, the growing animal life, as well as it’s inner intelligence, the devic lives, the etheric body and so forth. “Sacred space” is an integration of these inner and outer dimensions of ‘place’. Everyone who lives in, works at, or visits the actual location of Highden comes into this space and interacts with this field. Its structural beauty and vitality is the outer expression of the School entity. It’s very fabric weaves through every cell and atom, every part of every part. The interpenetrating triangles or six-pointed star refers to the dual second aspect or ‘consciousness’ of the School entity. Everyone who is involved in learning, teaching and developing consciousness has a part in this field. Specifically there are two initiatives within the School which represent the attempt to organize this developmental field. The ‘exoteric school’, The School Down Under, focuses primarily on the education, or drawing forth, of the individual/group through the encouragement of interaction with the spiritual, mental, emotional and physical environment. It brings the Soul, or consciousness into expression through experiential learning. It assists the individual to ‘engage’ with the world and to develop their unique Soul contribution…to do their part within Purpose. The ‘esoteric school”, focuses primarily on subjective education – the opening up, the ‘drawing within’ of the individual or group through meditative practice to explore the inner worlds of consciousness. It attempts to ‘detach’ and observe or witness the play of consciousness itself and to see the interrelationship of all Life in its various expressions. These two ‘directions’ of consciousness we can relate to the eastern and western approaches and they form part of an integrated whole. They are the inbreath and the outbreath of Soul. When the triangles are placed one on the top of the other they form a diamond in the circle, which was the symbol of Kent’s school in the US and also a symbol for the ‘jewel in the lotus’ of Tibetan esoterism. And in this symbol we see that essentially there is only One School at Highden, and it is one part of the One Fundamental School expressing through the Soul of New Zealand. This second field, related to consciousness is represented as inside the circle and yet it extends further – just as the consciousness of an individual is not restricted to the physical vehicle. This expanded field pulses with past and future teachers and students, those who participate in this field who will never visit the outer location – the consciousness of those who wrote the books that are read in the library, inner teachers and guides, meditative supporters, friends and families who are affected by the changes in consciousness and capabilities of a student, members of our various egroups, and those who visit our various websites and so on, and so on.. The third field is represented by the dot in the centre of the six pointed star, making in effect the ‘seventh point’. This is a point of synthesis and focus on the ‘Spirit’ aspect of the entity. We might call it ‘The Great Mystery’ or “The Will of God”. It relates ALL, the whole field, through Purpose or, we could say to the unfolding evolutionary purpose of the planet. It is the answer to the question “What’s the point?” The Shamballa School Group, composed of 7 core group members, holds this subjective point in the field and is an initiative that seeks to work primarily with this aspect of the whole. Through this subjective work, the Purpose or Life can sustain the living organism of the School at Highden. Though the ‘point’ is the smallest of the three symbols it is related the most extensively to the wider world, and serves to link similar centres around the globe and to nourish the world wide group and the One Fundamental School. Everyone and all are related to this point whether or not they are conscious of the fact. When they have balanced the dual aspects, inner and outer, of the soul and consciously come into relationship with their essential life Purpose or ‘monad’, then they are responding to this aspect of the centre, to the Will of God. Anyone who comes into relationship with Highden is participating in all three aspects of the centre, although they may only be consciously focused in one. Each level is important for the overall health and well being of this living, breathing organism. This third year, the Preparatory School of Occidental Meditation, or PSOM, the current name of the esoteric faction of the School at Highden, began on the Winter Solstice, 2003 with 3 returning students, and 2 others who were working on their own projects within the community. Because of the many shifts and changes in the field, this year was seen to be a “transition” year with a focus on curriculum and teaching tool development. Two students and Vicktorya Stone have continued to work in these areas and have continued the meditative, ceremonial and cyclic rhythms of the School. Other members of the Shamballa School group have focused on different aspects of the unfolding work allowing for expanded creativity and joyful individual expression within the group while continuing the vital subjective work and the honoring of the rhythms and cycles. . As we steadily move toward year four, change continues to be our constant companion. We do listen deeply each day to this Entity, seeking always to hear the directive which holds us in alignment to the unfolding Purpose. The outer manifestation of The School Down Under is currently a more “out there” noisy happening. This school will be a residential school for international students ages 16-19 and will offer adventure, academics, ritual, small intimate classes, the idea that learning happens everywhere, preparation for future endeavors, technological tools, the arts, an individual approach to learning styles, rites of passage, a focus on alignment and balance and a cultivation of a sense of the sacred and a reverence for all Life. The rhythms and cycles will be integrated into this more exoteric form, rituals will crossover, consciousness will stimulate consciousness. The students who go through this program will have a clearer sense of how to live an evolving Life and will be inspired and encouraged to be of service to humanity. Some of the students and some of the teachers in this school, will be drawn to the esoteric classes and practices that further and intentionally educate the Soul toward Initiation. They will have the questions, the remembrances and the inner calling to reach in that direction. Highden is becoming more and more a conscious being, a Solar Community and is educating everyone who comes near. Even the Wwoofers,(willing workers on organic farms) who pass through, experience transformation, take new risks, seek deeper answers and recognize inner longings unnoticed before. The School at Highden, this evolving, repetitive, beautiful, awesome, dynamic, destructive and constructive Life form which brings the inner and outer worlds into One, LIVES. David Spangler said back in 1980 that education in the new age would be the very process of Life itself. Our experience tells us that this is Truth. And because of this we are often unclear about what is happening, having to Trust and wait for the next step and revelation. We have struggled, but we are beginning to get good at listening and getting out of the way. We have been witness to miracles and magic. And we have had times of great uncertainty and fear. We are learning to rejoice in the obstacles, and we answer a resounding YES, to Morya’s questions, “Can We be assured that the seeming obstacle will tenfold multiply your resourcefulness? Can We send you the arrow of help, assured that you will catch it in flight? Can We pronounce the word of the New World in unison with you? Can We vouch for your vigilance? The esoteric work at Highden continues and we are currently exploring ways to build upon the consciousness which is the foundation of the preparatory work here. At this time we are contemplating curriculum for the future, exploring ways to work co-creatively with and within the more exoteric model. We are exploring course ideas and the practicalities of having a more esoteric curriculum running simultaneously with the exoteric work. We continue to work experimentally, holding in place the Divine Principles of Purpose, Evolution, and Activity with the meditative work, the rhythms and cycles, the rituals, study and service. We are once again standing, willing to create anew, to uplift and strengthen students and provide an ever-alive Aquarian organism within which students may know themselves as Soul, honor others as Soul and by their presence and actions in the world do their part to manifest the Kingdom of God on Earth. If you have interest in this experimental preparatory school and its continued unfoldment, as potential student, as potential teacher, or in any capacity, please direct inquires to Suchitra Davenport at suchitradavenport@highden.org .