#2
Consider This:
“There was a time when (in the early history of the planet) there was no Hierarchy; there were only two major centers in the expression of the life of the Lord of the World: Shamballa and His embryonic throat centre, Humanity. Shamballa was the head centre.” During this time, “certain developed and informed Lives” lived and walked among men and more or less shepherded infant humanity along the Path of evolution. Eventually infant humanity became capable of being impressed with the Living Plan. “but the matter aspect and quality—that of active intelligence—was so strong that the second historical phase became essential.” The Rays and Initiations P. 380-5

This was the creation of the Hierarchy. The heart center of the Lord of the World came into being, and became a “mediating center between Shamballa and Humanity.” The 2nd Ray Ashram was the first functioning Ashram in the heart Center. According to the lore (See the material from The Rays and Initiations P. 380-5) the next Ashram to get up and running was the 7th Ray Ashram. The other six Ashrams came into focus over very long periods of time, with the First Ray ashram being the last.

Regarding the present manifestation of the Ashram of Synthesis:

Master R tells us that “This Synthetic Ashram is actually being recreated, for at another time, that which I can refer to as not exactly an analogy, not exactly a correspondence of this Ashram, was in existence.” Ashramic Projections P.36 The Hierarchy is the Ashram of Sanat Kumara. When the 2nd and 7th Ray Ashrams were generated, they were done so from the 1st Ray center, Shamballa. Thus the initial Hierarchical appearance on the planet was a synthesis of the 1st ray aspect from Shamballa, and the 2nd 7th ray aspects within the Heart Center. It is possible that this ashramic alignment is what Master R. is referring to as “not exactly an analogy, not exactly a correspondence of this Ashram, was in existence.”

So, suppose that the earlier manifestation of the Synthetic Ashram to which Master R. refers was functioning during the period when Humanity generated the cataclysm which wiped out the Atlantean Civilization, and broke the Antahkarana. After this event, the Ashram was disintegrated. “Its members were forced to reenter the evolutionary process almost at the animal man stage and to recapitulate the growth and development achieved up through the evolutionary process until [they] have arrived at this point in awareness [Realization of their membership in the present manifestation of the Ashram of synthesis.] .” Ashramic Projections P36

It seems that it was a very long time before the 1st Ray Ashram came into focus within the heart center. Thus the initial existence of “not exactly an analogy, not exactly a correspondence of this Ashram,” to which Master R. is referring could well have been this early alignment of 1,2,7.