Heralds Of The Dawn, Explorers Of The Light - by Saleem Rana: "All over the world, human beings seek the truth about the meaning of life. They do this in different ways but it is the spirit of their search which determines the quality of their findings. There are many degrees and variations of those who seek truth, a unusual brand of human beings who seek to understand the meaning of life on a fundamental level. These groups, for the most part, fall into two classes, science and religion. (And those who seek to interpret and present the meanings of these two groups are the artists.)
Many religions have two branches. There is the exoteric branch, where the basic ideas and the story of its founders and the various histories are recorded. Here too is the big book, the manual, that describes how to follow its teachings. The new comer is fascinated by it, believing it to be the book of truth, where the mystery of all creation is finally unveiled. The veteran either accepts the big book as it is or makes a few fresh interpretations. Those who belong to the exoteric group are large in number.
But many long-established religions also have a secret branch, where the interpretation is wholly different, more insightful, and often informed by experiences of personal revelation. This is the esoteric branch. This group is seldom organized. If it is, then you can only join through a personal invitation. The qualifications to join are not clear and what you may learn may be startlingly different from what is taught in the main religion. This group is often secretive because the main branch may often consider the new ideas heresy. As you can imagine, the members of this group are few in number."