Barbara Mare
Formula III in relation to the Law of Sacrifice, the Third Initiation and the nature of Time and Space.
The key phrase related to Formula III is: “Lead us from death to immortality”. (DINAII, p.305) This Formula “concerns the soul and the egoic lotus. It is related to the transfer of soul energy into the antahkarana, producing conscious awareness of time and space in terms of the Eternal Now.” (DINAII, p.364)
Formula III relates to the Third Initiation of Transfiguration; the initiation of Mind. It signifies that the disciple has mastered the three lower bodies that constitute the personality. At the Third Initiation the “fearful conflict” of the Moon and Mars ends in release, clearing the way for Venus, the 5th Ray planet of Mind. Venus works by synthesis, and here brings about a synthesis of soul and spirit. Through the medium of the antahkarana the “directing” energy of the higher mind (Manas) is “thrown into the brain” so that the disciple becomes “guided, directed and controlled by group purpose and by the hierarchical plan”. The “illuminating energy” of pure reason (Buddhi) pours into the astral body, freeing the disciple from glamour. The “dynamic energy” of the Atmic plane pours into the mind, revealing “the will-to-good, which is essentially the will of God”. (RAI, p.599) So the antahkarana connects the soul and the Spiritual Triad, which in turn is an expression of the Monad. So the bridge is built between the realm of death (the personality incarnate in the three worlds) and the realm of ‘immortality’: The Monad is “the immortal part of man which reincarnates in the lower kingdoms and gradually progresses through them to man and thence to the final goal.” (IHS, p.221)
At the Third Initiation “through the Law of Sacrifice, the personality is liberated and becomes simply an agent of the soul”. (DINAII, p.398)
Related to Formula III is the Third Point of Revelation:
“The Monad is to the planetary Logos what the third eye is to man.”
DK adds: “These are mysterious words and can only be understood if brought into relation with the previous revelation” which is: “The will is an expression of the Law of Sacrifice”. (DINAII, p.397 & 369)
The Law of Sacrifice and Death “is the controlling factor on the physical plane. The destruction of the form, in order that the evolving life may progress, is one of the fundamental methods in evolution.” (TCF, p.569) Physical evolution ends in death for all forms in the three worlds. The evolution of the incarnated soul involves an ongoing process of ‘dying’ to the personality. On a higher turn of the spiral the incarnation of the soul itself is a sacrifice; a commitment to the task of descending into the three worlds to redeem the matter of the personality. All beings who descend into Matter participate in sacrifice. One of the names of our Planetary Logos is “The Great Sacrifice”.
DK says that the sacrifice of our Planetary Logos, Sanat Kumara, “was imperative... He, esoterically, had no choice, because the decision was inherent in His own nature. Because of this identification, He could not refuse the invocative appeal of the "seeds of life, striving within the substance of the form, and seeking added life and light," as the Old Commentary puts it.” (DINAII, p.287) It was a recognition of his responsibility, of his purpose. In this sense, the Law of Sacrifice is connected with karma. Under this law, “the unit recognises responsibility, identifies itself with the whole, and learns the esoteric significance of the words: "Having nothing (sacrifice) and yet possessing all things (universality)." [St Paul.]” (DINAII, pp.269-70)
The Law of Sacrifice concerns the development of the third eye: “As a result of focussed thinking "in the heart" the spiritual eye opens and becomes the directing agent, employed consciously by the initiate whilst doing his work under the Law of Sacrifice... As the intellect develops and the power to focus upon the mental plane grows, the fact of the soul's existence becomes known... There follows the ability to focus in the soul consciousness and so to fuse the soul and the mind that an at-one-ment takes place and a man can then begin to think "in his heart." Then also the "eye of the soul" opens and energy from soul levels, intelligently utilised, becomes directed from those levels and pours into what is now ambiguously called "the third eye."” (DINAII, pp.289-90)
“When the human being is manifest but is not yet truly manifested, the triangles which symbolise this manifestation are the two eyes and the third eye:
1. The right eye—the eye of buddhi, of wisdom and of vision.
2. The left eye—the eye of mind [Manas], of the commonsense and of sight.” (EA, p.430)
So the third eye is related to Atma:
“The Third Eye the head centre Will. Atma.
The eye of the Father, the Monad. SHAMBALLA.
The first aspect of will or power and purpose.” (EH, p.148)
The ajna centre is the centre of personality force and integration. (DINAI, p.495) Therefore the connection between the third eye and the ajna centre creates a link between the Monad and the Personality.
“The Monad is to the planetary Logos what the third eye is to man.” In the individual man:
“The jewel, or diamond concealed by the egoic lotus, is the window of the Monad or Spirit whereby he looks outward into the three worlds. The third eye is the window of the Ego or soul functioning on the physical plane whereby he looks inward into the three worlds.” (TCF, p.1130)
“The third eye is an energy centre constructed by man; it is a correspondence to the energy centre, the causal body, constructed by the Monad.” (TCF, p.1160)
The Planetary Logos “ensouls all the Monads on His ray”. (IHS, p.118)
Humanity forms the planetary ajna centre. (EA, p.432)
The third eye is the esoteric correspondence to the ajna centre:
“This eye of the soul can and does transmit energy to the ajna centre and is itself the agent (before the fourth initiation) of the energy of the Spiritual Triad. This esoteric relationship is only set up when the soul is dominating its instrument, the personality...” (EH, p.571) So perhaps the human Monads (or at least those on the Third Ray) form the third eye of the planetary Logos?
The Third Initiation is also about the development of the third eye:
“The medium of revelation at this initiation is the antahkarana, which is rapidly being constructed and can thus prove the connecting link and the esoteric mode of vision. The instrument of reception is the third eye which—for a moment—is temporarily suspended from its task of directing energy upon the physical plane and then becomes a stationary, receptive organ, turned inward toward the higher light. The head centre is therefore involved, and a secondary alignment takes place between the ajna centre, the head centre and the soul body.” (DINAII, p.399)
This Initiation is ruled by Venus, planet of the Fifth Ray.
“I have stated that Humanity is the correspondence in the planetary Life to the ajna centre in individual man. Earlier I told you that the fifth Ray of Concrete Knowledge is related to the ajna centre and, therefore, in this present world cycle, you have:
Humanity . . . planetary ajna centre . . . 5th Ray of Knowledge . . . 5th root-race.” (EA, p.454)
Intuition is the goal. (EA, p.455)
There is a correspondence here between the 3, 4 and 5: The Third Initiation, the third eye. The fourth Hierarchy, Humanity. The Fifth Ray of Concrete Knowledge. DK says “the student should very carefully study here the significance of the numbers three, four and five in the evolution of consciousness.” (TCF, p.695)The 3, 4 and 5 can be seen as Atma (3rd plane), Buddhi (4th plane) and Manas (5th plane). In a wider sense the 3, 4 and 5 refer to:
“Man the essential triangle of energy, man the square, man upon the Cross, and finally, man the five-pointed star! In these four simple symbolic forms lies the whole history of the fourth kingdom in nature. The triangle and the star are subjective expressions of a fixed consciousness, focussed in reality, whilst the square and the Cross are objective expressions of the man focussed outwardly.” (EA, p.382)
So the Law of Sacrifice operating in time and space builds the individual and the cosmic antahkarana; for both the Monad and the third eye are instruments for receiving and expressing the higher light:
“The Monad is the source of light, not only to the human family, but it is the receiver of light from the threefold Sun; it is the lens through which the light of the solar Logos can flow to the planetary Logos, preserving and holding steady in that light the vision, the purpose, the will and the creative intention of the planetary Logos.” (DINAII, p.400)
What does this say about the nature of Time and Space?
The Law of Sacrifice is the underlying impetus behind the entire evolutionary process – at least on our Earth scheme. This Law is relatively unknown in the other schemes. (RAI, p.492) On Earth sacrifice is connected with suffering, but this is not so for other planetary schemes: “Bliss and Sacrifice are synonymous terms as far as our solar Logos is concerned, and also for the majority of the planetary Logoi.” (EPII, p.102) It was the failure of the Moon chain that led to our Earth being a planet of pain and suffering: “The secret of the suffering in the Earth chain, which makes it merit the name of the Sphere of Suffering, and the mystery of the long and painful watch kept by the SILENT WATCHER [Sanat Kumara] has its origin in the events which brought the moon chain to a terrific culmination.” This had to do with the identification of these beings with “the lower principles”; with Matter rather than Spirit. (TCF, p.416)
To transcend suffering, one must make a “complete sacrifice of the lower separated self through the power to "stand in spiritual being"”. (EPII, p.100) This is the evolutionary challenge for humanity. It involves a transition from desire to Will:
“The great triplicity of desire—aspiration—direction (will) are only three words which endeavour to describe the progress and bias of man the personality, man the soul, and man the channel for spirit or life. All three point inadequately to the cause of the threefold expression which underlies all events, all progress and all happenings in time and space.” (EA, p.371)
So Time and Space provide a realm of experience which eventually enables this transition. The state of “bliss” exists outside of the time-space continuum:
"There is that which transmutes knowledge into wisdom within a flash of time; there is that which changes sensitivity into love within an area of space; there is that which alters sacrifice into bliss where neither time nor space exists." (DINAII, pp.248-9)
When we transcend suffering and evolve into a state of bliss, it appears that we pass out of space-time. This may refer to a psychological or intuitional state. The attainment of ‘Nirvana’? It may mean that bliss is attained at the sacrifice of the Fourth Initiation on the Buddhic plane when the causal body is destroyed. (RAI, p.340 & DINAII, pp.269-70)
Time and Space are the medium of the three worlds into which we incarnate into the experiences of Earth life and thereby evolve as souls. Time and Space “are simply forms of ideas to express the cyclic activity of an entity” (TCF, p.281), enabling the expression of dimension, extension, motion, change, evolution.
Time and space form the arena in which karma plays out. The law of karma “is identified in time and space with substance and force”. (EPI, p.55) ‘Substance’ is the etheric substratum of Matter; ‘force’ is spiritual energy manifesting through Matter. Karma works out through Matter. Karma is “the law that governs the matter of the solar system” because of its evolution from the previous system, which therefore forms the original ‘cause’ of our current evolution. (TCF, p.274.) “Manifestation and the Law of Cause and Effect are related; where manifestation exists, there this great Law—governing substance and innate in matter—must control and must condition form.” (DINAII, p.340.) So Time and Space present us with our “divine opportunity”. (TCF, p.1214)
One major distinction between Time and Space lies in the fact that “space is an entity”. (DINAII, p.396) That which we call the universe is a being within which we exist as microcosmic energy centres. The planes are different vibrational levels of both Matter and Spirit of this one entity. “Space and substance are synonymous terms; substance is the aggregate of atomic lives out of which all forms are built. This is both an occult and a scientific truism. Substance is, however, a soul concept, and is only truly known to the soul.” (RAI, pp.105-6) Space is the cosmic etheric web that interconnects all beings. Substance “is a soul concept” because the etheric body is the vehicle of the soul: “When the man is upon the Path of Discipleship and, therefore, upon the reversed wheel, leading to initiation, the etheric body becomes the transmitter of soul energy.” (EA, p.352) This is the path by which Spirit is expressed through Matter. So Monadic Will is brought down to the physical plane. The highest Permanent Atom of the human being exists on the Atmic plane. Under the Law of Sacrifice and Death the final disintegration of the etheric web occurs on the Atmic plane, and this results in a merging with the monadic consciousness. (TCF, pp.582 & 596.)
“In the state of being which we call the monadic, no difference is recognised between [...individual identity and universality] because...it is realised that there is no identity apart from universality and no appreciation of the universal apart from the individual realisation...” (RAI, p.106)
Therefore all evolution is a series of ‘recognitions’; realisations of the true nature of the cosmos; perceptions of divine Will. “This is the significance of Space—the field wherein states of Being are brought to the stage of recognition.” (RAI, p.106)
Therefore: “The word "recognition" is one of the most important in the language of occultism and holds the clue to the mystery of Being. It is related to karmic activity and on it the Lords of Time and Space depend.” (TWM, p.555)
Under the Law of Sacrifice the disciple transcends the lower personal self for the reality of the wider vision. Separateness turns to inclusiveness as the perspective widens to the group, to Humanity, to all Beings. So the Law of Sacrifice “governs those states of being which grow out of the establishment of right human relations.” (DINAII, p.271) This is the work of Venus. Venus (as the exoteric ruler of Libra) rules the 7th House of relationships, teaching right human relations, a sense of social and spiritual values. Right human relations, making group work possible, are also a theme of the Aquarian Age due to the Fifth Ray coming through the sign of Aquarius.
It is apparently only when Monadic consciousness has been reached that the factor of Time “enters in”:
“When that stage has been reached and the Knower, the Soul, is fully aware and fully conscious, then there enters in a new factor which also affects space—though in a different way—but which is related to the monadic Life. That factor is Time. Time is related to the will aspect and is dependent upon the dynamic life, self-directed, which produces persistence and which demonstrates persistence in that dynamic focus of intention by periodic or cyclic appearance.” (RAI, pp.106-7)
Perhaps this means that it is only when one reaches Monadic consciousness that one becomes aware of the true nature of Time; which is that it is an aspect of divine Will.
“Individual purpose must be identified with group purpose, which is as much of the purpose of the Whole or the One Life as the little life can grasp at any given point in time and space. It is in this sense, esoterically understood, that time is an event.” (RAI, pp.107-8) This correlates with other statements that “Time is naught but a succession of events, as registered by the physical brain consciousness...” (DINAII, p.395) Time and Space are “but states of consciousness” (TWM, p.9) which “can only be conceived as relative to some conscious entity, to some Thinker.” (TCF, p.278) This describes relative Time in the three worlds: The Will brought into consciousness on the physical plane. Time and Space in the three worlds are an illusion; an effect of the duality of our solar system. (TCF, p.239) It is the deep recognition of one’s own divinity and the resultant sacrifice of one’s own lower nature that will free the disciple from illusion. This is the aim of all evolution. Therefore: “It is in order eventually to negate the space-time concept and to prove it an illusion that the door in Cancer opens to the sacrificing, serving soul.” (EA, p.324) Cancer is the sign of incarnation, channelling Rays Three and Seven, the rays of manifestation.
Divine Will is associated with “direction” in time and space. The energy of divine embodied will “has been esoterically described as "unavoidable directed purpose."” (EA, p.195)
“The word "direction" is the key to the evolutionary process, to the concept of light, to the secret of Masonry, and to the motivating power behind manifestation.” (DINAII, p.303)
Macrocosmically, Polaris (the Pole Star) is “the Star of Direction—governing Shamballa.” (EA, p.197) The influence of the Pole Star reaches our planet via the sign Aquarius.
“The reasons will be noted if the student bears in mind the significance of water as a symbol of the emotions, which are but a lower manifestation of love-desire. Aquarius is a force centre from which the adept draws the "water of life" and carries it to the multitude. This force from the Pole Star, via Aquarius, is of special power at this time and the day of opportunity is therefore great.” (TCF, p.1263)
Aquarius channels the 5th Ray of Mind. The cosmic Fifth Ray Path has its source in the Pole Star via Aquarius. The attribute of this Path is “a sense of cosmic direction.” DK says that the Fifth Ray Path is “the Path the Logos Himself is on.” (The Planetary or Solar Logos?) “It will be apparent to all those students who have studied with care the world processes in the light of the law of correspondences that the Logos on the cosmic planes is evolving inner cosmic vision, just as man in his lesser degree is aiming at the same vision in the system. This might be called the development of the cosmic third EYE.” (TCF, pp.1264-5)
Polaris is one of the stars of the Little Bear. The energies of the Seven Rays enter our solar system through the seven stars of the Great Bear, transmitted through the seven stars of the Little Bear (and through Sirius and the Pleiades). (EA, p.85) The seven stars of the Great Bear form the seven head centres of “that Being, greater than our [Solar] Logos”, OAWNMBS. (TCF, p.182) It seems that our Logos is in the process of orienting towards this cosmic head centre. The three stages of activity related to revelation are “Penetration, Polarisation and Precipitation”. (DINAII, p.310) The orientation to Polaris is literally ‘polarisation’.
Due to precession and the shifting axis of the Earth, Polaris will not always be the Pole Star. DK says that “certain basic changes in the orientation of the Earth's axis are now taking place”, producing “upheaval, confusion and cataclysm” (EA, p.408); suggestive of initiation. On the cosmic planes as well as in the microcosm of the individual human being, the development of the vision of the third eye is occurring according to the Law of Sacrifice, in progress toward the Third Initiation.