Our human core (of Mind and Heart) is the Hierarchy. In other words, the Hierarchy is in our core of being. So as one realizes deeper into one's core, one's consciousness is moving deeper through the Levels of Hierarchy, towards the innermost Core of our shared Being.
Metaphysically, the Hierarchy is the Core Spiritual Reality. Therefore, the Hierarchy is the Core of the world, Core of humanity, or Core of each person. The Core is the most inner. What is most noticeable, most phenomenal, is the outer shell of life or outerness of people. Yet within this is outerness is the spiritual Core, which at its deepest is the pure spiritual Essence within each of us. Yet in the medium of Mind/Heart the Core within-ness is a Hierarchy of levels – gradations of spiritual deepness towards the most central Core of Spiritual Essence.
So, the Hierarchy is within. Our deepest spiritual Essence is within, but between our outer thinking mind and our Essence are many levels of Depth leading towards the absolute inner Core of Divine Essence. These levels of Depth is the Hierarchy. This means that the Spiritual Hierarchy is in the Core of all persons and all of life. It is the leveled and deepening structure of soulness in all of us.
Finally to point out is that from our Core, the Hierarchy of our Core, is true spiritual influence, which works under principle of magnetism. Yet this inner spiritual influence is not a demanding authority or controller. It is more similar to a parent suggesting a wise path or a friend asking for help in something.
At the very core of our being is Spirit. Usually we refer to the inner core or centre of our being as our individual soul. This is right; but also realize that the core centre of each person is the Universal Spirit, also called God, which is the Core reality of every soul. Every human being has an inner spiritual heart, which is the home of love. And deep within this spiritual heart, at its very core centre, is the Spiritual Heart, or what some people call the Heart of God. This universal Heart is hidden within, until discovered and realized.
If we come into an inner connection and relationship with our deep Spiritual Heart within, we will receive experiences of Divine Love and we will also be guided by the wisdom of this Love. This greater Heart and Love emerges through us and is more realized, depending on our alignment and attunement with it.
This Spiritual Heart, this inner spiritual core of our being, even has a special magnetism which brings one closer inside it. Yet in spite of this magnetism, not everyone is drawn into their spiritual heart and not everyone realizes the Divine Love. This magnetism is an influence, but it does not have an absolute force since various forces of the outer world can be more powerful. Our inner Spiritual Heart magnet does have a drawing and directing force, but this will work much better if our intentional attitude is to be in alignment with our inner Spiritual Heart.
Thus, there is no guarantee that a person will discover their Spiritual Heart, nor that it will influence that person's life; because there has to be an opening to this magnetism and a willingness to be drawn by it. It's like music. A beautiful piece of music has little effect on people who are not open and willing to really listen. Yet if we want, we can be drawn into the depth of the Spiritual Heart and guided by its beautiful harmony.
So, deep within our heart is the One Spiritual Heart – the One Cosmic, Divine, Spiritual Heart within everyone; which is, in essence, the same beautiful loving Heart within everyone, which is the Heart of God. Deep within every heart is the Heart of God, the One Spiritual Heart. This could also be called our Shared Heart. So as we share in heart with others, we are sharing together in our Shared Heart, the shared heart of God.
Now, as we go deeper within our heart, deeper in consciousness through our heart, we move through levels of the heart, levels leading towards the very center core of heart, the Spiritual Heart, or towards God within. These are levels between our outer personality mind and our innermost Spiritual Centre of heart. These are the deepening levels towards the Divine Centre, which consciousness must traverse-through to finally reach that innermost Centre, which is God within.
These levels are called the Spiritual Hierarchy – the hierarchy of spiritual levels within us, leading towards the Centre of our being, which is God. All along this Path towards the Centre, and along each level of this Hierarchy, are the Hierarchy of Souls – some Souls being closer to the Centre than others, yet each soul being a bridge, or a link, or a guide towards the next level inward to the Absolute Centre, God. This is the esoteric wisdom, seldom revealed.
Thus, along the way towards God within, we meet and interact with various souls on each level who are as links to the next level within. Therefore, along the path towards the Center Core of our being, the Center of our Spiritual Heart, the very core of our being which is God, we meet and interact with other souls within, who are like guides or teachers for us along the way; and once we assimilate and progress through that level we then go further deeper within towards God. As one realizes deeper into one's Core, one's consciousness is moving deeper through the Levels of Hierarchy towards the innermost Core of our being. This is the Path through the Spiritual Hierarchy.
Within the Spiritual Hierarchy are very deep spiritual Souls, but also there are groups of Souls having a shared special work of service, in relation to the world. These groups have been called Ashrams. So we can make a conscious relationship with Souls of the Hierarchy and also with Groups of the Hierarchy. These Souls and Groups are links to the Ultimate Centre of Being, which is God. All of these Souls and Groups are on a Path towards ultimate God realization, just as we all are. We all progress along this Path step-by-step, level-by-level, and every Soul closer to God becomes a guide and a further link for us.
Finally to understand is that our relation with these higher Souls and Groups, and with the whole Spiritual Hierarchy, is furthered by our conscious, intentional and willing attunement with the Hierarchy within and also by our cooperation with Their Work. As one becomes more in attune with the Spiritual Heart within and with the Hierarchy leading there, one can then be guided by a feeling of what is in harmony with our inner Heart.
The realm of Mind and Hierarchy can be accessed through the heart, deep in the heart, deep in meditation. Understand that the Hierarchy is not actually above us. This is just how we usually think about it intuitively; since the very idea of a 'hierarchy' is based on vertical levels with higher levels being above the others. But this vertical above-ness is in the mental and spiritual realm, not the physical. So we can intuitively think of the Hierarchy of Masters and Guides as being above us, but remember that it is not actually above in a physical sense. It is above only in a mental sense, or in the realm of Mind.
Also for the sake of understanding, the meaning of higher mind, or higher levels of Mind, or of higher presence in the Hierarchy, is to do with higher vibration or higher frequency of consciousness-energy. This is the energy of mind and of soul, which ranges in possibility from low vibrational frequency to higher. So it is in this sense of vibration that we can also understand the meaning of higher, in relation to mind, consciousness, and souls. Additionally, this is also related to what is meant by a 'higher vibration of the heart', which also means a more refined and clear heart, and also, a higher vibration of the heart is found more deeply in the heart. So there are many related meanings in all of this.
Once we understand these meanings of higher and deeper, we can also understand that the Hierarchy is inside of us, and inside humanity. So rather than being above, it can be understood as being inside our mind and heart. The Hierarchy can be found either within mind or heart, since these are the two modes of spiritual knowing, but as one progresses in meditation these two modes become one.
This inside perspective is certainly a different intuitive understanding, a different kind of perspective, but it is just as true as the above perspective. Both perspectives have a profound related meaning. For we can learn by 'looking deeper within' from the outside, or by 'looking up above' from below. Try the deeper approach for a change and discover what is profoundly inside, like sunlight radiant from within.