SECTION
ONE - MEDITATION
Contact –
this refers to those brief energetic relationships with that which is
above ones own level of consciousness and is therefore inspirational and
causal to the experience of the meditator. This contact is approached
first of all through a ‘vehicle
of approach’. We are used to the term ‘concept’ from the
mental plane as a thoughtform built by the personality to approach the
soul. This ‘concept’ is a personality approximation to the thought
of the soul which when close enough can be inhabited or ‘informed’
by the soul itself. On higher levels the ‘vehicle of approach’
may not be conceptual in the mental sense. For example the ‘concept’ or vehicle
for approach to a Master however is built on atmic levels out of will
energy. When the soul will of a disciple closely aligns with the will
of a Master, then ‘contact’ occurs.
Cooperation –
this refers to the
creative collaboration with energies and entities
at a relatively similar
level of development. A meditator must become aware of those energies
which he can direct, those which direct him and those with which he must
cooperate.
Causation –
this refers to those
energies and entities which a meditator directs and therefore takes responsibility
for. This responsibility extends to both the outcome produced as well
as to the development of those entities involved in achieving it.
Now the soul ( little s ) is the Personality of the Soul ( triad ) –
the angel and the dweller are one. This is realised at the third initiation
when the relationship between Saturn and Venus is understood. The Personality
then, is not separate from the Soul but is a conscious subset
of it.
Agni yoga practices
help disidentify the Soul ( as atma buddhi )
from the soul (as causal body). Agni yoga leads the fifth subrace into
sixth subrace consciousness.
Lemurian consciousness
is the soul identified with and therefore polarized in the physical/etheric
vehicle. Atlantean consciousness is the soul polarized
in the astral plane. Aryan consciousness finds the soul identified with
the mental plane. The sixth subrace consciousness will find the Soul polarized
on the buddhic plane working through its individualized ‘body’
on the higher mental. This is why the development of the intuitive faculty
is key to agni yoga and why the keynote is synthesis.
Contact refers to
those high moments where the consciousness has succeeded in penetrating
into those spheres that lie outside of consciousness itself as we know
it.
These high moments
are not sustainable but serve to gradually condition the consciousness
until it is able to raise its vibratory capacity.
The process is the
higher equivalent of ‘peak experiences’ for the personality.
These lesser peak experiences
gradually ‘loosen the grip’ of the personality as it is flooded
momentarily with the light love and power of the soul. In reality these
are contacts with higher manas, buddhi and eventually atma as these energies
are stepped down through the three rings of petals in the egoic lotus.
The higher peak
experiences occur when the soul is ‘touched’ and responds to
monadic impression. These energetic impacts are actually contact with
the three aspects of monadic life active on the three highest planes of
the system – the higher atmic, monadic and logoic. These energies
are stepped down through a Master or fifth degree initiate via the ‘atmic
body’.
At the third initiation
the higher atmic energies transfigure the mind and have a reflex effect
on the etheric body resulting in the rising up of the kundalini fire.
At the fourth initiation the monadic plane energies fuse with the buddhic
nature of the soul with a lower reflex action on the astral body and at
the fifth initiation the energies of the logoic plane and the first ray
make their impact felt on atmic levels with reflex action on the mental
plane.
At the fifth initiation
there is a synthesis of the seven ray energies resulting in ‘light
supernal’ being made known on the etheric physical plane. A Master
is a Master of the five lower worlds as he is able to relate the ‘highest
to the lowest’.
It may be useful
here to consider a numbering system on the seven planes which makes sense
of a number of paradoxes in the earlier esoteric teachings.
Just as the soul
was originally considered as a unity when the teachings were focused upon
the personality and its contact with the soul, so too the monad has been
presented as a singularity with respect to the sixth pointed star of the
fused soul/personality. The monad is infact
a triple manifestation as evidenced by the fact that all the seven rays
are synthesized into three basic monadic rays.
In Figure 5 we can express
consciousness itself as five fold in the lower three worlds, sevenfold
in the lower five worlds and ninefold over
the seven planes ( or ten if the higher logoic plane is differentiated
)
Figure 6
Once the soul has done its work in fusing with both the Mother
aspect of the threefold personality and the Father aspect or threefold
monad, it can then proceed to bring these two into direct relationship.
The human soul in this capacity is most truly buddhic and finds its point
of focus in a particular ashram on the buddhic plane with other members
of the fourth creative hierarchy. Through the technique of duality, the
middle principle completes its work in bringing the highest of the high
into the lowest of the low.
In a peculiar way,
the three higher subplanes of the logoic plane are bought into direct
contact with the three lowest subplanes of the physical plane. Spirit
and matter in their most polarized duality on the cosmic physical plane
are related and recognized as one.
The Old Commentary
words it thus:
315 Dina 2
There is a synthesis
that occurs on the three highest subplanes of the mental plane. This is
where contact with the soul is made by the personality and the three lower
planes are synthesized.
There is a synthesis
that takes place on the three highest subplanes of the atmic plane where
the soul makes contact with the monad and the lower five planes are synthesized.
There is a eventual synthesis that takes place on the three higher subplanes
of the logoic plane where the monad contacts the Life behind the triple
expression of monad, soul and personality and where the seven planes of
the cosmic physical planes are synthesized.
These three ‘places’
of synthesis relate to each of the three solar systems and to the threefold
expression of the Sun.
In the first solar
system the intelligence aspect was emphasized and the third ray monads
dominated. In this second system there are a
preponderance of second ray monads and in the third system the first ray
monads will find their day of opportunity.
The three levels
of synthesis are also related to one of the three planes of monadic expression.
The synthesis of the matter aspect is related to the atmic plane, the
synthesis of the soul is related to the monadic plane and the synthesis
of the monad is related to the logoic plane.
What we know of
this Life theoretically can be summarized in the three ‘qualities
of deity’ – Will, Love and Activity. What we understand as Will
is really an expression of the cosmic mental plane and makes itself felt
on the three highest planes of our system. What we understand as love
is an expression of the cosmic astral nature and is experienced by us
on the three levels of the triad, What we know of as Activity is an expression of the cosmic
physical plane and is experienced in the three worlds of activity. These
lower three worlds have fallen below the level of consciousness of the
Solar Deity.
He has completed
his work with the matter aspect and is focused in consciousness. On earth
the intelligence principle has not yet run its course and been superceded
by the love principle.
Only advanced members
of Hierarchy can work consciously with cosmic astral energy, let alone
the energy of cosmic buddhi which lies behind and is carried upon the
cosmic astral ray. This energy of cosmic buddhi lies at the heart of every
atom and indeed permeates the whole of the lower three cosmic planes and
yet remains unrecognized by the particular components that make up the
creation.
Cosmic buddhi permeates
the three lower cosmic planes and yet remains. It is the synthetic energy
which synthesizes the three solar system in the
same way that the human soul, a member of the fourth creative hierarchy,
synthesizes the human personality.
It is the fourth
quality of deity that lies behind the three expressions of monad, soul
and personality. It could be said to be the ‘essence of the threefold
monad’.
This is something
to consider in the science of contact. There are superconscious energies
which are wielded by the initiate just as there are subconscious energies.
For example, the monad forever IS and substands human existence in the
three worlds operating through the life thread even when the incarnated
human has no conscious appreciation nor contact with it.
We are familiar
with the phrase ‘in that light ye shall see light’ referring
to the monadic light which is carried within and forms the centre of the
soul light although unrecognized as such. Similarly, when we contact the
energy of the buddhic plane we are not just dealing with buddhic energy.
This is the substance aspect of the plane – an aspect which we, as
the consciousness aspect must learn to control and direct and eventually
disidentify from in the same way that we controlled and disidentified
from our astral bodies. The buddhic plane ‘carries’
energy from the cosmic astral plane. The energy which it carries
IS in fact our essential selves and it is the realization of this fact
which makes possible the transition in consciousness out of the cosmic
physical plane in due course.
The returning
nirvanis are ourselves. We are the “Lords
of Knowledge and Compassion and of ceaseless persevering Devotion”.
If you think this through, significant new lines of thought and experience
may open up.
The buddhic plane
carries energy from the cosmic astral plane but this energy itself carries
energy from the cosmic buddhic plane. This will become increasingly the
case as our Planetary Logos demonstrates as a sacred planet. Eventually
this energy of cosmic buddhi will carry within it the energy of the cosmic
monadic plane and the Will of the cosmic Logos will be known in the fartherest
outpost of His creation.
In the meantime
we must locate ourselves in time and space and within the three solar
systems which form the personality life of the Solar Logos.
It is the energy
of Love which we are most attuned to in this system having already acquired
the quality of intelligence. We can respond dimly to the quality of Will
which will come into fuller expression in the next system. We do not yet
consciously respond to the fourth quality of deity and yet it is naturally
and everywhere present –‘ the secret
light
within all forms’.
We may learn about
this quality however and therefore increase our capacity
to wield it consciously when the time for this comes.
The following quote
introduces us to this quality.
COOPERATION
It is this revelation
which allows him to take his place consciously as an ‘entered apprentice’
amongst hierachical workers in the ashram. He becomes more conscious of
those to whom he is related in the ashram and takes conscious responsibility
for the implementation of a piece of the Plan of His Master.
At the same time
the inflow of monadic life is recognized although largely unconsciously
by his group of coworkers in the three worlds.
They move naturally towards the source of the inflowing ‘life’
in the same way that those who are seeking relationship with the love
principle move towards someone who has taken the second degree and are
able to transmit buddhi through their astral body.
The initiate must
learn to manage his inner and outer contacts and responsibilities harmoniously.
On the buddhic plane
are to be found the ashrams of Hierarchy. They are made up of three
levels of being and are presided over by a fifth degree initiate who is
working therefore with atmic energy and is, in his turn a member of a
chohanic ashram on the monadic plane.
This fifth degree
initiate is the focal point of the buddhic ashram. The ashram also contains
many fourth degree initiates who are working primarily with buddhic matter.
These are the true ‘men ‘. There are also third degree initiates
who are members of the ashram and work primarily with mental matter.
The relationship
between these three levels of the ashram ( and
between the third , fourth and fifth hierarchies ) can be represented
thus:
Much of what we
would call ‘ashramic friction’ occurs between these probationary
ashramic workers within and between ashrams. In addition there can be
many difficulties between those in training for the third degree, often
working out unconsciously. They are dealing primarily in mental matter
although developing buddhic and atmic functioning. The mental plane is
the plane of separation but is also in a peculiar way the plane of maximium
‘ashramic overlap’ as shown in the diagram. Third degree initiates
and those approaching that degree , often come
under the ashramic influence of one or more Masters.
This can result
in much conflict - a conflict experienced upon the mental plane but non
existent upon the buddhic plane, and in a strange way, actually the result
of synthesis on the atmic plane. This conflict is used actively by the
Masters. It is the conflict that will eventually release a man from the
mental plane and therefore the causal body entirely. It is the harmony
through conflict of the fourth ray and the fourth plane that is particularly
the human conflict.
The Masters utilize
this conflict to train the outer ring of their ashram through triangulation.
As you can see from the diagram, the middle point of three ashrams is
a ‘place of manasic release’. It is a zone that is ruled over
by the ‘equilibrising force’ of Libra and allows the third creative
hierarchy to act upon the fifth creative hierarchy in such a way that
produces the fourth or truly human hierarchy.
It is by balancing
the energies flowing in from three different ashrams, and in overcoming
the conflict that is produced in his equipment as a result that a man
is eventually released. The tension requires and facilitates the development
of buddhi. This allows him the unified vision so that he may appreciate
the way in which the ashrams relate to each other. In order to release
himself completely however and pass out of the fifth hierarchy into the
fourth, he must also develop atma - the capacity to experience the activity
of all three ashrams as part of a higher synthetic whole.
It was an intensification
of this type of hierarchical activity which led to the formation of the
synthesis ashram earlier this century. The synthesis ashram uses the rays
of the first, second and seventh rays ( all rays of synthesis in one way
or another ) to produce the quickening in the relationship between ashrams
so that the ‘advance from the periphery to the centre’ of third
degree initiates could be speeded up.
Thus, a candidate
in training for the third degree is viewed from the perspective of Hierarchy
as a unit who is still somewhat imprisoned by the mother aspect, the three
worlds of the last solar system. Until he has reached a point two thirds
of the way between the second and third initiations he cannot be fully
trusted to work on behalf of the ashram because he has yet to fully set
his ‘will to liberate’ from the devas of the lower planes. Hierarchy
serves as both refuge and goal for the man who leaves the world behind,
who passes through the eye of the needle to lose all and thereby regain
his natural birthright as a member of Hierarchy. In effect a third degree
initiate is recognised as one who has remembered his birthright but is
yet to claim or demonstrate it.
Of course from the
angle of humanity a third degree initiate is viewed somewhat differently.
They are recognised as someone who has achieved mastery in some significant
area of their lives. They are further recognised as being somehow liberated
from the fear based thinking and behaviour which forms the heart of our
modern culture. They are someone who can be trusted to go their own way
inspite of outer consequences and to make a significant contribution to
human society.
It is this dual
life of cooperation that must be mastered. At the same time that his consciousness
has entered into a much wider field of Hierarchical life and he is aware
of his many inadequacies in this regard, he must also take responsibility
for meeting the demands of the outer worlds for right relationship, knowledge
of the mysteries and spiritual leadership.
In his outer work
he must develop the necessary discrimination that allows him to recognise
the precise need that he can fill in his environment. In his inner work
he must develop the discrimination that can allow him to recognise the
precise piece of the Master’s work that is his to fulfil. This point
of tension resolves itself into his ‘masterpiece’.
There is a real
need for the quality of commeasurement. He must be able to distinguish
in the outer world for example between first, second and third degree
workers. Many teachers treat all aspirants as needing the same level of
revelation with the result that the teachings are misapplied and the ladder
of evolution is broken. The initiate must also remember that he wields
energy as a matter of course and that this energy can have destructive
or crystalising effects on the vehicles of those who are not initiate.
While there is a natural repulsion that occurs
care must be taken with family members and other associates that individual
karma necessitates ongoing contact with.
Comeasurement is
also needed within the ashram. As the third initiation is approached the
range of inner contacts greatly increases. The ashram as a whole is one
entity and at certain times this entity must join together in consciousness
in order to receive and transmit energies from higher levels. The time
of the Wesak full moon is one such well known event where the whole of
Hierarchy gathers together in consciousness to receive the blessings of
the Buddha. There are other times when such gathering is necessary. To
the still somewhat individualised consciousness of the disciple the experience
of these events can be raised out of proportion in terms of significance.
This is where the difference between contact and causation is important
to understand.
Contact enables
us to share for a moment in the consciousness of a greater synthetic entity.
Causation implies responsibility for sustaining such a level of consciousness.
For example, it
is the reality of the Christ life within us that makes initiation possible.
Through this reality we contact the soul of humanity as an entity. This
entity is The Christ and his Hierarchy. Increasingly the disciple is able
to participate in the consciousness of His Master and eventually of the
Christ. There is a big difference between participating in the conscious
life and causing it however. It is here that the entering apprentice (
into Hierarchy ) must understand the mechanism of spiritual responsibility.
He discovers that
the Ashram as a whole is centred around the Will
of Sanat Kumara as it is stepped down through His representative the Christ.
Similarly the particular ashram with which he is affiliated is centred
around the Will of a Chohan as it is stepped down through the agency of
a fifth degree initiate and subsequently through a fourth degree initiate
until it reaches himself on the periphery of the ashram. He discovers
that while the predominant quality of the ashram as a whole is love wisdom,
it is that love wisdom that derives from the conscious sharing of joint
responsibility for implementation of the Plan. This is pure reason. The
whole pattern is grasped and gradually the disciple begins to see how
the particular piece of the pattern which it is his responsibility to
implement fits into this pattern via his affiliated ashram.
CAUSATION
If we view the buddhic
plane and the ashrams thereon as a type of ‘sun’ within cosmic
physical plane then the energy of this sun, the energy of solar fire is
stepped down via groups of causal bodies on the abstract mental plane
and then to the individual causal body of an initiate. We might imagine
the individual causal body as the equivalent of a magnifying glass which
is able to focus the sun’s rays to a point. This focus can even result
in fire bursting forth in matter if it is sustained long enough..
It is the focusing of solar fire and eventually electric fire through
the causal body which makes it radioactive and eventually brings it to
the point of disintegration as it is literally consumed by fire.
This fire must be
fought with the fire of love and one of the fields for this battle is
the abstract mind.
Organisations will
become organisms built around a body of fire in exactly the same way our
physical bodies are built around our etheric body and that etheric body
connects via the agnichaitans on the gaseous subplane of the dense physical
plane.
The analogy is accurate.
The buddhic plane is the fourth cosmic ether and the Will of the monadic
ashrams qualified by solar fire is focused through initiates on the mental
plane to drive the activity in the three worlds according to the Plan.
Think this through.
It is the will of
the fifth degree initiate wielding atma from the atmic plane that is able
to penetrate through the ashramic eye, held open by the fourth degree
initiates and then focused through the work of the third degree initiates
in the world. The atmic plane is the plane of the Libran Hierarchy
, the triads and therefore the source of Justice and light supernal.
Justice would indeed be blind without the ashramic eyes upon the buddhic
plane. The Masters ‘Will’ at the center of an ashram is in fact
a spiritual principle resulting from His growing identification with Shamballa.
This principle is experienced by the initiate in the world as a ‘fixed
immoveable will’ and it is the expression
of this will through some project or initiative in one of the seed group
areas that the energies of the soul of the planet may pour.
The third degree
initiate is focused upon the direction of hierarchical energy in the three
worlds. This focus eventually liberates his consciousness from the three
worlds altogether. A fifth degree initiate is focused upon
the direction of spiritual will within the realms of the spiritual triad.
Thus, the link between the fifth , third and
first degree initiates carries the Will of the Master all the way down
to the physical plane and it is this link that will eventually result
in the clarification and mastery of the three worlds of the planetary
personality by the planetary soul. The second, fourth and sixth degree
initiates are also linked in another way. Each of these initiations sounds
the keynote of duality while those upon the odd numbers sound the note
of synthesis. The initiate on the even number is acutely aware of the
‘dual movement of energies’. The result of this awareness is
the maintenance of a point of equilibrised tension. It is this that guides
the group of fourth degree initiates in their maintenance of the ‘open
eye’ of the buddhic ashram. In times of great tension, the ‘pupil’
of the eye is constricted. This constriction has a peculiar by product
however in that it allows for a much deeper penetration of the inpouring
energies into form and conversely it allows those on the highest planes
of the solar system to become aware of those upon the lowest. The ‘light
of Shamballa’ is focused like a laser and is able to penetrate into
the depths of matter. The creation of the atomic bomb during the crisis
of the second world war was a direct result of
this ‘focusing’. The massed appeal to the ‘lords of liberation’
was made possible by reflex action.
The ‘dilation’
of the pupil of the ashram upon the buddhic plane undergoes cycles one
of which is a seven year cycle. The greater the constriction
the greater the penetration of Will.
Greater dilation produces greater illumination. These ‘years’ begin at the Aries
full moon
2000/1, the year
of the Shamballa impact saw the pupil at maximum constriction. This allowed
for the penetration of energy from the first to the seventh plane.
2001/2, the year
of the Great decision saw the emphasis upon the flow between the second
and sixth planes. The emphasis was on the sixth fourth and second initiations
and the result to look for within humanity was upon the emotional body.
The esoteric cause of current world events is a ‘major impact’
upon the astral body of humanity by the monadic will. The first ray energy
of the planetary monad was directed via the fourth plane ashrams into
the astral plane. The result was a massive emotional upheaval triggered
by the events in
2002/3 sees the
‘dilation’ of the ashram so that the particular flow of energies
comes from the atmic plane to the mental. This will be the year of opportunity
for the third degree initiates those who have taken or are in the process
of taking this initiation. Once the initial astral turmoil has somewhat
subsided, it will be the job of the third degree initiates to focus the
‘supernal light’ of the atmic plane into the three worlds via
the mental plane. The war in
2003/4 sees the
maximum dilation of the ashram - the energies are contained within the
buddhic plane itself. This is the festival of Hierarchy. All triadal workers
come together within the ashram at a point of maximum in breath. It is
in this fourth year of the cycle that least activity is noted upon the
outer plane and yet the most intense activity is occurring within Hierarchy.
It is analogous to a point of utmost inspiration within the consciousness,
say of a poet or artist which will later be translated into words and
images.
If you follow through
the cycle , you will see that the year 2024/5
is such a ‘fourth year’ and in fact marks the midpoint of a
fortynine year cycle. The ashramic conclave at that time will see the
‘inspiration’ of the incoming fourth ray occur.
2004/5 relates the
mental to atmic plane
2005/6 relates the
astral to the monadic
2006/7 relates the
physical to logoic plane.
The last three years
of the cycle are similar to the first three but the ‘focus of the
flow’ is reversed. The emphasis is upon abstraction and this abstraction
allows for those on the higher planes to harvest the result of the inflow
and thus gain greater ‘perception’ about activities on the lower
planes. Soul consciousness is driven through these cycles into the three
worlds and then abstracted from the three worlds on a rhythmic basis.
When the human soul,
mercury drops its gaze into the three worlds, its devic counterpart, the
solar angel, falls into matter. When mercury lifts his gaze to the monad,
the angel becomes the Angel of the Presence.