The Life of the Soul
It is said that humanity at its present state of Evolution of Consciousness needs, more than ever, those who can testify to the Life of the Soul. This means that men and women are needed who are able to undertake the transition from the human kingdom into the kingdom of the souls and can therefore verify the existence of Soul Life. After having experienced such a transition in full consciousness, they are able to speak of their own CONSCIOUS experience and thus testify to the truth of statements made by mystics and occultists during ages.
At this time, of course, there are only comparatively few who are at this point of spiritual development. However, anyone who is sincere in his search for TRUTH and is therefore making a constant concentrated effort to become more INCLUSIVE in his thinking and acting in everyday life, and who is constantly trying to expand his view by detaching himself from the identification with his physical appearance will greatly accelerate the extremely slow process of evolutionary steps concerning the Evolution of Consciousness.
In order to do that most effectively, he has to begin by studying and learning as much as possible about the aspects of his own triple manifestation: the Monad or Point of Light, the soul as the reflection of the monad, and the personality concerning his physical existence.
He should go out from the fact that everything in this GREAT UNIVERSE, manifested or not manifested, is ENERGY or LIGHT, including man himself. This, of course, is difficult for the average man to comprehend and can only be a theoretical knowledge for him, a hypothesis, which will only become a fact to him after he has experienced himself the transition from the kingdom of humanity into the kingdom of Souls. Nevertheless, even the average man of our modern societies has had, at one time or another, an individual experience of his basic duality by becoming consciously aware of something that was beyond or should we say behind the physical appearance. This frequently happens at the moment when man is functioning unconsciously in one or the other vehicles, most likely in his astral form because most of them are firmly focused on the astral/emotional level, if he is mentally polarized, it will more likely be his lower mental form. But these often fleeting impressions are soon forgotten in the hectic times of our modern life.
Others, who for one reason or another, are more consistent in their search for the true purpose of life, are frequently side-tracked by confusing statements which they hear or read, or by following some group or method which seems to be the path of least resistance because of their own nature without using their power of discrimination. They simply need a secure haven from where they can live their lives in the security of some doctrine or proclaimed highway to heaven.
Unfortunately, only very few of them use their mental faculties to examine more closely what is presented to them in some form or other. Only by comparing it with what they already know or have experienced, and by studying other available interpretations of divine principles, will they be able to recognize whether it is the right group for them at their particular point in development.
We should NEVER blindly follow anyone or any method because we all have the capacity to think and our FREEDOM of CHOICE. If someone imposes his own views and ideas upon his fellowmen, proclaiming that it is the ONLY way, you can be sure that he is not what he claims to be because he has already violated the birthright of every human being, the freedom of choice.
However, following blindly is also a particular human characteristic which is based on the former herd instinct. Man is then not willing to accept his own responsibility, but rather submits it to some type of authority, especially in matters concerning his subtle spiritual nature. His ignorance and fear bring out this basic tendency and this will remain part of his personality trend if he doesn’t make a sincere and constant effort to break this habitual instinctive reaction. He should try to develop an alert mind which is open to everything and welcomes new ideas and methods, but only accept what either he knows himself to be true because of individual experience, or which rings true to him for one reason or another.
WE must be free to explore all possible avenues by using theoretical or book knowledge as base so that we truly can choose the one which seems the most logical and the most compatible with regard to our individual make-up, based on the pre-dominant ray of the personality. But, most of all, we should constantly try to learn more about ourselves by studying life and its purpose and not only deal with concrete matters but also with the abstract by going out from handed-down theoretical knowledge. In exploring a specific point of interest, we will not only increase our knowledge but inevitably expand our personal view and, if pursued, it will often provide an experience and/or understanding of something new according to the occult statement: Energy follows Thought.
The Consciousness of man is the sum-total of the other 3 kingdoms of nature, SELF-CONSCIOUSNESS. In its early stages it is little more than the basic animal instincts and tendencies due to his animal nature of his physical body. Eventually his consciousness become more human in expression, which means that he is neither animal or divine but an animal plus a divine entity as it is said in the S.D. (Secret Doctrine.) He is constantly vacillating between these two stages which, in turn, causes the great battle between the pairs of opposites: the urge of the SPIRIT, expressed through Soul impulses, and the attraction of matter in satisfying his physical desires and the desire for power and glory.
Then follows the stage of Group Consciousness which is the awareness of the sum-total of greater Wholes. Man spends many series of incarnations in the lives of his animal nature, his emotional and mental natures with the spark of DIVINITY implanted within those forms. Then comes the conscious awareness of the group of disciples to which he belongs because of his predominant RAY. This group is guided by a Master representing the Spiritual Hierarchy which, in turn, is composed of the sons of men who are no longer FOCUSSED in the individual Self-Consciousness, but who have entered into an expanded view. Beginning with the group recognition, the disciples travels a long way and will finally arrive at the TOTAL Group AWARENESS of the GREATER LIFE in WHOM all forms have their being, the CONSCIOUSNESS of the PLANETARY LOGOS. Let us now consider the triple aspects of the threefold man. (T.O.W.M.)
MONAD or POINT of LIGHT: expressing WILL/PURPOSE in co-operation with the Divine WILL of the LOGOS.
The WILL aspect which enables the monad to participate in the UNIVERSAL PURPOSE.
LOVE, the principle of BUDDHI, which was poured forth into the Soul, the mediator between the Monad and the Personality.
INTELLIGENCE, which is transmitted via SOUL and manifests through the medium of FORM, the Personality.
SOUL of REFLEXION of MONAD: expressing the principle of LOVE/WISDOM.
The WILL is held in temporary suspension but it expresses itself through the MIND aspect of the personality and through the KUNDALINI Force. This force, when aroused in the proper way makes the final initiations possible and leads into the consciousness of the MONAD through the medium of the WILL aspect.
LOVE is the outstanding quality and force of the SOUL LIFE. Through it the Soul can be in touch with ALL SOULS via the astral/emotional vehicle. By working on its own PLANE, the soul can be in touch not only with the meditating human souls, but also with the animal or subhuman souls, and through the principle of BUDDHI, the second aspect of the Monad; it also gets in touch with the Monad or Point of Light.
KNOWLEDGE, this aspect is brought into touch with the INTELLIGENCE of all cells of the triple mechanism.
PERSONALITY, the CHANNEL for the SOUL:
PRANA, the activating ENERGY, which seems to use the brain as its main center for activity to direct the functions of the physical body. This ENERGY seems to form a TRIANGLE with the BRAIN, the HEART and the LUNGS. PRANA is the microcosmic SYMBOL for SPIRIT.
The nervous system with its nerves and nerve centers and all the interrelated sensitive parts of the entire sensory mechanism that produces full awareness and sensitivity of the entire human being. Through outer and inner GROUP activity, produced by the intricate nervous system, 3 major parts of the nervous system are demonstrated:
· The cerebral-spinal system,
· The sensory system of nerves,
· The peripheral system of nerves,
This network of interrelating and sensitive nerves is the SYMBOL for the SOUL and an OUTER visible form of an INNER spiritual REALITY.
The physical body, a sum-total of bones, flesh and muscles, correlated by the nervous system and energized by the LIFE FORCE.
Man can only CONSCIOUSLY function if he truly KNOWS HIMSELF. He must therefore experience all of his vehicles and be able to function in full consciousness through them. He must explore his physical vehicle and its counterpart or replica, the etheric vehicle or GOLDEN BOWL of LIGHT. The etheric body is composed of force currents and force centers. These nadis and force centers underlie the whole nervous system with its nerves and ganglia, its entire sensory mechanism. The force threads or nadis also link man’s etheric body with the etheric environing system. The etheric body is vitalized and controlled by thoughts and can therefore be consciously brought into full activity through THOUGHTS and NOT, as many believe, by breathing exercises.
The vehicle most experienced by man is his astral vehicle because he is firmly focused in his emotional/physical nature, and he is more or less able to control his feelings and emotions, although a considered number of the masses are controlled by their emotions which often creates havoc in their lives. Man only began to use the minor faculties of his lower mind. His actions and thoughts are motivated by his desires for physical experiences, for power and material possession and for glamour. He therefore uses astral energy and forces to satisfy these desires. He has not yet developed his mental unit and his 3-fold mind is mostly latent, except for the lower mind aspect with its brain and intellect.
The 3 major stages of the dual evolutionary process could be analogically compared to the growing up of a child. At first, a child has to become consciously aware of his physical body and must learn how to use it for various physical functions. Later he becomes consciously aware of his surroundings and his individual feelings and reactions to it and to the people. Finally he has to learn how to use his mental faculties and how to co-ordinate the triple aspect of his make-up.
With the constantly increasing knowledge about man’s dual nature, his various vehicles, the 7 Rays with their 7-times 7 differentiations, the force centers and the tremendous web of interrelating and interlocking energies and forces, man will eventually be able to shift his focus to the mental plane and recognize the various energies and forces that pound upon and penetrate his vehicles. He will be able to distinguish between the life of the Soul and the life of the personality. Then he will consciously build his vehicles by replacing the low-vibrating coarse matter with a higher-vibrating refined substance and thus make his vehicles more sensitive and highly responsive to soul impulses. But we should never concentrate on any of the force centers or on particular points in the evolutionary process of expanding consciousness. We should constantly PURIFY our actions and THOUGHTS and thus raise them to a higher level. By consciously doing that, we will in time automatically recognize the point or stage reached in our individual evolution of consciousness.
In order to recognize the various energies and forces as well as their qualities and functions, we also have to study the force centers, but we should never concentrate or focus our attention on these centers for the purpose to open them up for the influx of new forces and energies because in order to do that without pain or damage to the vehicles, we must have a sound esoteric knowledge which only can be achieved after we have learned how to live as souls on the physical level and in full consciousness which, at the time being, is impossible for the average man. The fact is also, that the opening of a particular force center is done automatically when the right moment arrives and the vehicles are well prepared through constant purification that they can withstand the impact and influx of certain energies and forces.
It cannot be emphasized enough that too much damage WAS, ID, and WILL be done through the pre-mature opening of force centers. On the other hand, by far not enough emphasis is placed on PURIFICATION which can be done by anyone, regardless at what point of evolutionary development he is. That is so rarely done in the right way because the human being is the most deluded and the most glamorous entity among all. Humanity is in urgent need of those who are clear-headed and sincere in their search for TRUTH without the self-glorification and the delusions which arise from the astral and lower mental regions which are closely interwoven and which man has filled and populated with his most distorted thought forms about divine principles and divine qualities. Man must become much more truthful with himself, about himself, and about his innermost motivations in order to eradicate this habitual weakness of self-glorification and self-deception.
He should always remember that he himself is the one who creates his own path by using his own substances to build the BRIDGE of LIGHT which will become the path of contact between the Monad or Point of Light and the personality.
