Written and Given in 1970 by Harold E. Forgostein, 4th Guardian in Chief
Read in the Blue Star Memorial Temple
by Richard A. London, 6th Guardian in Chief
January 18, 2026
What are the Teachings of the Temple?
They are lessons and treatises that explain for us today the age-old truths, laws, and principles that have always governed our lives and environment, all kingdoms of nature, the universe, and its creation and growth.
Who wrote them?
They were written by profound students of life who were specially trained for that work.
Did they make them up, these Teachings?
No. The Teachings are from the Ancient Wisdom of the world, as are the Vedas, the Upanishads, the Bible, the Kabala, and the so-called myths and legends of all times.
Does the Temple believe in the Bible?
Yes. The Temple believes the Bible contains some of the most occult teachings given to the world, much of which can readily be traced to times far earlier than 2,000 years ago, and to the foundation religions of both hemispheres. It holds that the Bible has been subject to much deliberate alteration and expurgation by priestcraft in order to gain and maintain control of masses of innocent people.
This great book was never intended as a literal history of humanity; its mystical and esoteric symbolism is both scientific and prophetic and has been lost to most religions today.
Despite these handicaps, it contains the eternal truths underlying every religion, the most basic being the Golden Rule, which can be found throughout the occident and the orient.
If that is so, why don’t all religions unite as one?
One day they will. Even today their differences, which seem to be so bitter and irreconcilable, are of the nature of political and economic power and competition. The differences between various kinds of religions are not necessarily contradictions, any more than studies in different grades in school are; each opens up certain levels of learning and experience. Symbols, myths and legends are identified in religions of every race, land, and time, and their universality shows a fundamental belief in God and humanity.
The antagonism and hatred bred from differences in religion are contained in the belief in these ideals as well as the opposition to them. Each religion has been marked by this internal dissension, which has spread around the world and eventually brought each form into decay.
Where do these laws come from?
They exist on what may be called inner worlds or planes, and affect all levels of existence. They are the laws of the universe, and can be observed everywhere from the principles of physics to the principles of right human relationships, from the seen to the unseen, from the ordering of galaxies to the most meticulous organization of atoms. Their power and influence is readily perceived by our five senses, our minds, and our emotions.
In our physical world we can observe these laws of life at work. Botany is made up of species and families that cannot be altered, as the intelligence of plant life works with us or without us; chemistry is governed by tables of characteristics and laws; electricity provides the best correlations and correspondences we have with these laws.
So it is with the human mind, emotions, and morals; they are equally subject to corresponding laws, the most fundamental of which is the Golden Rule. These laws and the knowledge of their workings are part of what is known as the Ancient Wisdom, the laws of life that our world is built on.
How is the Ancient Wisdom known? Who has kept these records?
They are the province of the Masters of the Great White Lodge, and are the heritage of all humanity.
Who are these Masters?
They have been known as Jesus or Christ, Buddha, Krishna, Hermes, Diana, Isis, Osiris, Confucius, Joan of Arc, Hiawatha, Paul, Quetzalcoatl, Pythagoras, Rumi, Quan Yin, Mother Mary. The list extends through the history of humanity.
Are the Masters alive today?
They are, and very much in evidence. There is no more reason for assuming that They ceased to live 2,000 years ago than that the sun no longer shines. They serve humanity as Christs, Messiahs, Avatars, Archangels, as leaders and teachers in every constructive activity of humanity –– science, religion, art, and economics.
What is their authority?
Their authority is Truth itself and the right of all to seek it, just as the visible sun is the authority for our physical solar system. From the firstborn child of God through the Christs of all time, through their children and through Masters and disciples to the children of humanity, this Hierarchy of Masters is the living, conscious administrator of the Will and Wisdom of God.
Can these laws be challenged or rejected?
Truth and Law are eternal, no more to be challenged or subjected to rejection by any age level of humanity than are laws of gravity, chemistry, biology, mathematics, or the Golden Rule.
What is the Golden Rule?
It is the first law of every basic religion that humanity has ever known. The vernacular of 2,000 years ago said “Do unto others as you would that they do unto you.” Today it is restated even in popular songs. Its most recent impact on the world has been identified as the gradually growing awareness of the interdependence of all life. It is the unending means throughout the history of earth for peace among humanity.
Without questioning its idealism, does the Golden Rule really work?
Most assuredly. It is the one thing with which every human on earth is inescapably involved. Every day the realization grows that it is THE irrevocable Law that must be lived by or broken; there is no other choice. All the troubles in the world can easily be traced to its violation. And these troubles teach us that we must abide by it to survive, let alone to progress.
Is the Golden Rule always practical? For myself, I have too many habits of mind and body that can only be called sinful.
So have we all. Still, the Golden Rule applies to us as much as it does to a community of perfected beings. The imperfections of the whole world, whether called sin, crime, ignorance, hatred, or greed, are simply kinds of sickness — debts for the violation of the laws of nature –– the breaking of the Golden Rule. The world must be made whole. Sickness is not cured overnight; perfection is not an attainment of a single effort. We must deal with ourselves as we are. The application of the Golden Rule is most realistic.
Do the Teachings say why there is pain, suffering, good and evil in the world?
God did not create suffering and pain as a scourge for humanity. Most of us cling to old, comfortable, established forms in our lives, which must be changed if we are to grow; yet it is our resistance to change that produces pain. Nor is there good or evil in a natural force. We may say, for instance, that God created fire, but fire is neither constructive nor destructive, good nor bad, until we use it. Our motive determines whether it becomes one or the other, as it agrees with or violates the Golden Rule. The world suffers because we are reluctant to learn this lesson of growth and harmony, except through suffering.
Why are we allowed to make wrong choices?
By far the greatest positive influence on humanity is to have us choose in accord with the Golden Rule. Without the right to choose, we cannot become fully functioning adults, and instead remain guided by instinct, as are animals. We live our lives in this matrix of goodness and are not aware of it until we make choices that are out of balance with divine law. We must learn the difference in order to choose correctly. However, humanity’s power of choice is not limitless. Facing the creation of a blade of grass or a galaxy, we are confined to a comparatively small sphere of operation –– our own welfare.
Do people die from “wrong” choices?
Yes, and they are born again as babies in other physical bodies. This is the teaching called Reincarnation. It applies to everything in the universe.
Why should I believe in Reincarnation?
Reincarnation accounts for seeming differences and inequalities in individuals, such as wealth, position, talent, health, etc., and provides the opportunity to all to reach any goal to which they aspire.
Will I be born with the same shortcomings next time?
If need be. The immutable law says that each of us is born with whatever capacities we have earned for ourselves in previous lives, and into whatever environment we have likewise earned, and among whatever friends or enemies we have previously made, in order to take our next evolutionary step –– whatever it may be –– to learn what we need to learn.
Does Reincarnation mean that I will be born again as an animal?
No. That idea is a great distortion of a sacred and natural truth. At rebirth we simply start again where we left off. It is like changing from old worn clothes to the new ones we are entitled to, or like replacing an old worn-out car with a new one. The driver is the same, the consciousness is the same, plus whatever was learned in the previous lifetime.
Why can’t I remember my past lives?
We have not developed the capacity to use that information wisely. In our present lifetime it would only lead to confusion. However, on another level we really do remember, and bring to each new incarnation the fruits of all our past experiences. We call these the qualities of Wisdom, Love, Will, Knowledge –– capacities for Truth, Loyalty, Service.
Do you mean that people are not born into circumstances by accident or fate?
In all of manifestation there is no such thing as accident or predestination. Another teaching, called Karma, says that everything exists as the effect of a cause, and that this effect, in turn, produces further causes with their inevitable effects. These cycles result in the universally acknowledged fact that everything must change.
For all of us, the change will bring well-being or degradation, life or death, according to our motives, thoughts, words, and deeds. We alone are responsible for our circumstances in each incarnation.
Why should I be responsible for anything, especially when I did not create it? Things like nuclear war, pollution, the government, the wage system, the educational system?
Again, this is what we have earned, good or bad, as individuals and as members of groups. We could not possibly make a move in any direction if it were not for the infinite number of lifetimes of those who have labored before us — and those who have labored before us ARE us! We cannot escape the privilege or responsibility for our membership in this human race.
I can see how a law of cause and effect applies to physical things. How can it apply to the non-physical?
The body reacts to heat, weight, hunger, thirst, etc., which are identified and experienced by the inner bodies — mental and emotional — as well as by the nervous system. To understand how cause and effect apply to the non-physical, we have only to consider how we react to what are called “inner” things. Some examples are emotions like anger, hatred, love, greed, lust; conditions like boredom, irritation, so-called nervousness; mental stimulation like ideas, discoveries, teachings; and spiritual reactions to ideals, inspiration, aspiration, hope, faith, beauty. All are unseen effects of outer causes.
What do the Teachings say on the subject of sex?
Sex is a most important and holy mystery, its sacred purpose in all manifestation realized only by understanding its connection with the creative power of Divinity.
The creative force is but one form of spiritual energy which acts primarily at the center of every living thing and creature, and it must be used wisely. It can create union with God, but can also compromise the divine in ourselves and others if abused.
How can I achieve a better understanding of the Teachings?
It is not a matter of success or failure as the world measures things. The best way to understand is to live your life the best you can each day. You are part of God’s universe, and no one can take your place, however you rate yourself. It is not a matter of being great or insignificant. You are essential; the whole universe would be incomplete without you. You are not alone in anything. The Sun never ceases to shine. The Hierarchy of Masters never ceases to help. But you must eat your own food; you must do your own work. The only possible failure is refusal to try again with the next breath you draw. It does not matter how many times you fall, as long as you get up and start again. This is the assurance of perfect justice. Someone, somewhere, is always ready to help you. You have to help those who have a need that you can fill, and you already have whatever you need to make such decisions. This response and realization is called Love.
Do these high ideals prevail in the world today?
They do prevail. They are calling us to account for every violation we commit against them. God put the divine material wealth of all Nature at our disposal to help us and Nature to become more useful. All of God’s principles and laws are likewise in existence, now awaiting our discovery and use of them for the benefit of all humanity. We cannot ignore this divine heritage and live, nor can we abuse it and expect to survive for long. Nowhere in the universe can we get something for nothing, can we create something out of nothing, can we destroy or annihilate anything, can we hold anything to ourselves exclusively for any length of time.
Wars, starvation, disease and pollution are stark evidence of this reality. The growing consciousness that desires peace and safety for our planet is a demonstration of these ideals manifesting for all of us.
How did the Masters arrive at Their divine office?
They, as human beings, have traveled the same path that we are on now. They have lived far more incarnations than we can understand. They are the Elder Sisters and Brothers of humanity, the spiritual Mothers and Fathers of us all. The source of our life and love flows from Them.
Can inner realms be reached through the use of drugs or alcohol?
The Teachings state clearly that any kind of abuse is deteriorating; any loss of self-control must be regained at whatever cost. There is no question that drugs and alcohol can drive a person’s consciousness out of their body, creating states of euphoria that are at best illusional and false, and at worst, the refuse of literal hells of sensuality. The best road to inner realms is through conscious practice of the Golden Rule. It takes longer, but is a certain path.
What about hypnotism, sensitivities and psychic effects?
They can be morally and physically dangerous. They allow the transgression and violation of mental, moral and physical capacities that are uniquely sacred to each person, and can lead to damage of the soul. No lasting spiritual state of exaltation is ever reached by such devices; sitting cross-legged does not a Buddha make. The only path to spiritual growth and inner progress is based on service to humanity –– energy given toward the common good indicated by the Golden Rule. There are no shortcuts.
Can we claim the right to be free?
Our freedom rests on our obedience to physical, mental, moral and spiritual laws.
What evidence of this exists today?
Our lives are as much a part of Law as is all life in the animal, vegetable, and mineral kingdoms. All of us are parts of definite family and racial lines, all of which are governed under the fixed, inexorable Law of all life.
How is the universal ideal of the oneness of all life expressed in the Temple Teachings?
The forces that govern the planet earth, this solar system, and the vast numbers of stars and suns beyond our ability to grasp, all demonstrate a harmony, balance, and power that could not be accidental, that could only be the design of an Intelligence far beyond our ability to understand. Even within ourselves, the operation of the cells and atoms of our bodies prove us to be the fortunate custodians of mystical privileges and powers that keep us alive. A unity of harmonious interdependence is demonstrated everywhere, the inevitability of which humanity is beginning to recognize.
We are all parts of God, sharers of Divine Love, objects of Divine constant concern. Through these Teachings we may become aware of the Master’s infinite Love, Will, and Wisdom.
–– Harold E. Forgostein
4th Guardian in Chief
Written and given in 1970