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Introduction The information disclosed in The Ultimate Frontier comprises the first open discussion of the ancient Brotherhoods and their far-reaching influence in the civilizing of mankind. It may well come as a surprise to most persons that they have never heard of the Brotherhoods; but if the world had been aware of the work of these worldwide interlocking organizations during centuries past, they would only have suffered unwarranted suppression by political and religious factions in authority. The members and students of the Brotherhoods have traditionally withheld their identity from non-members in order to avoid certain persecution for holding highly idealistic views. Despite these personal risks, the universal wisdom of the philosophy propounded by the Brotherhoods has long been successful in attracting the greater souls of the world into a magnificent, unified leaven of uplift for mankind. Paradoxically, the Brotherhoods have gathered their members from all the religions of the world as well as from among scientists, "free thinkers," and so-called agnostics. Persons of virtuous humanity, goodwill, honesty, and philosophic integrity have been sought out as candidates wherever they may have arisen. This unlikely melange of intellects have found perfect unity, peace, and mutual dedication within the framework of the Brotherhoods' profound teaching, for it exceeds the finest religions and appeals logically to critical minds. The students selected by the Brotherhoods have characteristically possessed the rare trait of mature individualism. Each was contacted by the Brotherhoods when he had sought more than his philosophy could provide; and in some cases the person had come to the point where his most cherished and tenaciously defended beliefs no longer completely sufficed, and he hungered for deeper answers. But it is also important to note that he had to be advanced enough in his philosophic objectivity to discard dogma and have the courage to embrace truth. That degree of truth which can survive every test is of a quality which can set men free to soar, but the rigorous reformation of personally entrenched beliefs needed in order to properly assimilate such truth demands an intellect of uncommon stamina and the faculty of adjusting upward. It is to the credit of the many and varied students of the Brotherhoods that virtually none violated the code of esoteric secrecy. Each would generally continue his way of life to all outward appearances and respect his former allegiances and associations. However, his growth over the years in regard to his personal serenity, strength of character, courage, humility, and control of self while under the tutelage of the Brotherhoods generally aroused speculation among outside acquaintances as to what caused this man to become so outstanding. The student of many years was likely to have become regarded by his friends as an inexplicable but wonderful isle of wisdom, humanness, and peace in this vast sea of frightened, grasping mankind. The singular success of these students in acquiring "that peace which exceeds understanding" reflects the exacting care exercised by the Brotherhoods in choosing candidates. For centuries they have quietly built their membership with the objective of superior quality rather than amassing large numbers. The activities of these scientist-philosophers would probably have remained forever undetected by outsiders if the urgency of the world dilemmas of our time hadn't made it particularly important that the Brotherhoods now publicly declare their position. The value of this unprecedented revelation will become evident in the early chapters of the book. In effect, this book is an introduction to the activities of the Brotherhoods, and it has been cast as a biography because it allows me to quote directly from the mouths of several Emissaries of the Brotherhoods during their instruction of a young man referred to as Richard. His relationship with the Brotherhoods is a fascinating tale in itself, but his personal history is subordinate to the main subject material. Only those events in Richard's life which have bearing upon his conversations with the Emissaries are recorded here, and great care has been taken in verifying every detail. I can't claim verbatim presentation, but neither has any violation of content or intent been introduced. Fortunately, many especially knowledgeable persons have aided me in achieving exactitude in these matters. Although the Brotherhoods' influence in Richard's life is exceptional, the account given here will provide the reader a sampling of the Brotherhoods' time-honored methods of enlistment and instruction. However, the publication of this book marks the beginning of a new phase in the Brotherhoods' work and manner of operation due to a grand, beneficent conspiracy of vital concern to an important segment of mankind. This segment will be drawn from people of all races and nationalities, and the information released in The Ultimate Frontier is dedicated to them and to their reawakening.
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