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QU — Requirements

We offer some Quest Universal programs in Vietnamese, but students enter this program by first taking Meditation Quest and Great Quest.

Pacing Options

Quest Universal is destined for those seekers of Wisdom who are willing and able to dedicate a significant amount of time to this course of study. The rewards are great, truly commensurate with the amount of energy invested.

Each course consists of study materials and requires the answering of study questions during the first half of the year (the academic half), while the second half of the year has a creative focus and consists of the writing of papers (or the creation of other final projects) which demonstrate what the student has learned and assimilated during the academic half of the year. Meditations are prescribed for the entire year.

As you can see, from the information given in the Course Description tab, Quest Universal is a comprehensive and intensive five-year program. In the standard pacing option students take one year to complete each of the five levels. However, we also offer less demanding course load options.

Full Schedule Option means doing all the courses in the Quest Universal Level One. The study year for the first 6 months of the year will be 2 topics per month for meditation and study. In the second half of the year (July to December) you will continue to do 2 topics of meditation per month, but will write papers for those study courses taken. A Full Schedule includes: 100 meditation series, the 110-120-130 line (each of 2 months duration), and courses 140, 150, 170, covering 6 months of study. Students who elect this option can complete QU Level One in 1 year.

Full Schedule involves posting two questions from two topics per course each month making a total of 8 questions per month. This is a very heavy work load if one already has a busy life commitment of job and family, so would be well worth considering other options that might work better and reduce the risk of overload or overstimulation.

Half Schedule is structured as above, but students take 2 courses each year, plus the 100 meditation; the yearly schedule is the same as above with 6 months of meditation and study during the LHY and 6 months of meditation plus the papers required during the DHY period.

This process repeats for the second year as the student completes the remaining courses in that level, plus repeats the 100 meditation (taking them deeper the second year) and prepares DHY papers for the 2nd-year courses.

Self-Pace Schedule is structured by the student, completing 1 or 2 courses per year, maybe only 1 topic per month, as determined by the student’s availability. Students also complete at least 1 topic of assigned meditations each month. At self-pace, there is no LHY or DHY distinction, the student continues on until the 12 study topics are completed. The meditations for that level are repeated each year for as long as it takes to complete the year. Student papers are required to advance to the next level, but they do not have to be completed immediately after the study concludes (although this is recommended, as it is a way to demonstrate what was learned in that particular course). With a self-pace schedule, students can take up to 4 or 5 years to complete one level.

Proficiency in the English language is a requirement because at the moment, all mentors communicate with students in English and our learning materials are written in English. We do recognize the importance of offering study programs in languages other than English and to that effect, translations of the Morya Federation Curriculum into other languages is in process.

Assignments

As a student of Quest Universal you will be expected to complete one written assignment per month, to be posted three days after the Full Moon. This assignment consists of answers to study questions for each course in your level, plus a report on the month’s prescribed meditations. This work is to be done during the Light Half of the Year (LHY, between the December and June Solstices). During the Dark Half of the Year (DHY, between the June and December solstices) your course work will consist of solidifying your learning from the LHY. You will do this by writing a short paper on the subjects you studied during the LHY, or alternatively, writing one longer synthetic paper.

How Much Time?

In total, you can expect to spend about half an hour a day in meditation, plus about 50 hours per month studying and writing your reports.

Guidelines for the monthly reports:

Meditation reports typically should not exceed two pages

Responses to each study question should be brief, but full.

Guidelines for the Dark Half Year papers:

Short papers for specific courses which are done during the second part of the year (DHY), should be about three pages, while longer synthetic papers can range from ten to twenty pages.

Students can choose to exceed these guidelines, but this would be beyond our expectations.

Your Mentor

You will be assigned a mentor who will support you throughout the program and who will comment on your meditation reports. (A different mentor may be assigned to you after one or two years in the program.) In addition, a faculty member associated with each course you are taking (i.e. a faculty advisor) will provide comments to your study reports, so you could get up to five replies each month from your different faculty advisors. Your mentor is your first contact with the Morya Federation. The student-mentor relationship is intended to be ‘impersonally-personal’ or ‘personally-impersonal’, to quote the idea of Alice Bailey. You mentor will be closely involved with your general spiritual progress and will serve you as a source of spiritual guidance in your quest for enlightenment.

Application in Daily Life

Quest Universal is also very much oriented towards application – application of esoteric learnings and new spiritual practices to every day life as you live your spiritual values among your family, friends, and community. You will increasingly radiate the love of your soul and benefit the lives of those whom you encounter. This application will be extended into involvement with the wider sphere of humanity, and will be greatly emphasized as you contemplate various areas of spiritual activity for your service to humanity. This is one way to understand the meaning of the word “service”. There is a real emphasis on Service in Quest Universal. A course entitled Service and Solutions for Humanity is a subject that occupies a prominent pace in each of the five levels.

Rhythm and Flexibility

One important requirement is a steady rhythm of work. You will get the most benefit and advancement in your spiritual life if you fulfill your monthly obligations with consistency and timeliness. We understand that in the course of study with us, there may be times when other life responsibilities may affect your meditation and study schedule. When such circumstances occur, we do make allowances and offer flexible options.

Doctor of Philosophy in Esotericism

Quest Universal students who complete Level 5 have the opportunity to apply for admission to the Doctor of Philosophy in Esotericism certificate. Reprinted below is a letter of explanation from Michael Robbins:

Dear Fellow Students of the Ageless Wisdom,

Welcome to Level Five of Quest Universal. I want to congratulate you on your persistence and diligence in reporting on your meditation, study, and service! Your regular reporting has vitalized the student body and demonstrated great qualities of discipline — which of course are fundamental to the life of the disciple.

Upon completion of all work in Level Five you will receive a Morya Federation Diploma which will be your certificate of completion of Quest Universal within the Morya Federation. As you embark upon this final year, please accept all of our appreciation for your contributions to expanding the understanding of the Ageless Wisdom within your own consciousness and, inevitably, within the consciousness of others.

In the tradition of The University of the Seven Rays we further offer you the opportunity to receive the Ph.D.E. (Doctor of Philosophy in Esotericism) upon completion of a graduate-level, final synthesizing thesis, dissertation or project in a particular area of esoteric study which inspires you and in which you feel you may make a valuable contribution. When you are ready to apply for the Ph.D.E, please consult with your mentor and any faculty advisers who may be able to help you refine your proposal. To this end, a Final Project Adviser will be assigned to you, though you may have more than one adviser on your Final Project Committee. I also will be part of the review and hope to consult with you and your advisers upon this final synthetic project.

Michael D. Robbins, Ph.D., Ph.D.E.,
President, University of the Seven Rays
Director, Morya Federation

Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions about this course, or about the Morya Federation itself. An administrator or faculty member will respond to you. It is also possible to have Skype conversations if you prefer.

If you feel drawn or ‘called’ to become a student in Quest Universal, please download and complete the Quest Universal Application. Once you have submitted your Application, the Admissions Committee will carefully consider it; you will receive notification concerning your admission about two weeks after your Application has been received.