Light of the Soul, Book I, Rule No. 20
Belief
Energy
Memory
Meditation
Right Perception
Introduction:
I want to point out that the ability to demonstrate successfully Rule No. 20 signifies the passing of the first six tests of Hercules. It use assists one to become a pledged disciple as it leads the disciple after the experiences of the first and second preliminary initiations to their conclusions in the third and fourth initiations.
Advanced students of Raja Yoga realize two things particularly. First, they realize that each sutra in the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali cannot be explained in detail unless it pertains to a particular individual’s life experience and thus given a general contextual interpretation. Secondly, they see in the light of the sutra the truth of its inherent value and relationship to the whole of the teachings and as such one cannot hope to go into or explain it sufficiently. Herein is proffered a few of the Yoga Sutras that were significant to my own expansions and identifications.
(Raja Yoga, as) Abstract devotion by which supernatural powers are acquired. SD, V.5, p.403
The threat, refers to a well-known law that even an Initiate may fail, and thus have his object utterly ruin, if he doubts for one moment the efficacy of his psychic powers—the alphabet of Occultism, as every Kabalist knows. SD, V.5, p.402
These two quotes by H.P.B. indicates an important rule or principle that one should always follow – Believe in Yourself as if you are Deity Itself. If you do not follow it, you will fail yourself and the One Self as there is no difference. All powers of whatever kind are provided by the One Self or One Soul and again if you fail in this believe (in yourself) – your powers of occult service will fail with you by default.
Book I, Rule No. 20: “Other yogins achieve samadhi and arrive at a discrimination of pure spirit through belief, followed by energy, memory, meditation and right perception.”
In the previous groups of yogins dealt with, perception was limited to the phenomenal world, though we must understand by that only the three worlds of mental perception, astral perception and of the physical senses. The energies producing concretion and the motive power of thought as it produces effects on the physical plane are contacted and known. Here however the yogin translates himself into more spiritual and subtler realms and becomes aware of that which the self (in its true nature) perceives and knows. He enters into the world of causes. The first group might be regarded as comprising all who are treading the path of discipleship, and covers the time from their entrance upon the Probationary Path until they have taken the second Initiation. The second group is comprised of those higher disciples who—having controlled and transmuted the entire lower nature—make a contact with their monad, spirit or “Father in Heaven” and discern what that monad perceives.
The first form of realization comes to those who are in process of synthesizing the six lower centers into the head center, through the transmutation of the lower four into the higher three, and then of the heart and throat into the head. The second group—through a knowledge of the law—works with all the transmuted and purified centers. They know how to achieve the real samadhi or state of occult abstraction through their ability to withdraw the energies into the thousand petaled lotus of the head, and from thence to abstract them through the other two subtler bodies until all is centered and focused in the causal vehicle, the karana sarira, the egoic lotus. We are told by Patanjali that this is produced by the following five stages. Students should bear in mind that these stages relate to soul activities, to egoic realization and not to the reactions of the lower man and the physical brain although still significant.
The transfer of the lower chakra energies to the head center took place over the first three cycles of Jupiter but was not fully complete until the fourth cycle of Jupiter. The initial response to the seven solar systems was due to the transference of the lower centers into the head center. Please keep in mind that this is an ongoing process of center unfoldment, blending, and unifying within each center dimensionally and merging without dimensionally through radiation and expansion. The following alignment requirements were given in the Light of the Soul:
Belief. On his own plane the soul rehearses a condition analogous to the belief of the aspirant in the soul or Christ aspect, only in this case the objective is the realisation of that which the Christ or soul is seeking to reveal, the spirit or Father in Heaven. First the disciple arrives at a realisation of the angel of His Presence, the solar angel, ego or soul. This is the achievement of the previous group. Then the Presence itself is later contacted and that Presence is pure spirit, the absolute, the Father of Being. The self and the not-self have been known by this group of initiates. Now the vision of the not-self dims and passes away and only spirit is known. Belief must ever be the first stage. First the theory, then the experiment, and lastly realisation.
Energy. When the theory is grasped, when the goal is perceived, then activity ensues—that right activity and that correct use of force which will bring the goal nearer and make theory fact.
Memory, or right mindfulness. This is an interesting factor in the process as it involves right forgetfulness, or the elimination out of the consciousness of the ego of all those forms which have hitherto veiled the Real. These forms are either self-chosen or self-created. This leads to a condition of true apprehension or the ability to register correctly that which the soul has perceived, and the power to transfer that correct perception to the brain of the physical man. This is the memory referred to here. It does not refer so specifically to recollection of the things of the past, but covers the point of realisation and the transference of that realisation to the brain where it must be registered and eventually recollected at will.
Meditation. That which has been seen and registered in the brain and which has emanated from the soul must be meditated upon and thus woven into the fabric of the life. It is through this meditation that the soul-perceptions become real to the man upon the physical plane. This meditation therefore is of a very high order as it follows upon the contemplative stage and is soul-meditation with the object of illuminating the vehicle upon the physical plane.
Right perception. The experience of the soul, and the knowledge of the spirit or Father aspect begins to form part of the brain content of the Adept or Master. He knows the plan as it is to be found on the highest levels and is in touch with the Archetype. It is, if I might illustrate in this way, that this class of yogins have reached the point where they can perceive the plan as it exists in the mind of the “Grand Architect of the Universe.” They are now en rapport with Him. In the other class of Yogins, the point reached is that in which they are able to study the blue-prints of the great plan and thus can intelligently co-operate in the building of the Temple of the Lord. The perception referred to here is of such a high order as to be almost inconceivable to any but advanced disciples, but in an appreciation of the stages and grades there comes to the aspirant, not only an understanding of what is his immediate problem and of where he stands, but also an appreciation of the beauty of the entire scheme. LoS, pages 38-42
I highly suggest that all of one’s spiritual aspirations will be forever be altered if one begins to practice and eventually masters “Rule No. 20” in context to the Laws of the Group and later the Law of Synthesis or inevitably the Law of Spirit. The Unknown (under the Law of the Unknown) will become known as you will become known thus Belief is the first requirement to know yourself as the Divine Son and progeny and Divine Pilgrim returning Home to the Father and as the Father.
You are not just Atma or Spiritual Will but also a fragment of the Divine Will, and this knowingness permits entry into an aspect of the the Cosmic Self or That Self becoming the Cosmic Christ. These are not just words but symbols on paper but one’s actual knowingness as the Son of Mind slowly transforms itself into the Son of God through the initial practicing the Presence by acting as if and thus ventures forth into the Unknown though the invocation and evocation which is basically the process of integration, fusion, unity and synthesis. It is the alignment of Wills that achieves the dawning of the Beauty and Glory of the One “Temple” being built Now that one is drawn into and yet cannot be yet adequately contain within one’s united group consciousness or spiritual consciousness. This particular section of the path, at first, is not perceived as difficult, as the rewards are all enticing. What is difficult is the holding of one’s Belief in themselves when they discover that they cannot keep up with the rapid pace of the intensive training to move deeper into the Unknown as they make further progress while yet performing their duties to the world and their fellow travelers in the dual life of the disciple. This dual life requires relative perfection in all things or maybe I should say just caring enough. It is those small things disregarded which produce ultimate failure and the eventual retracing of one’s steps back to the Source of their ultimate enchantment so-to-speak. Occult obedience and service are the keynotes of success in living the dual life of the disciple.
We wonder often on the necessity of the shortness of our life span and most of the time understand why it has to be so short and yet – if only we had more time to learn and compensate for our many failures. We realize how one can become an adept in one life but will we have this present understanding in a new body – we are told capacity is never lost – We all do wonder and pray.
It is easy for those that read about the reasons for the successes of others and have a sense of knowingness once they are privy to these reasons for successes, but these reasons are hard-won as many failures preceded these simple understandings. It is said that the life of an initiate is rather a simple one and this is so once the complexity is relinquished through the stabilization of the aligned Wills and thus the true application of occult obedience in small things.
Before we delve more deeply in rule no. 20 it is important to introduce the necessary processes and expected fruits that will permit this rule to be embodied and understood with success.
It must be remembered that only through much repetition and frequent focussed effort are these results attained. A crisis is brought about by a certain habit of mind, developed in the vehicle; it is surmounted in time only by a certain habit and rhythm of the spiritual content of the man’s nature. It is the establishing of a certain objective rhythm which produces a crisis; it is the emergence of a particular subjective rhythm which enables a man to surmount the crisis and to capitalise on the opportunity. Please bear this in mind. EA, p.475
There is a correspondence between meditation stages, the cycles of integration and the Supreme Science of Contact that assists one in better grasping each of the stages within a larger perspective as follows:
– Contemplation – Some theory & Practice
Meditation Stages Science of Contact Stages of Cycle of Integration
1) Aspiration Contact Alignment
2) Concentration Impression Crisis
4) Contemplation Invocation Light
3) Meditation Evocation Revelation
5) Illumination Relationship Integration
6) Inspiration Sensitivity Transition to Greater Life
The classical order of “contemplation and meditation” above is correct as one needs to meditate on what is received and then reflect on it per the personality’s perspective and participation in the process.
For reflection purposes it is important to highlight a possible sequential relationship to these stages with the various zodiacal signs and planets directly influencing a cycle of integration. If one can understand how why these are correlated, they will have come a long ways in grasping some of the occult processes of the basic teachings especially if they see these in relationship to the seven Laws of the Soul. This is not herein discussed.
- This relates to the ego or real man and concerns the realm of the soul. The spiritual man contemplates, studies or meditates upon the world of causes, upon the “things of God.” He then, utilizing his controlled instrument, the mind (controlled through the practise of concentration and meditation) transmits to the physical brain, via the sutratma or thread which passes down through the three sheaths to the brain, that which the soul knows, sees and understands. This produces full illumination. LoS, p. 184
Samadhi related transition through dimensions by the Son of Mind, can be understood after many years of daily experimentation since the Son of Mind works outside of time the need for samadhi transition only need last for a very short time. This is only in respect to the high energy experienced by the personality in this transition period or transference to other planes or ascendance (dual moving forward). It appears to the personality, during this time span, that a thought-form is co-created soon after this transition out of normal time and space into the NOW. The soul and at times spirit impacted thought-form themselves are co-created by various groups or sources. All such created impacted thought-forms are alive, dynamic and can be added to over time. The thought-form itself represents a certain prioritized theme associated to the soul-personality group service and plan in some manner that the personality needs to understand linked to the larger Plan. These sources can be composted of entities on all lower five planes. It can take many years to come to this simple understanding as the process does not lean itself to easy analysis. Without a good grounding in theory. From another point of view a thought-form is not created until the mind registers the soul’s contemplation in their brain awareness after the transitional moment in alignment with his soul, mind, and brain. It only appears to be co-created and existing within the concrete mind (but not the personality mind) in the stage of contemplation but this only becomes apparent in the meditation stage during the brain recording conceptualization stage.
The “meditative” stages listed above is from the perspective of the Son of Mind and the personality. In a sense it can be misleading unless one realizes that what is recorded requires meditation or reflection on. In this case the meditation is with seed planted by the larger group mind as a theme and the recorded information needs to be correctly understood in terms of intent and intended application. One should NEVER ignore or lessen the importance of this stage as it determines the success of all of one’s life service in the end.
Samadhi as a process can better be understood as a continuous soul, mind, and brain alignment after the transitional high energy discharge which can be mistaken for Samadhi itself. In a most practical sense, all transitions into Samadhi can be understood to be the application of rule no. VIII for group initiation. It symbolizes the initiation process and also the initiate stage.
This process represents the art of contemplation as it is the Son of Mind contemplating his interactions with the group life. The personality appears also to be contemplating as it adheres to its soul, mind and brain alignment but in fact he is only registering and recording it. To fully understand the fruits of the Son of Mind’s contemplation and its possible intent and ultimate use then an extended meditation on the recorded fruits received in contemplation in terms of its larger intent is called for. Each of these fruits require use in some time frame. It has been pointed out that “time” is a most difficult superpower to master – the most difficult in fact. This meaningful post contemplation meditation leading to “right timing” is the process we normally fail to carry out in any adequate way over and over due to the fact it takes time to realize its significance. Unless one pursues ardently the Son of Mind’s reflections and its larger true intent and use value within an intended time frame then what value really is it to register and record all of this new knowledge other than it increases one’s knowledge base and karmic responsibility? Remember, all is undertaken to meet Plan contingents which contains also the necessary training opportunities required and provided.
When the chitta becomes absorbed in that which is the reality (or idea embodied in the form), and is unaware of separateness or of the personal self, this is contemplation or samadhi.
In contemplation, the yogi loses sight of:
- His brain consciousness or the physical plane apprehensions as to time and space.
- His emotional reactions to the subject of his meditation process.
- His mental activities, so that all the “modifications” of the thinking process, all the emotional reactions of the desire-mind (kama-manas) vehicle are subdued and the yogi is unaware of them. He is, however, intensely alive and alert, positive and awake, for the brain and the mind are held by him in a steady grip, and are used by him without any interference on their part. LoS, p. 250
The seedless Samadhi fruits and especially the Son of Mind’s internal processes does not lean itself to easy analysis especially if the personality mind has even the slightest distraction at all in three-worlds terms as these distraction themes potentially enters into his reflecting, registering, and recording in some manner. Thus, additional “seeds” are added.
If there is a distraction there will be no higher group related soul contemplation without seed. The meditation will be a meditation with seed. Basically, which in itself can and normally is useful in some way if intended and applied properly. Meditation with seed is the form of meditation followed until the lower center forces are raised into the head center. This takes disciples during this period normally until age 50. This contemplative process utilizes the Pure Vision of the soul and opens up the World of Meaning to meet service objectives. After this period meditations were, as a rule, without seed unless it was not my intent. Meditation with seed to without seed is a normal unfoldment process recognized also by Patanjali.
Book 2: Rule 23. The association of the soul with the mind and thus with that which the mind perceives, produces an understanding of the nature of that which is perceived and likewise of the Perceiver. LoS, p.116
One must inner the world of meaning to produce the required understanding as the soul grasps it in a moment’s time. This is technically referred to as Pure Vision.
Patanjali’s, book 1: Rule 17, captures the disciples basic process until age 35 or so, and after that Rule 18 and 19 until age 48-50. I just wanted to mention this as this is the basic method used by western aspirants and intellectuals in general. Book I, Rule 17, 18, and 19 are quoted below:
“Rule 17: The consciousness of an object is attainted by concentration upon its four-fold nature: the form, through examination; the quality, through discriminative participation; the purpose, through inspiration; and the soul, through identification.”
Stage One: A development whereby the soul begins to identify itself with the spiritual aspect and not with the phenomenal world of forms.
“Rule 18: A further stage of samadhi is achieved when through one-pointed thought, the outer activity is quieted. In this stage the chitta is responsive only to subjective impressions.”It should be noted here that the results achieved in the processes dealt with in sutras seventeen and eighteen only carry the aspirant to the edge of the realm of the soul, to the new field of knowledge of which he has become aware. He is still confined to the three worlds.
The first group might be regarded as comprising all who are treading the path of discipleship, and covers the time from their entrance upon the Probationary Path until they have taken the second Initiation.
“Rule 19: The samadhi just described passes not beyond the bounds of the phenomenal world; it passes not beyond the Gods and those concerned with the concrete world.”
This sutra suggests the next stage, meditation without seed or without that which the physical brain would recognize as an object.
Stage Two: The union of thinking man or the self-conscious reflection in the three worlds with the spiritual man on its own plane, (covers the period of the Probationary Path up to the third initiation upon the Path of Discipleship).
“Rule 20:. Other yogins achieve samadhi and arrive at a discrimination of pure spirit through belief, followed by energy, memory, meditation and right perception.”
The second group is comprised of those higher disciples who—having controlled and transmuted the entire lower nature—make a contact with their monad, spirit or “Father in Heaven” and discern what that monad perceives. LoS, pp. 33-38
Stage 3. The union of the spiritual man or divine thinker with its Father in Heaven, the Monad or spirit aspect (covers the final stages of the Path of Initiation). LoS, p. 168
This chapter is focused on rules 19 and 20 (or stage two processes and some of stage three processes per the above quote’s delineation) and their fruits associated to meditation without seed – thus disciples from the second initiation through the third initiation.
Rule 20 can be considered as the third stage or fourth type of Samadhi. Per Master D.K. it is practiced or should be practiced by higher disciples through 3rd Initiation and afterwards. He describes it as real Samadhi or state of occult abstraction through their ability to withdraw the energies into the thousand petalled lotus of the head, and from thence to abstract them through the other two subtler bodies until all is centered and focused in the causal vehicle. Thus, the intent or result is to make a contact with their monad, spirit or “Father in Heaven” and discern what that monad perceives.
The process of withdrawal is captured by the following quote and the one-pointed thought in rule 20 just basically an intent. The advanced disciple’s identifications are centered on identification with (the Systemic) Ishvara through either the initiation group Mind or later the One Ashram group Mind. Once within the Aura of the Master which explains various unusual contemplation fruits. The difference between one’s ability to apply the three rules is basically one’s intent and their degree of success in using a rule is due to their degree of transmutation and transformation. With Rule no. 17 the thought is centered on the seed or object and especially useful for explicit evaluation results as demonstrated in chapter two. Using rule 18 the thought is basically an intent with a more general seed or basically a well-defined life pattern of livingness understanding goal. It was a natural evolution per my own service needs. The reason I moved from rule 18 to rule 19, a human unit, in general was the realization over time that I could get the client’s personality and soul priorities and they were more significant than the priority evaluation I created to capture some healing related real need. The reason the disciple moves into rule no. 20 is that the soul-personality fusion process becomes further progressed and gives them access to the larger set of group Soul related priorities in respect to the Plan. As well as extended ashram training. Also, maturationally, the lower centers had been basically transmuted into the higher centers and seven head centers are functional. It is basically a maturational process.
- Abstraction (or Pratyahara) is the subjugation of the senses by the thinking principle and their withdrawal from that which has hitherto been their object.
- The withdrawal of the physical consciousness, or perception through hearing, touch, sight, taste and smell. These modes of perception become temporarily dormant, and man’s perception becomes simply mental and the brain consciousness is all that is active on the physical plane.
- The withdrawal of the consciousness into the region of the pineal gland, so that man’s point of realization is centralized in the region between the middle of the forehead and the pineal gland.
- The next stage is that of abstracting the consciousness into…the thousand petalled lotus …by knowingly withdrawing the consciousness out of the head. This can be done in full waking consciousness when certain rules are learned and certain work accomplished.
- The abstracting of the consciousness into the astral body and thus freeing it from the physical plane.
- A still further withdrawal into the mental body or the mind so that neither the physical nor the astral any longer limit or confine the man.
When this can be done, true meditation and contemplation becomes possible. LoS, pp. 230-231
The abstraction process appears to be particularly a personality process and follows one’s earlier transmutation process through all three personality vehicles and one’s ability to be successful in abstracting is contingent upon their success in the transmutation process. The soul itself is likewise abstracting towards Atma and the personality’s process reflects this. Egoically considered, Atma is pure abstraction. The abstraction process should begin NOT when one first sits down to meditate but throughout each day one should already demonstrate some degree of abstraction or another. One’s ability to recollect this state of abstraction on a moment to moment basis engenders their success in this process. In other words, a disciple who is mentally polarized is so consistently and routinely abstracts his consciousness with each event into a mental perspective and thus identity. Even interacting in the outer environment who needs to remember who they are with each breath literally. Without this constant Self-collectedness on any particular day one will find it difficult to abstract in the sitting for meditation.
It is this ability to recollect one’s truer nature and by default abstracting that automatically lends oneself to the correct belief required to move into this meditative form. It is easy to comprehend that the personality is reflecting the Son of Mind’s process in this daily endeavor.
We cannot attain Adeptship and Nirvana, Bliss, and the Kingdom of Heaven, unless we link ourselves indissolubly with our Rex Lux, the Lord of Splendour, and of Light, our immortal God within us. “Aham eva param Brahman”–“I am the Supreme Brahman” – has ever been the one living truth in the heart and mind of the Adepts, and it I this which helps the mystic to become one. SD, Vo.5, p.81
It is this realization that begins to manifest in the livingness of the third degree disciple. He realizes he is the Creator and not just the Word made Flesh.
Precede all that you do with a definite effort to bring about the following alignments and in the following order:
- The alignment of all personality forces with the energy of the personality, focussed in the mind nature. This means an aligned personality with the focus of the attention in the intellect.
- The alignment of the personality with the soul. This means bringing the mind—which is focussing all the lower energies—into direct relation with the soul.
- The alignment of soul and brain. This is brought about by dropping the personality and all its forces out of your consciousness altogether and relating soul and brain by an act of the will. DINA I, p.172
Frankly, the above three alignments MUST be mastered eventually 24/7 and also mastered per spirit impacted thought-forms as well as soul impacted. Although this will take a few lives unless one has many resources karmically at their feet so-to-speak or a good cave without distractions and a steady food supply. Even though I say this, great mastery can be achieved rhythmically each day if rule no. 20 correctly followed even when working in the world and meeting worldly responsibilities.
Rule 20: Belief
On his own plane the soul rehearses a condition analogous to the belief of the aspirant in the soul or Christ aspect, only in this case the objective is the realisation of that which the Christ or soul is seeking to reveal, the spirit or Father in Heaven.
Devotion to Ishvara” is a large and general term covering the relation of the personal self to the higher self, the Ishvara or Christ principle in the heart. It covers also the relation of the individual Ishvara to the universal or cosmic Ishvara; it deals with the realization of the soul in man that it is an integral part of the Oversoul. This results in group consciousness which is the objective of the kingly science. LoS, pp. 123-124
Belief is a natural necessary condition in meeting the first stated requirement of this rule for a significant reason. Without a true sense of your own real nature you will never achieve the correct posture or identity with the group conscious Soul as it is attempting to identify with the monad or divine will on its own plane. Like vibration evokes like. The personality’s alignment process needs to be a true reflection of the soul’s alignment process. This sense of true divine Self had to be recollected each time and as it was successfully recollected there would be the awareness of an increase in the energy of fiery aspiration as the consciousness was withdrawn into the top of the head and eventually centered in the mind before abstracting into the causal body.
The abstraction process is the necessary process of eliminating any present or existing feelings or thoughts from one’s earlier interactions in the three-worlds. This is the most difficult of alignment tasks in our culture if one is fully immersed daily in the world making a living and the breath can be used to rid oneself of these earlier form creations. Since most require sitting for meditations basically before or after working it sometimes take hours to just sitting make this these sequential alignments with soul and spirit required to evoke the abstraction
Disciples will be given various additional aids by the soul, such as various colors to enhance certain alignment processes. These can be used to clear out the various sheaths of individual and group forms accumulated during the day. There are also many other techniques that could be used to assist in the alignment process such as how to increase in one’s sheath a certain type of prana. These cannot be given out but each of us has access to everything we need to meet real needs and it can be invoked if karamically available.
Mantras are normally used initially to forward the process of fiery aspiration needed to energize the etheric body. This process is followed and enhanced by the sounding and ascension of the OM vibrationally after the sheaths are cleared. The goal is the blending of the personality and soul sheaths again to enhance abstraction. It was not useful to sound the Word before one was somewhat aligned with the soul as it cannot be sounded with the correct vibrational intent.
- Through the sounding of the Word and through reflection upon its meaning, the Way is found.
The expression “the sounding of the Word” must not be too literally interpreted; the esoteric “sounding forth” is based upon a study of the Law of Vibration, and the gradual tuning of the lower vibrations of the sheaths or vestures of consciousness so that they synchronise with the note or sound of the conscious indweller. Speaking correctly, the Word is to be sounded by the soul or the ego on its own plane, and the vibration will subsequently affect the various bodies or vehicles which house that soul. The process is therefore a mental one and can only really be done by those who—through meditation and discipline, coupled with service—have made a conscious at-one-ment with the soul. LoS, p. 59
There is a corresponding relationship between “M” Sound of the AUM or Sound or Word upon the plane of Akasha or monadic plane where the energy of spirit-matter or Fohat is first intended to be patterned; and from that intent, organizes so-to-speak the differentiated spirit-matter of the Cosmic Physical Plane expressing the intent of the Logos through the lower five planes. Per the teachings this mysteriously expresses through five letters itself upon the lower five sub-planes as the five Elements or five types of energy or Prana cosmically considered. Thus, there is a relationship, as you know, between the four physical etheric plane and the cosmic Etheric Planes.
True Raja Yogi’s use only the three highest Tattvas (1. Adi Tattvas, or Auric Envelope or Shiva Force; 2. Anupadaka Tattvas or Isharva Force; and 3. Akasha Tattvas or Brahma Force; —spirit within Spirit). Secret Doctrine
Rule 20: Energy
When alignment is mastered daily the disciple can and normally does move into contemplation and meditated for many hours. The process associated with the occult nature of energy and prana is still not well understood by westerner disciples easily. It can only be grasped in more fulness once the disciple’s mental, occult, spiritual, hierarchical, and triadal understanding is gained in light of the teachings, particular referencing the Light of the Soul.
The word Energy is not used here in its widest (Divine Thought) context intending to capture the field of livingness in the five-worlds. The focus is on the balancing of energy and force currents which depicts a complete understanding and practice affecting every area of life of the soul and the personality. Without addressing the energy and force currents in all areas of the three-fold and five-fold areas of life or livingness the condition of this rule cannot be met. It also is a most critical stage in the alignment process. And until one master the first four means of yoga, even though the eight means is required, for rule no. 20 the practice of this particular meditation form is of no avail.
A second use of the mind is the one which the first five means of yoga bring about—the power to transmit to the brain the thoughts, wishes and will of the ego or soul. This brings into the personal self on the physical plane a recognition of the reality and the sense of identification with the not-self becomes steadily less.
The third use of the mind is its use by the soul as an organ of vision whereby the realm of the soul itself is contacted and known. The final three means of yoga bring this about.LoS, p. 134
It is not the intent to cover the eight means of yoga as presented by the Buddhist teachings herein as many better able minds have taught on these eight means of yoga. All eight are introduced and summarized in Light of the Soul Book No. II. It is only important to point out that they are the basis for the demonstration of the science of contemplation. This is why the Buddhist schools or at least the northern and middle schools produce the most arhats compared to other religious schools in my opinion.
Basically, it can be understood to represent the first and especially the second stage of the meditation process or “aspiration” and “concentration”. In reviewing the three listings of related sciences the second meditative stage correlates also to the crisis stage in the integration process and the impression stage under the Science of Supreme Contact. It is not hard to see the relevancy of these correlations especially once the second stage completed. Remember with every new aspiration or alignment there is a newly recognized potential (light/substance) contact with a new or desired pattern of beingness which attempts to circulate throughout one’s existing field of beingness which creates a crisis of correct identity of self or self-belief or flow of the new qualifying energy pattern through one’s sheath chakras as one concentrates on it.
- The peace of the chitta is also brought about by the regulation of the prana or life breath.
As has been earlier pointed out, pranayama is a term which can be used to cover three processes, all interrelated and allied.
- The science of rhythmic living, or the regulation of the acts of daily life through the organisation of time and the wise utilisation of space…
- The science of the breath, or the vitalisation of the lower man…
- The science of the centres…; this is the application of the law to the forces of nature an…. the scientific utilisation of those forces by the man. It involves the passing of certain septenates of energy through the centres up the spine and into the head by a certain specified geometrical progression. This makes a man a master psychic, and unfolds in him certain latent powers which—when unfolded—put him in touch with the soul of all things and with the subjective side of nature. LoS, pp. 77-78
Over time, once alignment has been successfully stabilized in all areas of one’s life though correct aspiration and concentration there unfolds a truer sensing of this pranic balancing throughout the etheric field. Once one understands this natural process, they will also realize how important it is to make sure their new alignments are in their highest good as energy follows thought in the abstraction process.
If there is not balance in respect to both type of prana and quantity of types of prana in certain areas of the field Samadhi transition will not happen. I will try to move into expanding our understanding of this balancing process by the reviewing of various quotes scattered throughout Patanjali’s works.
What really is prana, what is its source, who or what embodies it? In Treatise on Cosmic Fire, prana is one of the expressions of Fohat or differentiated matter which is “active heat” or active radiatory heat, varies in vibration and quality according to the receiving Entity that is blended with or “latent heat” of matter. These two together defines physical plane electricity. It is also tinged always with the particular quality of its emanating entity whether man, planet or system. This quality also has ray characteristics.
Human prana has a direct correspondence to logoic Prana which we call “Spirit” which reflects or embodies God’s Energy of Activity in motion particularly upon the cosmic etheric planes. It is imbued with His Purpose and reflects His Will in manifestation upon the Cosmic Physical Plane. In respect to His third aspect it is five-fold and reflects the life of Brahma. Thus, prana can be understood to be an actual Logoic Creative Hierarchy expression of such Logos such as planetary Logos by plane chakra or spirillae: Atmic – 5th Kingdom, Buddhic – 4th Kingdom, Manasic – 3rd Kingdom, Astral 2nd Kingdom, and Physical – 1st Kingdom. Mind Born Sons of Brahma ray expressions 1 – 5. It is useful to keep in mind that the overarching Purpose of the Third Logos appears to be the blending of Spirit with Matter to create rhythmic or balanced motion between the inner and outer currents or escape thus “motionless”.
In a real sense, this is why the blended three-fold latent or material fires (symbolizing the lower chakras from past solar system) together with the five-fold pranic fires are blended with the manasic fires at the throat centre area which reflects the goal of the transmutation process by the second initiation and with the head centre and spiritual fires at the third initiation which permits chakra fourth-dimensional rotation. This is a prerequisite to the blending of spiritual fires beginning at this point through the fifth initiation adding two more dimensions of chakra rotation. In another sense it is the blending of the lower five rays or chakras with the sixth ray (or chakra) and seventh which includes the spleen at this juncture also. From another perspective it reflects also new material expression of the dual life of the disciple where the other dual aspect is the blending of manasic fire with the spiritual fires symbolizing the beginning of the dual life of the disciple but also dual nature of his personality expression. He is now two-fold and not three-fold. The soul is now free to link to both spirit and form until the fourth initiation. It is the “focal point for descending light and for ascending radiance.”
“The wind (prana or Spirit) bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof but canst not tell whence it cometh nor whither it goeth. So is everyone that is born of the Spirit.”
Spirit-Soul guides the soul-personality into the Unknown along a particular pathway ever towards increased Dharmic service “monadic destiny” potential expression of the individual unit in relationship to the Whole as summarized in rule no. IV for disciples and initiates. If one could see it Pure Spirit movement is directly related to the meditation processes of the Logos symbolized by the various stages summarized above and initiated also by those composing His expression.
- Right control of prana (or the life currents) is external, internal or motionless; it is subject to place, time and number and is also protracted or brief.
The external, internal or motionless control of the life currents of the body (dense and etheric). This concerns:
- The breathing apparatus and the use of the breath.
- The vital airs and their radiation.
- The centres, and their awakening.
- The kundalini fire and its right progression up the spine.
- The astrological significance and the relation of the man to his group, planetary or otherwise. This is dealt with in the words “place, time and number.”
III. The process of illumination and the production of response in the physical man via the brain to the higher impressions. This ability to respond to the voice of the ego and to become quiescent and receptive must precede the last four means of yoga which do not so immediately concern the dense physical plane or the etheric levels of consciousness. LoS pp. 220-221
It takes all eight means of yoga to participate in the logoic rhythm. The quote above captures a large field for enquiry in respect to energy in this context of the individual and the Logos. It lists several major occult aspects of a human unit that needs to be energetically understood or at least their livingness sensed within. I will move into each one in order although my occult understandings are limited to spiritual or hierarchical witnessing.
I-1 External control of energy currents
The external control of the prana or life currents concerns those breathing exercises and rhythmic practices which bring the physical organs, allied with the etheric centres, into proper condition. These physical organs are themselves never specifically dealt with by the white magician or occultist.
…the aspirant to the mysteries of the Brotherhood of the great White Lodge …brings about the merging of the two parts of the dense physical, and the synchronization of the rhythm of the two bodies and the consequent unity of the entire lower man through attention to the etheric breath and rhythm. This inevitably produces the “external control of the life currents.” LoS, pp. 222-223
It is easy to see the one of the functions of Hierarchy which is assist the disciple in the relating of the cosmic physical with the cosmic etheric planes in such a way as to permit escape or ascension. There is a correlation between the physical body and the etheric body in the external and internal currents in that they eventual become balanced and thus the motionless energy current condition is met. The aspirant never focusses on the physical body when doing breathe related work. There should be an awareness of the intent of identify with the divine Will while focusing on the breathing unless they are specifically focused on some particular type of prana generation, but this would not take place in sitting for meditation. The balancing of these internal and external currents is known by the yogi given there is the noticeable expression of electrical current at the point of balance permitting contemplation.
The disciple who is seeking to cooperate with the Hierarchy of Masters and to manifest this cooperation by active participation in Their work on the physical plane has to learn to work not only through the contemplative realisation but through a scientific utilisation of the interludes, developed in breathing, between points of inhalation and exhalation in the purely physical sense of the term….The brain consciousness is necessarily involved. The interlude between breaths is only capable of right use where a man has achieved the power to follow the interlude of contemplation affecting the soul and the mind and the brain. Just as the mind has been held in the light, and has been receptive to the soul impression so the brain has to be held receptive to impression from the mind. TWM, pp. 516-517
The only rhythm an aspirant should apply unless given otherwise by their soul is the equalized four breathe rhythm in equal counts of in, hold, out, hold. This is the only rhythm I ever used using this form and it always led to successful balancing of the physical and etheric and capturing of the interludes and thus descent of impressions after the initial ascension; and without errant complications.
By subjugation of the upward life (the udana) there is liberation from water, the thorny path, and mire, and the power of ascension is gained.
- (Udana) Prana, extending from the nose to the heart and having special relation to the mouth and speech, the heart and lungs.
- Samana extends from the heart to the solar plexus; it concerns food and the nourishing of the body through the medium of food and drink and has a special relation to the stomach.
- Apana controls from the solar plexus to the soles of the feet; it concerns the organs of elimination, of rejection and of birth, thus having special relation to the organs of generation and of elimination.
- Vpana is found between the nose and the top of the head; it has a special relation to the brain, the nose and the eyes, and when properly controlled produces the coordination of the vital airs and their correct handling.
- Vyana is the term applied to the sum total of pranic energy as it is distributed evenly throughout the entire body. Its instruments are the thousands of nadis or nerves found in the body, and it has a peculiar definite connection with the blood channels, the veins and arteries.
The udana vavu is the prana that ascends and permits the transferring of consciousness to the inner bodies or higher planes. As earlier stated the soul provides additional exercise as needed to ascertain its intent and one of these involves the increase or the balancing of these five pranas (in my own case it was to increase my subjugation of Udana; at the time I received these exercises I had never understood or used the term udana).
Udana vayu, one of the five divisions of the life force, prana, holds special significance in spiritual practice. Udana is the upward-moving breath, which directs the flow of prana from the lower to the higher planes of consciousness. An ascending and radiant force, udana vayu is responsible for taking the mind from waking to sleep and to deep sleep, as well as to higher planes of existence after death. It is active primarily in the region between the heart and the head, bringing prana to the energy centers deep in the brain. As the vayu moving through sushumna nadi (the central axis of the subtle body), udana is associated with kundalini shakti, the creative, blissful consciousness of enlightenment.
Each type of prana can be sensitized in one’s awareness over time as we become present to our energy field in our alignment process and can know in general whether or not a “posture” will lead to correct energy balance. It is this growing awareness that assists in the development of one’s art and science of their meditation form. Everything one thinks, feels, and does affects this balance due to the sheath’s integration as well as all places, people, and things. To subjugate udana one subjugates their life.
Udana rules the throat center, manifesting as speech and other refined expressions, and governing growth and metabolism through the thyroid and parathyroid glands. When udana is balanced and strong, we stand tall and are joyous, enthusiastic, alert, articulate, and strong-willed. Deranged udana, on the other hand, may prod us to negative, inappropriate, or excessive speech—or render us unable to express ourselves at all. Since the throat center controls reception, deranged udana may hamper the intake or use of physical nourishment, while on a mental level, new ideas or experiences can seem “hard to swallow,” leaving us obstinate, arrogant, and inflexible—in a word, stiff-necked. Yoga International Web Site
The quote above captures the practical healing implications of udana in a well-being sense but it does not capture its correct use in Raja Yoga. (It is important to understand that the disciple needs to meditate on recorded impressions so not to waste time in the mis-application of what is received especially in terms of correct timing as disciples can become overwhelmed by just trying to recording them. In other words, it is easy to bring into brain awareness way more source impressions than they should. This reflects a greater need for true humility and also truer initiate forms of discrimination.) In the abstraction process udana or self-awareness life force is raised out of a personality sheath identifications and awareness into the causal body to permit the creative expression by the human soul of the necessary impressions developed through contacting the higher worlds when freed by the personality to do so through the correct use of energy and force currents.
- Freedom from water is a symbolic way of stating that the astral nature is subjugated and the great waters of illusion can no longer hold the emancipated soul. The energies of the solar plexus no longer dominate.
- Liberation from the thorny path refers to the path of physical life, … The explanation is given that the thorns are the cares and troubles of worldly existence which succeed in choking the spiritual life and in veiling the true man for so long. …
- Liberation from the mire refers to that mixed nature of kama-manas, desire and lower mind… It is a symbolic way also of referring to the great illusion which snares the pilgrim for so long.
As earlier highlighted, the three instinctual functions of the three bodies depicted in the three quotes above must be daily ignored within one’s body presence to secure escape from each dimension in the abstraction process. There can be no cell memories (seeds) to distract or free the soul for explorations within the higher worlds or the group minds. There can be no real ego/Ego identification with any of the three lower or higher sheaths for correct energy and force current balance.
The work done through pranayama might briefly be stated to be the following:
- The oxygenation of the blood and hence the cleansing of the blood currents and consequent physical health.
- The bringing of the physical body into a vibration synchronous with that of the etheric body. …
- The transmission of energy via the etheric body to all parts of the dense physical body. This energy may come from various sources:
- From the planetary aura. In this case it is planetary prana, and so concerns primarily the spleen and the health of the physical body.
- From the astral world via the astral body. This will be purely kamic or desire force and will affect primarily the centres below the diaphragm.
- From the universal mind or manasic force. This will be largely thought force and will go to the throat centre.
- From the ego itself, stimulating primarily the head and heart centres.
Most people receive force only from the physical and astral planes, but disciples receive force also from the mental and egoic levels. LoS, pp.219-220
The above quote is highly illustrative of the disciple’s conscious process in developing external control of the energy currents. The process is a form of transformation as opposed to transmutation. The process in this case is controlled by the abstracting disciple’s awareness of the quality of energy now circulating in his various sheaths and centres. He breathes down the higher sheath aspect or quality to recondition and raise the consciousness of each of the sheaths. He does this by breathing down inadvertently a higher quality energy producing the effect of abstraction through elevating by substitution of energies thus eliminating opposing forces through a process of balancing. It is almost an unconscious “sensory” process based upon years or lifetimes of abstraction. Evocatively like invokes like.
This balance has to be achieved with each alignment and normally is done unconsciously. When the astral body function of providing the necessary energy for the imagination only the balance is achieved, and this is why it is an external control. With this balance the necessary pranic types are likewise balanced in the etheric body balancing the physical organ systems. This can be understood to be successful once the lower and higher mind are united in creative meditation apperception registering and recording.
The above discussion includes many aspects of internal control of energy currents also
I-2 Internal control of energy currents
The internal control of the life currents is brought about in three ways:
- By an intellectual understanding of the nature of the etheric body and the laws of its life.
- Through a consideration of the types of energy and of their apparatus, the system of centres, to be found in the etheric body. LoS, pp.219-220
The quotes above suggest only a very general need to grasp basic knowledge of oneself as a seven-fold vital (cosmic) being and the nature of expression of these different chakras. The quote also has a direct relationship to the higher four cosmic etheric planes.
One need’s to be aware of their inner personality (and later soul-spirit) activities within the context of ones’ introverted and extroverted livingness of their sheaths especially in the alignment stage of meditation which brings in one’s subjective and objective type of required beingness in contrast to enhance the balancing process from the point of view of the personality (and soul and spirit eventually). Ascension is one plane at a time and each plane has its own set of qualified vital centres and senses giving rise to some form of livingness that is adjusted for or balanced energetically. As noted above it is a “sensory” process that takes much time and experience to apply effectively and has many implications and ramifications. I am this and I am not this process dimension by dimension. The not-self is developed permitting contact, relationship, sensitivity, consciousness and activity; and later dis-identification.
First. The awakening on the physical plane, and the gradually increasing activity of the centres, until the Probationary Path is reached. This is paralleled by the increasing use of the senses, and their constant utilisation for the identification of the self and its sheaths.
Second. The awakening on the astral plane, and the gradually increasing activity of the centres, until the first Initiation is reached. This is paralleled by the tremendously keen use of the senses for the purposes of discriminating between the Self and the not-self.
Third. The awakening upon the mental plane, and the gradually increasing activity of the centres and the senses. The effect in both cases tends to identification of the Self with its own essence in all groups and the rejection of the sheaths and the forms. (Bailey, 1925, pp. 203-204)
The third stage reflects a stage of group consciousness directly related to the mental plane realities.
The above two ways of subjugating the internal energy currents unfolds over time as the aspirant purifies the three sheaths and subjugates them one at a time over several lifetimes. Through the process of raising his consciousness and activating thereby the transmutation process produces over time this subjugation. It was not until age 35 that this is normally accomplished per the maturation process with today’s western disciples and symbolizes the degree of personality integration available to be organized for enhanced creative expression which I believe is typical for aspirants and humanity in general.
- Through certain developments and knowledge which come to the aspirant when he is ready…and which give him the ability to tap certain types of forces, energies, or shaktis, to utilize them correctly through the medium of his own centres and to produce effects which come under the descriptive terms, illuminative, purificatory, magnetic, dynamic, psychic, and magic. . LoS, pp.219-220
This development is paralleled on the two higher planes simultaneously as in the lower, and as the astral senses come into perfected activity, the corresponding centres of force on the buddhic plane begin to function until the vibratory interplay between the two is consummated, and the force of the Triad can be felt definitely in the Personality via the astral.
Again the corresponding vortices on the atmic level come into active vibration as the mental centres become fourth dimensional, … (Bailey, 1925, pp. 203-204)
The third way cannot be initiated until the first three bodies are basically purified and subjugated to a high degree or after the second initiation period transition to greater life stage. This second initiation cycle completion stage or transition to greater life stage corresponds to the meditative stage of inspiration and contact stage of sensitivity per the correlated three sciences denoted earlier. Then it is possible tap certain types of forces noted in the third way. Again, maturationally for average western disciples this is not until after age 35 that these internal microcosmic senses are potentially consciously controllable. This represents the beginning of their pragmatic maturation.
Once the mental body centres have become fourth dimensional symbolizing the unfoldment of the sacrificial petals and the third initiation process then the triadal senses become a potentially practical tool for service. Thus, one has developed the necessary equipment and contacts to produce potentially the effects of illuminative, purificatory, magnetic, dynamic, psychic, and magic. Thus, Master D.K. is again highly accurate in his statement that rule 20 applies to those approaching and going through the third initiation. The quotes below reflect also what has happen within the egoic lotus petal alignments and their relationship to the spirillae.
Each centre has to be gradually, carefully and scientifically awakened, its revolutions have to be intensified, its radiations electrified and its force must demonstrate through the higher dimension.
Each etheric centre has to be magnetically linked, in full alignment, with the corresponding centres in the emotional and mental bodies, so that the flow of force is unimpeded.
Each centre has then to be awakened afresh by the Sacred Fire till the radiations, the velocity and the colours are keyed to the egoic note. LOM
Blended they are and each with each works rhythmically. The vital force flows through from all the planes. The world stands open wide. EH 81
There is a causative relationship between center dimensional unfoldment, the four fires – fires of matter, fires of prana, manasic fires and fire of spirit. Rule 20 requires the first three fires to be blended at the manasic point which permits fourth dimensional unfoldment of the centres. This relationship is also related to the transmutation process of the lower centres all being synthesized to a certain degree into the seven head centres which is also required for this rule. This means that they have also responded to all seven solar system influences buddhically or ashramically considered. This also means that all twelve esoteric planets have been blending with their exoteric counterparts. Furthermore, the purification of the inner sheaths with higher subplane matter with first sub-plane matter approaching 70-75% of the sheath’s composition per my inference.
What I have not touched upon is the necessity for the Son of Mind to balance these energy currents of these higher sheaths through dis-identifying himself from this inner microcosmic sense awareness’s for further ascension. The importance of this takes quite a while to understand as these higher senses are quite practical for service purposes. This represents some of the required knowledge for the higher initiations. In effect the writing of this narrative overall is my attempt to do this.
I-3 Motionless control of energy currents
The motionless control of the life currents is the effect of the proper development of the other two, external and internal control and must be present before the fifth means of yoga, withdrawal or abstraction becomes possible. It simply indicates perfectly balanced synchronization and the complete unification of the two parts of the physical body so that there is no impediment to the outgoing or incoming forces. When motionless control is reached, the yogi can withdraw from his physical body at will or can pull in that body and manipulate at will any of the seven great planetary forces.
It should be borne in mind that the ideal condition is here dealt with and that no aspirant can achieve this means of yoga without working simultaneously at the other means also. The study of the parallelism in nature is of value here. LoS, pp. 223-224
The seven planetary forces are used to unfold the seven principles and their Source are the seven scared planets (solar systems). Thus, Rule VIII for Group Initiation must be demonstrated once this process is more developed. It is developed and expressed in stages but begins with the motionless breath which cannot be demonstrated without Rule VIII for Applicants being demonstrated. One’s alignment to and conditioning of these planetary forces permits one to eventually channel these planetary forms of energy to tap certain types of forces, energies, or shaktis, to utilize them correctly through the medium of his own centres and to produce effects which come under the descriptive terms, illuminative, purificatory, magnetic, dynamic, psychic, and magic. Also, the Creative Hierarchies are ruled by a sign and planet which in effect channel their particular Shakti and initiates have access to these Hierarchical forces particularly by way of Uranus once the three-fold fires are blended as each of the disciples chakras are linked to the planetary chakras once integrated with that kingdom and thus also certain creative hierarchies. There is also a relationship between these, and the initiations given they are planetary in their effects.
Thus, there are a great many rules applied and astrological influences responded to which needs to take place in a very short period of time after age 35 and before age 50 to then make even quicker advances in the One Life and this is accomplished through Patanjali’s rule no. 20. The remaining discussion is focused upon this period of time.
These available forces do not become available basically until one enters by way of the processes of Samadhi where fusion of soul-personality vehicles is effectively demonstrated and the group antahkarana is utilized. Thus, one appears to increase their sensitivity to or partakes of the astrological influences registered by the group members or in effect their group substance as it is embodied over time so-to-speak. In this case it represents in a factual sense the fusion of the group soul with the group personalities. This again implicates rule no. III for group initiation.
Motionless control is the hardest control to achieve especially for long periods of time. Its control for short periods of time is what permits the Samadhi transition event or more correctly the entering of that “which can effect a change”. What always happens to those moving into Samadhi is that once the transition event begins or the energy starts to build up the awareness is pulled to this energy build up and the aspirant either reacts to it and thus moves out of the abstraction process or does not react to it and continues in the abstraction process. It is only a matter of degrees. Total energetic, emotive, mental, and spiritual indifference is one’s friend to all lower three-world events. The disciple must manage to consciously control it regularly for up to twelve to fourteen hours to make a dent in recording all that is contacted (but this is basically an impossibility if one taps into all-knowledge). The goal is all the time for the fourth initiation. Motionless can also be understood to be limitless as it concerns bypassing of normal existence identification and thus qualitative activity on the various levels. This can also be understood if one associate’s identification with devic substance and attributes – existing, presented and divine linked to the livingness of the sheaths. This type of identification is form identification not the higher form of identification this leads to over time through the application of the eight means of yoga. There are various types of identification and one leads naturally from one to another. The quote below summarizes a couple different types of identification:
The entire eight means of yoga themselves only prepare a man for that state of spiritual consciousness which transcends thought, which is apart from any of the seeds of thought, which is formless, and which can only be described (and then inadequately) by such terms as unification, realization, identification, nirvanic consciousness, etc. LoS, p. 256
I-4 Control of energy currents & place, time and number
- The astrological significance is also hinted at here in the three words, “place, time, and number.” In these words the universal triplicates must be recognized, and right control of the life currents must be seen to be related to karma, opportunity and form; there are certain words which when rightly understood give the key to all practical occultism and make the yogi a master of life. They are:
Sound Number Colour Form
Word Life Light Body
and these are recognized as subject to the space-idea and the time-element. It should be borne in mind, in this connection, that “space is the first entity” (Secret Doctrine I. 583) and that cyclic manifestation is the law of life.
In respect to practical occultism a few of the illuminating process model occult potential variables or requirements discussed so far which also have astrological correlations to “space-idea and the time-element” alternations are:
- Fourth dimensional centre development of the various planes;
- Blending of the fires;
- The transmutation of the lower centres into the higher centres and the seven head centres;
- The purification of the inner sheaths with higher subplane matter where the first sub-plane matter approaching 70-75% of the sheaths composition;
When this is recognized, the entity, expressing itself cyclically, will make its presence felt through differentiation, through the colour or quality of the veiling form and through the form itself. These factors make up the sum total of the expression of any identity, God or man, and the appearance of any man in exoteric expression on the physical plane is dependent upon the rhythmic or cyclic outgoing or indrawing energy of the great Life in whom he lives and moves and has his being. This is the basis of the science of astrology or the relationship of the planet, or planets to the human being and of their relation to the stars and the various signs of the zodiac.
The above quotes are significant for each of us in all ways that define our life opportunities and potentials. This overall analysis attempt to capture these opportunities and potentials within the disciple’s life. It is invaluable to at least record in a journal of meditations every day keeping detailed records of fruits with dates. It is instructive to have these correlated fruits from these meditations to extant astrological conditions during those meditations to ascertain the possible influence astrologically in respect to the monad, soul, and personality to the extent possible among other reasons. It is important to record as they become known the subjective astrological conditioning forces upon the human soul and monad in respect to these meditative fruits or opportunities. This is section is further discussed in our works but only mention here due to their significance.
Some knowledge of this is essential to the right control of the life currents, so that the disciple can avail himself of the “times and seasons” wherein progress can be expedited.
This quote concept should also be understood from the point of view of the monad and the soul in that each of us, as disciples, can adhere to this rule in the planning not only of this life but also of future lives. Every life is successful or not based upon ability to correctly choose those “times and seasons “when creating their personality sheaths when coming into manifestation. This includes locations and environments where maturation is undertaken and such as humanity’s sub-groupings (regional, national, ethnic, et.al.). This also includes historical influences astrological, planetary, solar and cosmic. The ability to master this process each life, and over a series of successive lives where purpose and plan demonstrated eventually leads to the mastery of the creative process. All initiatory processes and demonstrations are also a reflection of this expanding mastery of this creative process associated with astrological timing consciously considered by the Self.
[As an example, earlier denoted, in respect to timing and incarnations I was born the same year as the sixth degree initiates took initiation in 1952, and just at the right time to take advantage through maturation of the full 25-year cycle at the close of the 20th century participating in the spiritual opportunities for advancement which were auspicious. This period corresponded to the Energy released from Shamballa into Humanity directly in the years 1975 and 2000. Furthermore, each full moon period proffers a different set of variables and available qualified energies. I approached certain full moons differently than others. I also choose where to experience these full moons or where to meditate. The full moons that brought the most desirable fruits were Capricorn, Pisces, Leo-Virgo, Scorpio, Gemini and Sagittarius generally and tropically considered but overall, each of twelve constellation energies were valuable. But after a certain point they did not matter as I managed to stand at the center of all three crosses simultaneously and channel all six polarized energies of the twelve zodiacal constellations; as well as the influences from all 36 planetary rulers.]
III. The process of illuminating the lower man becomes possible through the right control of the pranas and this “illuminating process” is an exact science for which these four means of yoga have prepared the way. The fires of the body are justly arranged, the “motionless” condition can be somewhat reached, the vital airs in the head are “at peace” and the entire lower man awaits one of two processes:
- The withdrawal of the true or spiritual man in order to function on some higher plane,
- Or the bringing down into the lower brain consciousness, of light, illumination and knowledge from the planes of the ego. LoS, pp. 224-225
The above two quotes capture my own experiences. Every session brought into brain awareness soul impacted (or not soul impacted) illumination and knowledge initially from the three lower planes of the ego. Later, progressively from the manasic plane and then the buddhic. Furthermore, the atmic and finally the monadic plane livingness’s and esoteric groupings as Sources were accessed by the “spiritual man.” All five lower planes become simultaneously accessed by the “spiritual man” linked to various sources associated to those planes per some meditative theme normally associated directly or indirectly with the Plan in some practical way.
The use of form in meditation is not of paramount significance in respect or comparison to the soul that utilizes the form to express itself through. This ray related form expression from the soul is based upon its concept of service and is basically two-fold. First of all, it relates to the idea that man, among all creatures, has the right to proceed to develop himself along the ways of god. Secondly, it means that man has an obligation to assist other life forms in meeting their real needs (and this applies particular to myself). In other words, the soul ray expresses upon its own plane the correspondence to the personality ray on its plane the need or function of meeting these real needs through addressing them in some fashion. This fashion controls the nature of service type given ray, karma, opportunity and time and place when this is being provided. In the course of my own life these years and thus seasons changed over time with their different karmic situations and thus opportunities. The disciple needs to take advantage of these seasons to bring in various forms of information towards meeting real needs based upon the likelihood of those willing to assist in the process. And working with these during these seasons is tantamount to the essence of this rule. It would be wise to see this rule of an extension of time and place wherever one is at on the planet and whatever the circumstances are thus according to some differentiated ray(s) pattern.
When, through meditation and service, plus the discipline of the lunar bodies, a man comes consciously and definitely under his soul ray, then he comes as definitely under the influence of one or other of the seven solar systems, as they focus their energy through one or other of the constellations and subsequently one or other of the seven sacred planets. Eventually, there will be twelve sacred planets, corresponding to the twelve constellations, but the time is not yet. Our solar system, as you know, is one of seven. When a man has arrived at this point in evolution, birth months, mundane astrology, and the influences which play upon the form aspect become of less and less importance. This circle of solar systems affects paramountly the soul and it becomes the focal point of spiritual energies. This is the problem of the soul on its own plane,—responsiveness to these types of energy, and, of them, the personality is totally unaware. LoS, pp.437-438
Let me be more direct. Every historical period being in different soul groups according to many variables such as rays coming in and going out of incarnation as well national and group and family karma. These various groupings are expressed on each place and sub-plane is a logical order linked to the planetary Logos. This is discussed later. Also, there are many planetary events that happen cyclically as well as yearly and all of these bring different set of opportunities and players. It is the knowledge of these that determine whether or not one’s objectives can be met at some point in time and space depending where they are presently also or not. In other words the Plan is in constant flux in respect to time and participants.
Book 1, 35. The mind can be trained to steadiness through those forms of concentration which have relation to the sense perceptions.
We are dealing with those forms of unfoldment and of control which eventuate in what has been called “gracious peace.” We have seen that correct group relations and rhythmic living will produce that condition wherein stillness of the vehicles or of the sheaths is attained, and the lower man can then adequately reflect the higher or spiritual man. Now we touch upon certain aspects of the Raja Yoga philosophy and the key to the understanding of this sutra is found in the word detachment. The aspirant (as he makes his sense contacts and through the medium of the five senses comes into touch with the phenomenal world) will gradually assume more and more the position of onlooker. His consciousness therefore shifts slowly out of the realm of the sense vehicles into that of the “dweller in the body.“ LoS, pp. 78-79
This rule is a natural extension of the earlier rules in respect to breathe regulating of currents trough identification and dis-identification processes between the Self and Not-self. Once one can control his internal environment then the outer environment is of less importance but this is relative and it takes much time to master ones internal environment to the extent that the outer one has no impact upon him but him on it as the outer does eventually reflect the inner over time individually and racially through cultures and civilizations. One decides his relationship to all internal and external events, and it is this relationship is perfected the outer loses its control. This relationship over time is based upon his forward movement into the world of causes and understands the purpose of each group form or group event as well as the variables producing such form or event. He has access to the various karmic records in an increasingly omnipresent and omniscience way if he so chooses. He thus uses his developed higher senses to ascertain causative relationships within an event as a way to infer and acquire its inner causes in context to the Pure Vision of the Soul.
One does not need to master their internal environment but they need to increasingly do so over time to the point where a permanent state of happiness is evident as well as Joy due to daily contemplation to retain the ashramic group feeling. In doing so the outer environment normally mirrors the disciple in appropriate ways as harmlessness embodied them. Removing of pattern expectations is one of the keys to a gracious peace leads to the invoking of esoteric Saturn but it is also opposed to meeting service objectives from the personality mindset in the west as western disciples perceive meeting these goals as giving them a sense of purpose. Staying on the periphery, with an eye on the intent of esoteric Saturn proffering opportunity, and always looking in or becoming the observer of proffering’s leads to the removal of expectations as one is then never identified with the inner or outer causative event model perceived or with its variables and outcomes.
Having any expectations or any caring as to the outcome, creates a separation between themselves and the One Life and one cannot reach an adequate level of abstraction without identifying with the One Life. Esoteric Saturn can be understood as perceiving no evil to be addressed.
Book 1, 35. The mind can be trained to steadiness through those forms of concentration which have relation to the sense perceptions.
Method Sense Result
- Concentration upon the tip of the nose smell perfumes.
- Concentration upon the root of the tongue hearing sounds.
- Concentration upon the tip of the tongue taste flames.
- Concentration upon the middle of the tongue touch vibration.
- Concentration upon the palate sight pictures, visions. LoS, pp. 80-81
These correlations can be understood in a more practical way if one associates them with the planes and sub-planes of Brahma. All Knowledge and thus All Purpose, All Discrimination and thus all Comprehension, All Sight and thus all Perspectives, All Touch thus all Meaning, and All Hearing and thus all Direction. I reference them here to get a better sense of head centre functioning in respect to the higher plane or Buddhic as they refer more to it than the others.
Book 1, 35. The mind can be trained to steadiness through those forms of concentration which have relation to the sense perceptions
Method Sense Result
7th Ray hearing sounds.
6th Ray touch vibration.
5th Ray sight pictures, visions.
4th Ray taste flames.
3rd Ray smell perfumes. LoS, pp. 79
This is an interesting sutra that approaches the abstraction process my way sense perceptions which to a western aspirant will not make sense of unless that associate with each result is in its negative or not-appearance in terms of those given in Sutra 44 below or no – grossness, character, quality, pervasiveness, and usefulness. This moves one into a condition where white-magic can be wrought from a personality will point of view.
- One-pointed meditation upon the five forms which every element takes, produces mastery over every element. These five forms are the gross nature, the elemental form, the quality, the pervasiveness and the basic purpose.
It should be remembered that this will have a dual reference, to the macrocosm and to the microcosm. It can refer to the five planes of monadic evolution, or to the five forms which every element takes on each and every plane, bearing in mind that this is the case as regards the mind apprehension and the modifications of the thinking principle, for mind is the fifth principle, and man is the five pointed star and therefore can (as man) achieve only a fivefold illumination. There are, however, two higher forms and two other modes of perception, i. e., the intuitional and spiritual realization. With these, however, the present sutra has not to do. The head centre is dual in itself and is composed of the centre between the eyebrows and the highest chakra, the thousand petalled lotus. LoS, pp.341-342
Plane Nature Sense Quality Centre
Earth Physical Smell Grossness Base of spine
Astral Emotional Taste Character Solar Plexus
Manasic Mental Sight Quality Head
Buddhic Intuitional Touch Pervasiveness Heart
Atmic Spiritual Sound Usefulness Throat
The study and understanding of this sutra would result in the complete equipping of the white occultist for all forms of magical work. Students must remember that this does not refer to the elements as we have them, but has relation to the elemental substance out of which all gross forms are made. According to the Ageless Wisdom there are five grades of substance having certain qualities. These five grades of substance form the five planes of monadic evolution; they compose the five vibratory spheres in which man and superhuman man are found. These five planes have each an outstanding quality, of which the five physical senses are the correspondence.
In respect to service upon the lower five planes it is thus easy to see the necessity to unfold one’s potential of the not-self upon the first five planes and sub-planes to achieve an ultimate “useful “contribution to the Purpose and the Plan in one’s fullness in respect to the lower five kingdoms. This sutra can be understood to reflect the necessary development of the spirillae upon the three lower planes and thus through reflect action unfold the higher plane spirillae and thus their correlated centres and senses for full usability. This is one of the effects of endeavor of the initiate in his attempt to be occultly obedient and occultly serve in approaching and after the third initiation or to better Serve and Obey their knowingness of the Purpose and the Plan.
I-5 Imposition of a New Rate of Vibration
- There is a fourth stage which transcends those dealing with the internal and external phases.
We have seen how the control of the life currents can be either externally active, internally active or balanced. This triple process brings the entire lower personal man into a condition, first of rhythmic response to the inner motivating factor (in this case, the ego or spiritual man on his own plane) and then of complete quiescence or stillness. This latter condition of receptive waiting, if one might so call it, is succeeded by one of a form of higher activity. This is literally the imposition of a new rate of vibration on the lower, the sounding forth of a new note, emanating from the inner spiritual man which produces certain definite effects in the three sheaths which constitute the lower self and which veil the divinity which is man. These changes are dealt with in the next two sutras.
- Through this, that which obscures the light is gradually removed.
- And the mind is prepared for concentrated meditation.
This sutra captures the cause for what I have been calling the Samadhi transition period which can be understood herein as literally the imposition of a new rate of vibration on the lower, the sounding forth of a new note, emanating from the inner spiritual man which produces certain definite effects in the three sheaths. This is the point that one can now become a vehicle for the second aspect as His bodies have been prepared by the first four means of yoga and the fifth or abstraction can now proceed. It follows from motionless control.
“The chitta has, by its own nature, all knowledge. It is made of sattva particles, but is covered by rajas and tamas particles, and by pranayama this covering is removed.“ LoS, p. 228
The concept that chitta has, by its own nature, all knowledge. I understand it to mean potentially all knowledge. If this is the case, then chitta is the Thought of the Cosmic Logos in its three aspects that brought the cosmic physical plane existence through the Void and everything can be considered to be an emanation of it. Per one of the quotes below Sattva is purity, light or knowledge. Pranayama used in the quote infers that through the right control of the energy currents we can lessen the influence of the other two gunas. I do not know how this works or why it works as it does as of this writing, but I do know it does work. It appears that this is one of the major causes for the new rate of vibration imposed upon the three sheaths by the spiritual man permitting entry into a state of Samadhi transition. I do know from experience that over time degrees of omniscience becomes demonstrated and thus something is occurring or that the substance of the three periodic vehicles of the yogi are approaching a state of pure “chitta” or Sattva is dominating thus more God Rhythm.
This also appears to be made possible by the uprising of udana particularly as udana is related to the throat chakra and mind nature more than the other chakras. Per an earlier quote:
It is active primarily in the region between the heart and the head, bringing prana to the energy centers deep in the brain. As the vayu moving through sushumna nadi (the central axis of the subtle body), udana is associated with kundalini shakti, the creative, blissful consciousness of enlightenment.
Below are some useful quotes from the web to improve comprehension for students not familiar with Vedic teachings on these topics:
The strong current of Vrittis of the mind will be directed along the virtuous path if Sattva is predominating in the mind. The man will be doing virtuous actions. If Rajas and Tamas predominate, the mental current and mental energy flow along a vicious path and the man will be doing vicious actions. Sattvic mental current will make you inward (Antarmukha) and take you to Kaivalya or Moksha. Rajasic and Tamasic currents will throw you down in Samsara.
Sattva, Rajas and Tamas are the three Gunas or qualities of the Chitta. Sattva is its inherent quality. Chitta is born of Sattva Guna. But when it mixes with Rajas and Tamas, all the worldly taints manifest. Sattva is purity, light or knowledge. Sivanandaonline.org quote
Chitta is not confined to the mind alone. It is rather the whole mind and body awareness pervading the mind, the ego, the intelligence, the senses, the organs of action, the nervous system, and various types of breathes. Chitta is a kind of energy field, made up of the three gunas, namely, sattva, rajas and tamas, having the ability to reflect the objects internally in the consciousness that are perceived through the senses. In other words, chitta is a recording mechanism. It records everything that happens to us and creates in the process thoughts, desires, memories, sensations, feelings, emotions, attachments, aversion, habitual thought patterns, and latent impressions . Hinduwebsite Quote
In the philosophy of Yoga, all matter in the universe arises from the fundamental substrate called Prakriti. From this ethereal Prakriti the three primary gunas (qualities) emerge creating the essential aspects of all nature—energy, matter and consciousness. These three gunas are tamas (darkness), rajas (activity), and sattva (beingness).All three gunas are always present in all beings and objects surrounding us but vary in their relative amounts. Yogabasics website quote
During the quiescent and receptive process of illumination the response of the brain to the higher impressions (or the ability to respond to the voice of the ego) via the mind requires the last four means of yoga which do not directly concern the dense physical plane or the etheric levels of livingness. When the lower man is brought into proper response through attention to the first four means of yoga then two results begin to manifest in him and he is ready to use the remaining four means which will reorient him and bring him eventually to liberation. When Patanjali refers to the regulation of the breath and of the energy currents, he places it as the fourth means of yoga and states that only when right poise has been achieved (the third Means) as a result of keeping the Commandments and the Rules (Means one and two) is this regulation to be attempted.
The two results begin to manifest are:
- Through this, that which obscures the light is gradually removed.
- And the mind is prepared for concentrated meditation.
Johnston’s edition gives a beautiful rendering of this sutra in the words: “Thence comes the mind’s power to hold itself in the light—,” the idea being that once the condition of quiescence has been reached, and the fourth stage of supernormal impression has been made possible, the remaining means of yoga, abstraction, attention, meditation and contemplation can be properly undertaken. The mind can be gripped and used and the process of transmitting the knowledge, light and wisdom from the ego or soul, to the brain via the mind can be safely undertaken. LoS, pp. 228-229
Holding one’s mind in the light has obviously a sequence of meaning as used herein as supernormal impression is generated mentally and recorded in brain awareness which leads to right perception discussed below. It is much more difficult to develop a useful working theory as to why than to actually demonstrate it.
I-6 Right control of energy currents is the illumination process
III. The process of illuminating the lower man becomes possible through the right control of the pranas and this “illuminating process” is an exact science for which these four means of yoga have prepared the way. The fires of the body are justly arranged, the “motionless” condition can be somewhat reached, the vital airs in the head are “at peace” and the entire lower man awaits one of two processes:
- The withdrawal of the true or spiritual man in order to function on some higher plane,
- Or the bringing down into the lower brain consciousness, of light, illumination and knowledge from the planes of the ego. LoS, p. 225
Let us see if we can fathom some of the elements of the illuminating process and how does the fires of matter, the fires of prana, the manasic fires, and the fire of spirit factor into this process. We know that once the lower three fires blend the chakras become 4th dimensional and after blending with the fire of spirit, they begin to take on two more dimensions. Some of my astral and mental chakras (normally centres from heart down) appear to be 5th dimensional even though the egoic lotus itself is still not fourth-dimensional which normally takes place as a requirement for the fourth initiation.
Book 1, 51. When this state of perception is itself also restrained (or superseded), then is pure Samadhi achieved.
The great teacher Patanjali, having led us through the various stages of the expanding consciousness, from “seeded” meditation to that in which the senses and the mind are superseded, carries us into a state for which we have no adequate terminology. The yogi of the East applies the word Samadhi to that state of consciousness wherein the world in which the spiritual man functions and the formless levels or planes of our solar system are contacted, seen and known. The field of knowledge of the three worlds, the realm of maya and of illusion, can be contacted at will by the seer using the instrument provided for him, but a new world opens up in which he sees his consciousness as one with all other energies, or conscious expressions of divine life. The last veil of illusion is withdrawn, the great heresy of separateness is seen in its true nature… LoS, p. 112
In respect to the last veil of illusion encountered at the sixth initiation as opposed to the third initiation as here inferred. I understand it to mean the veil separating us from the monad or the lower five planes as opposed to the veil of the cosmic physical plane itself separating us from the cosmic astral plane addressed at the seventh initiation. I mention it here as it symbolizes to me the ultimate right control of the energy currents initiated from the logoic and monadic planes which gives rise to the Fohatic energies or effects of Divine Thought thus giving rise to form forces upon the lower five planes. On can also experience be-ness which precedes the Great Illusion through the experience of absolute be-ness identify with spirit-matter or kundalini Shakti experience with its revealing of the primeval Light of Akasha.
One can also apprehend the Great Illusion through their Atmic microcosmic sense experience of atmic beatific livingness with its absolute knowledge which sees the beautiful yet purposeful relationship between all formless forms within the one Form and through identify with the One Soul as it organizes all within the seven solar systems – the para-Nirvanic doorway. Saying this I also am saying that I know we are all representative of the Cosmic Christ, as the Cosmic Angel of the Presence has given me this perspective through my own monadic Ray Angel of the Presence. In respect to a more advanced form of overcoming the Great Illusion.
I later introduce the astrological influence one needs to respond to or the triangle Gemini-Scorpio-Mercury (Earth) to become aware of the boundary of the Great Illusion. I only just began my journey into the higher planes and required an estimated five more years of daily contemplation to reach my next high water mark or final substance salvation for this cycle.
In summation this work with the Great Breath eventually will take us out of the solar system all together and places us upon the path of return to the Father’s House through the Isles of Scorpio.
Rule 20: Memory, or right mindfulness
This is an interesting factor in the process as it involves right forgetfulness, or the elimination out of the consciousness of the ego of all those forms which have hitherto veiled the Real. These forms are either self-chosen or self-created. This leads to a condition of true apprehension or the ability to register correctly that which the soul has perceived, and the power to transfer that correct perception to the brain of the physical man. This is the memory referred to here. It does not refer so specifically to recollection of the things of the past, but covers the point of realisation and the transference of that realisation to the brain where it must be registered and eventually recollected at will. LoS, pp. 40-41
There is no type of experiential theme or concept memory which should be held by the personality of the disciple. During the alignment process there is great care not to hold any thought or feeling other than an intent to alignment with the divine will. I have been able to isolate many types of memory systems to avoid in this process given ones sensitivity and knowledge base. Disciples particularly can be influenced by a wide range of these types of memories.
Memory system 22
- cell memory (creation of genetic propensities)
- bio-computer memory system (many body systems; PEMPS, etc)
- Previous or future Personality/Soul memory (Causal or past/future or present life memories)
- Physio-etheric brain memory (normal brain memory)
- Physiological body systems resonant memory (whole systems not in cells)
- Body Polarity Memory System (Way energies are held conditioned by life experiences example – sexual partner conditioning)
- Memories held by others about you (Psychic Influences from environment)
- Sub-personality memories
- Resonant Event Memory (resonant with prior similar events)(stored in Expanded meridian system)
- Group soul memory (group causal Body)
- Monadic Memory (Monadic Permanent Atom especially other kingdom experiences)
- Past life Memories related to this life particularly as these seem to invade per cue.
- Racial memory
- National memory
- Ethnic memory
- Resonant Substance Memory (personality Vehicle substance used by others)
- Physical Animal Body Memory
- Animal kingdom (these still linger from substance conditioning at point of individualization)
- vegetable kingdom memory (as a whole field of influence)
- between lives memory (these influence less so)
- Substance of planetary lives memory
- Substance of solar system memory
Each one of these memory systems contains aspect of the past, present or future that is to be avoided if possible, in the registering and recording process of the soul’s meditation especially energetically or qualitatively otherwise it is a meditation with seed.
When concentration, meditation and contemplation form one sequential act, then is sanyama achieved.
Through that mastery he has produced certain results, which are as follows:
- He has freed himself from the three worlds of mind, emotion and physical plane existence. He is not engrossed by them.
- He can focus his attention at will and can hold his mind steady indefinitely, whilst working intensively in the mental world, should he so choose.
- He can polarize or centre himself in the consciousness of the ego, soul or spiritual man, and knows himself as separate from the mind, the emotions, desires, feelings and form which constitute the lower man.
- He has learnt to recognize that lower man (the sum total of mental states, of emotions and physical atoms) as simply his instrument for communicating at will with the three lower planes.
- He has acquired the faculty of contemplation or the attitude of the real Identity towards the realm of the soul and can look out on the soul-realm in a sense corresponding to the way a man can use his eyes to see on the physical plane.
- He can transmit to the brain, via the controlled mind, that which he sees, and can thus impart knowledge of the self and of its kingdom to the man on the physical plane.
Over time the disciple (Son of Mind and Personality) masters the alignment process once he has mastered the first five means of yoga and thus the first three stages of the meditation form or belief, energy and memory. The above sutra just confirms that this is a natural evolution of his effort indicating the next level of meditative form mastery. This process mastery will differ for each depending upon the degree of subjugation of their internal and external environments and particular karmic and ray circumstances.
It is imperative to follow one’s soul’s guidance in all things. One small thing eventually turns into a large obstacle if ignored long enough. If I had taken this sagacious advice, I would have reached my Son of Mind’s next goal and freed myself further to better work off the group related karma and heavenly man’s karma as discussed in the illumination stage.
- When the chitta becomes absorbed in that which is the reality (or idea embodied in the form), and is unaware of separateness or of the personal self, this is contemplation or samadhi.
He “enters into” that condition which has four outstanding characteristics:
- Absorption in the soul consciousness and therefore awareness of the soul of all things.
- Liberation from the three worlds of sense perception, so that only is known and contacted which is free from form, from desire and from lower concrete mental substance.
- Realization of oneness with all souls, subhuman, human, and superhuman. Group consciousness somewhat expresses the idea, …
- Illumination or perception of the light aspect of manifestation….Through facility in the meditation process he can focus that light on any object he chooses and come “en rapport” with the light which that object is hiding. That light is then known to be one in essence with his own light-centre, and comprehension, communication and identification then become possible.
The above set of quotes symbolizes the essence of the creative process for deity and our process or livingness of being embodying within it (or the Divine Thoughtform) as it descends to manifest or as an idea whose time has come. It is always the Activity of the three-fold Cosmic Logos that is being demonstrated and observed through our developing microcosmic senses. Sanat Kumara and we are merely divine representatives conscious or unconscious of this fact.
Simultaneous apperception and interpretation were the fruits of the higher illuminating process wherever the soul’s attention was focused which was basically all five lower planes most of the time. This simultaneous apperception and interpretation were never separated as they streamed into the brain organizing the vital airs of the brain. I can only assume my own process depicted a process of identification by the quote below. I probably have jumped too far ahead in my experiences at this point in detailing the nature, process and fruits of Rule No. 20. In a real sense what I am describing here is not just mental illumination but also buddhic and atmic illumination or what I call triadal the third type of illumination.
You get a clue here to the teaching which I have oft given to you, that the higher processes of spiritual unfoldment must consciously give way to a much higher phase of perception, for which we have, as yet, no word. In relation to consciousness, we speak constantly of initiation; in relation to this new process of simultaneous perception and interpretation, we employ the rather vague word “identification.” DINA II, p.403
The act of identification permits the knowingness of the activity of the Cosmic Logos to one degree or another according to one’s position within His Body in time and in space. It reveals His Will-Desire acting through His representatives and His Will-Desire extensions or the solar and planetary Logoi. There are several different types of identification.
In respect to right memory Rule No. II for disciples and initiates demonstrates or symbolizes the requirements. It is the various levels of memory of the initiatory group composed of those taking different initiations with their multitude of past and present lives of spirit-soul apperceptions.
Rule 20: Meditation (& Mental Illumination):
The point I seek to emphasise to you is the need—imperative and permanent …—for the interludes. These interludes are, for you, the growing times; they are essentially the “epochs for storage” (if I may use such an arresting and unusual phrase), and they are the “seed of samadhi.” What is Samadhi, from the initiate point of view and esoterically comprehended? Simply those interludes in the initiate’s life of service wherein he withdraws all his forces into a “well of silence”—a well, full of the water of life. In this state of consciousness two definite activities transpire: Tension and Recognition. Without these interludes of abstraction, his work would slowly weaken as the tension, earlier initiated, weakened; his ability to attract and to hold others true to the vision would likewise slowly disappear, as his power to recognize became myopic. The initiate, therefore, as he works within the Ashram, withdraws at the needed times. As he inhales the life of the Hierarchy, and increasingly that of the …and as he exhales the living essence into the “world of serving lives,” he becomes steadily more and more dependent upon the “interludes” wherein both these phases of activity cease and he becomes immersed in Being and in Consciousness—the intrinsic parts of the animating Whole. I use this phrase “animating Whole” advisedly to indicate that the points of interlude are not related to form life at all, but to the life of Life itself. (Bailey, Discipleship in the New Age II, 1955, p. 453)
The above quote is one of the most amazing practical rules provided to the disciple. If they want to advance in their ability and capacity to serve than this rule needs to be applied daily. Without the use of interludes, one would not really know their mind is actually illuminated with until the content of the soul’s meditation is brought down into brain awareness on the physical plane. Basically, it does not exist for the physical man. The extent of the soul’s contemplation is contingent upon the type of life it is identifying with. The master of the interludes is in practice the mastery of the Breath or Life. By the time Samadhi transition is reached, the physiological breath is motionless and the interlude between breathes becomes magical. Once the disciple begins to register the soul’s meditation in his mind his attention is inadvertently fixed upon the out breath and with each out breath the brain records what the mind has registered. If the alignment is perfected with no distractions from either the personality mind or the astral body, the recording is continuous as if the out breathe is the only interlude or basically the extension of the state of motionless. I want to point out motionless is a concept reserved for alignment more than the breath but observed through the breath.
- Illumination of perception. The light of the soul pours forth and the man on the physical plane, in his brain consciousness, is thereby enabled to perceive that which before was dark and hidden from him.
The disciple must also persist with contemplation over many weeks to record the full intent of the soul’s meditation theme or theme aspect in the moment. It is normally quite involved and takes much time to record an idea which can contain hundreds of topics with millions of concepts; and in fact, cannot be fully recorded in my experience as the soul taps the infinitude of knowledge linked to a theme and all is inter-related and inner related.
Also, it appears to the disciple on the physical plane that the soul’s meditations are ever changing in topic matter but over time one will begin to apperceive the overall theme or pattern or soul’s intent and will be able to integrate the multitude of concepts into a general theme.
Depending on the topic of the soul’s meditation the disciple will, at times, be unsure of the nature of the topic. In other words, it will not be a stream of concepts that he has been exposed to previously or it will have nouns that the disciple has never been exposed to and his brain can locate no word in his memory to describe it. Please keep in mind that most of the knowledge will be new and not be found in any book or it will be a new slant on a familiar set of concepts as one historically held them. Ones’ ability to capture the content of the illumination is dependent upon one’s mental type and level of concept training, vocabulary and general intelligence capacity.
- Lucidity of consciousness. A man becomes lucid and clear sighted. He is conscious of a growing power in himself which will enable him to explain and solve all problems, and not only this, but “lucidly to speak” and thus become one of the teaching forces of the world. All knowledge, consciously acquired by self illumination must be shared, and clearly imparted to others. It is the corollary of illumination.
I do not believe that the all knowledge, consciously acquired by self-illumination must be shared, and clearly imparted to others; or at least on the physical dimension. In my experience much knowledge was “for my eyes only” or possibly shared with souls of same evolutionary status if permission given. The knowledge needs to be only shared based upon the intent it was given and in the correct ultimate form. First of all just the act of recording it is basically impossible as there is not enough time in a lifetime to record even one main meditation theme if the main theme’s context is inclusive of a multitude of many themes and composed of the many lives of the One Ashram.
The world of meaning has opened up to the disciple and his apperceptions of extant form purpose‘s and their present its real needs is instantly perceived by him; and his ability to transmit these in a clear and understanding over time seems to come with ease.
- The shining forth of insight. This gives a new angle on the subject and a most important one. It is the definition of the capacity to “see into” a form, to arrive at that subjective reality which has made the objective sheath what it is. This insight is more than understanding, sympathy or comprehension. They are but the effects of it. It is the capacity to pierce through all forms and arrive at that which they veil, because that reality is identical with the reality in oneself.
- The illumining of the intellect. Unless the mind or intellect can grasp and transmit that which the soul knows, the mysteries remain unexplained to the physical brain and the knowledge possessed by the soul must remain nothing more than a beautiful and unattainable vision. But once the intellect is illumined, it can transmit to and impress upon the brain those hidden things which only the sons of God on their own plane know. Hence the need for Raja Yoga or the science of union through mind control and development. LoS, pp. 254-255
There appears to be a total capacity for comprehension given one’s correct mental conceptual training and mind organization as the soul intents given vocabulary limitations. Even if one can pierce through all forms and arrive at that which they veil, they still need a way to explain it to themselves and the disciple does using whatever communication form that can capture it. IT times I had to resort to using apothems to capture a subject or process where that reality is identical with the One Cosmic Self in their experiential knowingness pertaining especially to extra-systemic and cosmic physical plane patterns of causation. If I was apperceiving the continuity and direction of the Source of Beingness through the galaxy of stars I could capture this insight through both dimensionality and sequential star names but if it was more expansive and more inclusive I had to use a generalized apothems to capture the Son of Mind’s quality of energy and apperception awareness’s at times. Again, this is a group process of capturing the world of causation and explaining it through the world of meaning.
This is an important point. All of the Son of Mind’s experiential meditations has to be registered and then recorded as concept sets or themes which also contain qualified energy and both have to be captured to fully comprehend one’s identity to such a pattern of intended reality so-to-speak.
- The man who develops non-attachment even in his aspiration after illumination and isolated unity, becomes aware, eventually, through practiced discrimination, of the overshadowing cloud of spiritual knowledge.
This sutra, as with all sutras, cannot really be understood without first-hand experience. Once the disciple upon the physical plane can adequately capture the both the energy and the concepts of the soul’s meditation, they have a propensity to identify with it as a personality or as a feeling entity. This feeling identification if “desired” prevents the disciple from moving deeper into the Reality that gave rise to such quality of energy and concepts. My ultimate success was due to avoiding this trap or “mystical high”. It was easy for me given my 1, 3, 5, 7 spirit, soul, mind alignment identification. Even though my personality, astral, and physical vehicles are along the 2, 4, 6 line the personality and astral fields needed to be by-passed for contemplation.
…union may work out in the physical plane consciousness as a sense of peace and joy; it must work out in increased capacity to serve the race and to serve it more efficiently. The feelings of the disciple are of small moment; his understanding and usefulness as a channel for spiritual force are of importance. It should be remembered that on the path neither our virtues nor our vices count (except in so far as we escape from the pairs of opposites). That alone counts which impels us forward on that path which “shineth more and more until the day be with us.” When a man can detach his eyes from all that concerns the physical, emotional and mental, and will raise his eyes and direct them away from himself, he will become aware of “the overshadowing cloud of spiritual knowledge,” or of the “raincloud of knowable things,” as it has also been translated.
Over time I realized the ultimate purpose for joy just as I earlier realized the purpose for happiness. As noted earlier, Joy needs to be developed and used to make progress upon the path as a soul. It is the discipline of joy that permits one to will oneself to immerse oneself into the three-worlds of the soul after daily immersing themselves in the three-worlds of the personality. “Only an iron will, and a steady, strong, unswerving endurance will carry the aspirant along this path and out into the clear light of day.” Master D.K. is referring to this path which is also the path of initiation. I discovered the ultimate use of joy and developed a daily discipline of joy and of achievement effecting the freeing of the soul.
Second, joy, which is a quality of the soul and is realised in the mind, when alignment takes place.
Third, bliss, which is the nature of the Spirit and about which speculation is fruitless until the soul realises its oneness with the Father. This realisation follows upon an earlier stage wherein the personal self is at-oned with the soul. … Does the aspirant refer to his happiness or joy? If he refers to the latter it must come as the effect of group consciousness, of group solidarity, of oneness with all beings, and may not be interpreted in terms of happiness after all. TWM, p.369
Joy is the condition of the group’s manasic feeling nature or manasic heart and linked to the nature of the monad.
Once one stands in detachment to the fruits of “group soul” identification they can penetrate into the raincloud of knowable things. Up to this point the disciple has penetrated into first manasic subplane of the “group soul” reality but also, he has penetrated into that which the abstract mind is a reflection or the atmic principle of spiritual will. The development of the Antahkarana provides a link between the mind, the sacrifice petals and the atmic principle. This link is developed over time and permits the access to the universal mind in its lower and higher aspects. This is the first step in the development of occult impression. Most of the impressions up to this point have been coming from either the Son of Mind or some collection of souls from the “group soul”.
- The knowledge (or illumination) achieved is sevenfold, and is attained progressively.
This sutra provides a realistic understanding of the expanding nature and potential of illumination as it guides use back to the Source of our Being in Pure Spirit under the Law of Synthesis. In this rule 20 we have been focused upon only four of the following stages of illumination – the second, the third, the fourth stage, and fifth stage. Particularly the third and fourth stages. In chapter one I focused on the first and second stages. In chapter two the third stage. In this chapter the third and fourth stages particularly. In chapter four it will be the fifth and sixth stages.
The seven stages of illumination have been described by a Hindu teacher as follows:
These are the seven stages upon the Path, the seven stations of the cross as the Christian puts it, the seven great initiations and the seven ways to bliss. Now the “Path of the just shineth ever more and more until the perfect day.”
The first bhūmi, the Very Joyous. (Skt. Pramudita), in which one rejoices at realizing a partial aspect of the truth.
The first stage recognizes the virtues of Joy as a condition of truth discernment.
Once the average citizen realizes that life in the three-worlds does not satisfy him he begins to seek satisfaction inwardly and becomes the aspirant to the mysteries of life. This takes him up to the first initiation.
- The stage wherein the chela realizes that he has run the whole gamut of life experience in the three worlds and can say “I have known all that was to be known. Nothing further remains to know.” His place on the ladder is revealed to him. He knows what he has to do. This relates to the first modification of the thinking principle, desire for knowledge.
The Technique of Indifference. By means of this technique, maya is ended; for the control of the purified astral vehicle is consciously and technically brought into activity, producing the freeing of the energies of the etheric body from the control of matter or force-substance, and bringing men in large numbers on to the Probationary Path. Where there is “divine indifference” to the call or pull of matter, then inspiration becomes possible. This technique is related to Karma Yoga in its most practical form and the use of matter with complete impersonality. The goal of this technique is the first initiation, which enables man to “live a life, inspired by God.” Inspiration is the applied power of transmission. GWP, pp. 171-172
The second bhūmi, the Stainless. (Skt. Vimala), in which one is free from all defilement.
Once the aspirant realizes the soul is a source to the mysteries, he enters the path to knowledge with a fiery focus on acquiring the Truth of all things he becomes the probationary disciple seeking enlightenment. This takes him up to and through the second initiation.
- The stage wherein he frees himself from every known limitation, and can say “I have freed myself from my fetters.” This stage is long but results in the attainment of freedom and relates to the second of the modifications dealt with above.
The Technique of Light. By means of this technique, the illumined mind assumes control over the astral or emotional body and dissipates glamour. When light pours in, glamour fades out. Illumination dominates and the vision of reality can be seen. This technique is related to Raja Yoga and its goal is the second initiation; it produces ability to tread the Path of Discipleship, and enables the man to “live a life, enlightened by divinity.” Illumination is the applied power of transformation. GWP, pp. 171-172
The third bhūmi, the Luminous. (Skt. Prabhakari), in which one radiates the light of wisdom.
Once the probationary disciple has freed himself from personality’s ray force or forms control and he enters consciously into an accepted disciple as he enters the world of meaning seeking to serve his humanity which takes him up to and through the third initiation.
- The stage wherein the consciousness shifts completely out of the lower personality and becomes the true spiritual consciousness, centered in the real man, the ego or soul. This brings in the consciousness of the Christ nature which is love, peace and truth. He can say now “I have reached my goal. Nothing remains to attract me in the three worlds.” Desire for happiness is satisfied. The third modification is transcended.
The Technique of the Presence. By means of this technique, the soul assumes control of the integrated personality and of its relations, horizontal and vertical. This technique involves the unfolding of the flower of the intuition, dispelling illusion, revealing the Angel, indicating the Presence, and opening up to the disciple the world of ideas and the door of the higher initiations. Through the disciple’s grasp and application of these divine ideas or seed thoughts, he becomes initiate and the third initiation becomes possible as an immediate goal. The intuition is the applied power of transfiguration. This technique is related to the little known yoga called Agni Yoga or the yoga of fire.
The fourth bhūmi, the Radiant. (Skt. Archishmati), in which the radiant flame of wisdom burns away earthly desires.
The fifth bhūmi, the Difficult to Cultivate. (Skt. Sudanaurjaya), in which one surmounts the illusions of darkness, or ignorance as the Middle Way.
Once the accepted disciple can work off his remaining individual karma he can take on some of the group karma he becomes the initiate and this takes him up to the fourth initiation.
- The stage wherein he can say with truth “I have fulfilled my dharma, and accomplished my whole duty.” He has worked off karma, and fulfilled the law. Thus he becomes a Master and a wielder of the law. This stage has relation to the fourth modification.
Technique of (Planetary) Personality Integration Completed.
The sixth bhūmi, the Manifest. (Skt. Abhimukhi) in which supreme wisdom begins to manifest.
The seventh bhūmi, the Gone Afar. (Skt. Duramgama), in which one rises above the states of the Two vehicles.
Once the initiate has worked off his ray group’s related karma and takes on some of the Heavenly Man’s karma or monadic Dharma, he becomes the master and he is now ready for the fifth initiation.
- The stage wherein complete control of the mind is achieved and the peer can say “My mind is at rest.” Then and only then, when complete rest is known can the true contemplation and samadhi of the highest kind be known. Sorrow, the fifth modification, is dispelled by the glory of the illumination received. The pairs of opposites are no longer at war.
Technique of (Systemic) Personality/Soul Fusion Completed
Book 4, 31. When, through the removal of hindrances and the purifications of the sheaths, the totality of knowledge becomes available, naught further remains for the man to do.
The yogi is now aware of his essential omnipresence or that his soul is one with all souls and part therefore of the one essential unity, the one all-pervading life, the boundless immutable principle which is the cause of all manifestation. He is likewise omniscient, for all knowledge is his and all avenues of knowledge are open to him. He stands free of the field of knowledge, yet can function in it; he can utilize the instrument of knowledge and ascertain all that he seeks to know, but is himself centered in the consciousness of the knower. Neither space nor time can hold him, nor can the material form imprison him, and there comes for him the grand consummation given to us by Patanjali in his three concluding sutras: LoS, p. 427
The eighth bhūmi, the Immovable. (Skt. Achala), in which one dwells firmly in the truth of the Middle Way and cannot be perturbed by anything.
One begins to unfold Omnipresence as they approach the second initiation and after the second initiation, they begin to unfold omniscience. This unfoldment process goes on until one approach the sixth initiation and probably afterwards.
Once the master has worked off his monadic ray group’s portion of the Heavenly Man’s related karma inferentially he has penetrated beyond the universal mind sheath he has freed himself from all five-mind influences and is ready to tread the cosmic path back to the Source of the Universal Mind and inferentially thus take on some of the Heavenly Man’s Karma related to the Grand Heavenly Man’s Karma.
- The stage wherein the chela realises that matter or form have no longer any power over him. He can then say “The gunas or qualities of matter in the three worlds no longer attract me; they call forth no response from me.” Fear therefore is eliminated for there is nothing in the disciple which can attract to him evil, death or pain. Thus equally the sixth modification is overcome and realisation of the true nature of divinity and utter bliss takes its place.
Technique of (Cosmic) Duality Completed
The ninth bhūmi, the Good Intelligence. (Skt. Sadhumati), in which one preaches the Law freely and without restriction.
Once the Chohan has worked off His Heavenly Man’s portion of the Grand Heavenly Man’s Karma can say that He is the Master of cosmic physical matter he has freed himself from the great Cosmic Illusion.
- Full self-realisation is the next and final stage. The initiate can now say, with full conscious knowledge, “I am that I am” and he knows himself as one with the All-Self. Doubt no longer controls. The full light of day or completed illumination takes place and floods the whole being of the seer.
The tenth bhūmi, the Cloud of Doctrine. (Skt. Dharmamegha), in which one benefits all sentient beings with the Law (Dharma), just as a cloud sends down rain impartially on all things.
The Buddha as Christ becomes more and more identified with the Cosmic Christ and is now ready for the seventh or eighth initiation.
- Ishvara (the Gurudeva), being unlimited by time condition, is the teacher of the primeval Lords
Since the conditions of time and space existed there have been those who have achieved omniscience, those whose germ of knowledge has been subjected to proper culture and thus developed, until it flowered forth into the full glory of the liberated soul. This condition became possible through certain factors:
- The identity of each individual soul with the Oversoul.
- The attractive force of that Oversoul as it drew the separated soul of all things gradually back into Itself. …It involves the response of the individual soul to cosmic soul force.
- The intensive training given towards the climax by the occult Hierarchy whereby souls receive a stimulation and vitalisation which enables them to make more rapid progress.
If one preservers in their daily illuminations there comes a point where the One Soul takes control of the Son of Mind’s meditation and one’s life magically is altered forever due to their expanding sphere of contacts and relationships developed over time from these relationships human or otherwise. This in in response to the training provided by the One Soul working through the cooperative relationship with the multitude of esoteric groupings.
As a general law, the Highest God, the Over-Soul of the human being (Atma-Buddhi), only overshadows the individual during his life, for purposes of instruction and revelation; SD, Vol.5, p.76
Based upon personal experience there was never any formal Raja Yoga sitting for mediation before the Samadhi transition onto the higher planes. Frankly, meditation needs also to follow this stage of contemplation which is basically the registering or “correct deduction” and the recording stage or “correct witnessing”. The quote below reflects this fact.
That which has been seen and registered in the brain and which has emanated from the soul must be meditated upon and thus woven into the fabric of the life. It is through this meditation that the soul-perceptions become real to the man upon the physical plane. This meditation therefore is of a very high order as it follows upon the contemplative stage and is soul-meditation with the object of illuminating the vehicle upon the physical plane.
The meditation being referred to here is a continuation of the correct deduction and correct witnessing of the contemplation. The alignment of the personality does not change after the Samadhi transition process except that it is focused on the interludes to register and record in his brain awareness and then in my case enter deductively into the computer as I unfolded the content.
I have spoken a lot about this process up to this point and there is little I can add to it. Correct deduction is insured in my case by the use of encoding of each concept within the apparent thought-form. Correct witnessing is more difficult in that one needs the correct form to enclose the concept with. Sometimes foreign words or unknown names are the hardest as the physical plane people, places, and objects have no real existence. They are not really alive in a vibrational sense. I must use mental clairaudience phonetically to record them or locate some other reference to their existence. As an example, the names of stars or planets not yet discovered or discovered by humanity or star names I am not familiar with or plant names or people names. When I touch these lives subjectively, I recognize them but not their worldly proper name unless I have linked the energetic pattern with the name previously by what others call them. I have the same problem in what name to call myself. I use many names and really none of them actually mean anything to me. They are just a reference point for others.
It is also exceedingly difficult to register correctly and thus record any subject one does not have a working vocabulary in. Try bringing in scientific inventions or mathematical models without the languages of science and mathematics or writing down a musical piece without knowledge of the musical scales.
Among the forms which consciousness assumes, only that which is the result of meditation is free from latent karma.
I have that there is no latent karma associated in the forms co-created by the soul’s meditation. There is karma in their application in the world.
Forms are the result of desire. Meditation of the right kind is a purely mental process and into it desire enters not. Forms are the result of an outward-going urge or tendency. Meditation is the result of an inward-turning tendency, of the capacity to abstract the consciousness from form and substance and to centre it within itself.
Form is an effect produced by the love or desire nature of the conscious one; meditation is a producer of effects and relates to the will or life aspect of the spiritual man.
The astral body is by-passed and no personality desire is present in the creation of forms registered in meditation. If there were any desire present Samadhi itself could not be entered into or extended into meditation afterward There is a propensity for an emotional sense of euphoria from the identification, inspiration, love, beauty, belonging, being, or becoming and be wonderment if one permits the qualitied energy received along with the concepts to touch the astral sheath. Also, one might be tempted at times to identify with the qualitative energy linked to the concepts being registered astrally, but this quickly takes one out of alignment. What some might call a mystical high or personality bliss but not the joy from mental-manasic group union linking one to the various sources of the information being apperceived and conceptualized.
In respect to the process of abstracting of the consciousness of form it is the way the soul works through the not-self to develop consciousness and further expand the potentials of the not-self through integration, fusion, and unity leading to synthesis eventually under the Law of Synthesis. In terms of fusion, it is individual devic substance interfacing with group devic substance and with the various sources’ consciousness’s and thereby unifying through abstracting the meaning of that contacted through the pure vision of the soul leading to potential synthesis.
Spiritual JournalingOne of the first teachings provided by the Master D.K. to his DINA groups was the suggestion to create a spiritual journal to record subjective events which I quoted below. I found the suggestions useful but incomplete for my own purposes. I outlined the basis of my own journaling after this quote for comparison. I also listed all the things I would change if I were to improve upon it based upon my review after many years.
You would find it useful to keep what might be called a spiritual diary. This does not involve the daily entering of the day’s events and has no relation to the happenings which may concern the personality. Note this. In this diary you should record the following:
- Any spiritual experience which may come to you, such as contact with some Presence, either that of your own soul, the angel of the Presence, contact with some disciple and eventually—when your life and work and discipline warrant it—contact with one of the Masters. Record this in an impartial way, preserving the scientific attitude and seeking ever a practical explanation before accepting a mystical one. A spirit of agnosticism (not of atheism) is of real value to the beginner and preserves him from the snares of the world illusion and of lower psychics.
- Any illumination which may come to you, throwing a flood of light upon a problem and revealing the way that you or the group should go. Any intuition which—corroborated by the reason—carries one forward into knowledge and evokes the wisdom of the soul and its registration by the brain, via the mind
- Any telepathic happenings between you and your fellow disciples. This telepathic interplay should be cultivated but it must be most carefully checked and counterchecked and the strictest accuracy preserved. Thus we shall have the fostering of the spirit of Truth, which is the governing principle of all true telepathic communication. An Ashram functions telepathically when fully and rightly organized.
- Any phenomena of a mystical and spiritual kind should also be noted. The seeing of the light in the head comes under this category. Its brilliance should be noted, its growth and dimming; the hearing of the Voice of the Silence which is the voice of the soul but not of the subconscious; the registering of messages from the soul or from other disciples and world Servers; expansions of consciousness which initiate you into the conscious life of God, as it manifests through any forms and the hearing of the note of all beings. A close study of the third part of The Light of the Soul (the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali) will indicate the type of phenomena which should find its place in this diary.
- Any experiences of a psychic kind which do not come under any of the above headings. Those mentioned above come under the heading of the higher psychism and concern the higher psychic faculties, spiritual perception, intuitive knowledge, mental telepathy (and not the telepathy which is based upon the solar plexus activity). The lower psychic experiences can also be noted—whether pleasant or unpleasant. Once noted, however, they should be forgotten for they are of no moment. (Bailey, Discipleship in the New Age I, 1944, p. 14-15)
My previous records, which included all of the suggestions above, were adequate in that I did record or denote the following:
- I did denote the date almost always which is useful for observing astrological and numerological patterns of various types.
- I did denote at times the relative direction of movement in space of an impression source although this was subjective but over time, I developed on objective comparison model or “Exterior Head Map Model” and I will explain this below.
- I did denote the apperceived sources or qualitative pattern approach from a direction in space. The apperceived source identity of impressions appeared to be aligned with the inspiration level or quantity and degree of energy circulation associated to the will, purpose, and intent of the contact.
- The source identity also aligned with the type and quality of wise-knowledge content. These gave rise to a source name as a way to identify the possible source for recording purposes and later comparison of information types and qualities. Furthermore, the name would just pop into by brain normally.
- I did denote the extensive conceptual knowledge in great detail from each source given my working time allotted, my knowledge base, and my vocabulary base available at the time. I also denoted the number of sub-concepts associated with the highest priority concepts on most occasions given I have the ability to do this which is not common.
All the above model variables together provided additional information as to consistency of source composition and assisted in determining the accuracy of source identity experience over time.
The journal recording was inadequate in that I did not record or denote the following:
- I did not denote the subtle sequential stages of the alignment process for each meditation in sufficient detail.
- I did not denote the centers aligned to in sufficient detail.
- I did not denote the energetic or qualitative patterns in sufficient detail at each point in the alignment process plus I was more attuned to the inspiration, source, and knowledge content per my intent or others intent.
- I did not denote the energy effects on the sheath or what chakras were involved.
- I did not denote the many different qualities of energy associated with a conceptual theme associated with the particular source. This was something that should always be done in hindsight. Even though the qualities were variations of known qualities these matter in terms of one’s analysis of source. The energies which were always present was the inspiration, clear cold light, joy, stillness, and love-wisdom. Other expansive energies were belonging, becoming, grace, love, beauty, being and identification.
Rule 20: Right perception
The basis of correct knowledge is correct perception, correct deduction and correct witness (or accurate evidence).
The student of Raja Yoga has to realise that the mind is intended to be an organ of perception; only thus will he arrive at a right understanding of this science. The process to be followed in relation to the mind might be described somewhat as follows:
- Right control of the modifications (or activities) of the thinking principle.
- Stabilization of the mind and its subsequent use by the soul as an organ of vision, a sixth sense, and the synthesis of all the five other senses.
- Right use of the perceiving faculty, so that the new field of knowledge which is now contacted is seen as it is.
- That which is perceived is rightly interpreted through the subsequent assent of the intuition and the reason.
- Right transmission to the physical brain of that which has been perceived; the testimony of the sixth sense is correctly interpreted, and the evidence is transmitted with occult accuracy.
Result: Correct reaction of the physical brain to the transmitted knowledge.
Each of us that has successfully permitted the mind to become an organ of right perception for the soul over long periods of time realizes that this is only the first correct step in a sequence of correct use of the mind. If only one was to work this way they would not be able to interact successfully or meet their own objectives in the lower three worlds and their mind would not be considered to be in a “healthy” state. The mind apperceiving the right perception which is objectified through the creating of a reciprocal thought-form is not the personality mind but the concrete mind and unless the personality mind correctly prioritizes the comprehended content’s purpose through reflection and further meditation then one is only a “channel” so-to-speak for the group soul.
It is useful for correct context to ask ourselves why “right perception” also includes the aspect “correct knowledge” since “correct knowledge” also includes “correct perception”. Patanjali and Master D.K. describes these two similar phrases differently. The mind as a whole is intended to become an organ of “right perception” and this addresses the nature of this stage where the aspect of “correct knowledge” is more of a process to insure the correct registering and recording of the mind’s content to ensure “right perception”. We will also discuss the concepts of “correct deduction “and “correct witnessing” in this stage as they are also an aspect of “right perception”.
- Right perception. The experience of the soul, and the knowledge of the spirit or Father aspect begins to form part of the brain content of the Adept or Master. He knows the plan as it is to be found on the highest levels and is in touch with the Archetype. It is, if I might illustrate in this way, that this class of yogins have reached the point where they can perceive the plan as it exists in the mind of the “Grand Architect of the Universe.” They are now en rapport with Him. In the other class of Yogins, the point reached is that in which they are able to study the blue-prints of the great plan and thus can intelligently co-operate in the building of the Temple of the Lord. The perception referred to here is of such a high order as to be almost inconceivable to any but advanced disciples, but in an appreciation of the stages and grades there comes to the aspirant, not only an understanding of what is his immediate problem and of where he stands, but also an appreciation of the beauty of the entire scheme. LoS, pp. 41-42
The above quote infers the various stages and grades of perception. It captures the wide range of effort required to master right perception. The quote also symbolizes for myself my own stage or reaching for “right perception. Many degrees of right perception of subjective contact comprehension, communication, and identification lie between this particular type of right perception and where the probationary disciple begins in their journey of illumination.
- The Initiation of Decision… 6th Initiation
- The Principle of Decision governed by Ray III. Active in the Hierarchy and Leading to right Perception and Participation R&I, p.610
As long as one recognizes that this is a process linked to the various stages of illumination of one type or another (mental, buddhic, triadal) they will be moving towards a correct understanding of their own stage in this process. It appears that only when one reaches the sixth initiation that they also overcome the influence of the “universal mind” or the five rays of Brahma and they begin to move totally off of the Egoic Ray and move onto the Monadic Ray that right perception is finally achieved by the seventh initiation. This appears to represent also the last stage they need to master to reach absolute omniscience or 10th stage Bhumi.
I word of advice here. Do not get sidetracked for too long on contacts the human soul is predisposed to upon the road to right perception for they are many and varied and can be of true value in service or not. You can and will contribute to the cause of evolution if you persist in determining the purpose of each contact.
The quote below captures the earlier stages of illumination or contemplation covered by Patanjali’s rules 17 and 18 particularly. They are easy to avoid with a trained mind but I list them here for perspective.
A large number of other thoughtforms are in process of disintegration. Some of these forms or embodied ideas are of a destructive nature, owing to the type of matter of which they are formed. Others are constructive. All of them are coloured by some ray energy. A large number of these forms are necessarily built through the activity of the world of personality; others are in process of construction through the agency of the soul, as well as through the joint activity of both these manifestations. Right perception is therefore essential for each mind, functioning correctly. Aspirants must learn to distinguish between:
- An idea and an ideal
- Between that which is embodied, that which is in process of being embodied, and that which is awaiting disintegration.
- Between that which is constructive and that which is destructive.
- Between the old and the new forms and ideas.
- Between the ray ideas and forms as they colour the higher presentations.
- Between ideas and thoughtforms, and between those which are purposely created by the Hierarchy and those which are created by humanity.
- Between racial thoughtforms and group ideas.
I could list many more differentiations, but the above will suffice to show the need for right perceptions, and to indicate the roots of the prevalence of the world illusion, brought about by wrong perception.
The cause is an untrained, unillumined mind.
The cure is training in the technique of Raja Yoga. GWP, pp.58-59
In true Samadhi one can avoid the above issues if the first five means of yoga are relatively mastered which they are by default for rule no. 20 as all eight means are required.
Let your meditation take the form more and more of contemplation. In order, however, safely to increase the length of time you can spend in contemplation, you must achieve an attitude of gentle unswerving intensity and not develop any further that powerful dynamic intensity which imposes ever a strain upon the brain cells. Your work must lie along two lines:
- Work on contemplative levels, functioning as a soul on its own abstract levels.
- Bringing through from those levels the ideas and methods of work which must materialise upon the physical plane. Hence the need for constant right techniques in speech and the cultivation of right perception and right accuracy. Where there is the habit of accuracy, the clothing of the ideas in proper and true form will come more naturally. DINA I, p. 328
Above, Master D.K. provides significant and practical guidance to one of his disciples in the first DINA group as to the importance of right speech, right perception, and right accuracy which is based upon one’s dedication; first of all to knowledge, truth, and the rules of harmlessness; later to correct knowledge or correct perception, and correct witnessing in general. Master D.K. provides an excellent overview of the first four means of yoga which provides the means to develop these essential requirements to right perception.
Truth to all beings is the first of the five commandments or yamas I want to cover to discern better why it is so important.
Truth. This concerns primarily his use of speech and of the organs of sound, and relates to “truth in the inmost part” so that truth in externality becomes possible. This is a large subject, and deals with the formulation of a man’s belief regarding God, people, things and forms through the medium of the tongue and voice. This is covered in the aphorism in Light on the Path. “Before the voice can speak in the presence of the Master it must have lost the power to wound.”
Book 2, 36. When truth to all beings is perfected, the effectiveness of his words and acts is immediately to be seen.
Truth, therefore, involves the ability of the perceiver or aspirant to see correctly the amount of the divine which a form (tangible, objective, or of words) clothes. It involves, therefore, the capacity to penetrate to the subject and to contact that which every form veils. It involves also the ability of the aspirant to construct a form (tangible, objective, or of words) which will convey the truth as it is. This is in reality the first two stages of the great creative process:
- Correct perception,
- Accurate construction, and it leads on to the consummation dealt with in the sutra under consideration—the effectiveness of all words and acts to convey reality or truth as it is. This sutra gives the clue to the work of the magician and is the basis for the great science of mantras or of words of power which are the equipment of every adept. LoS, pp. 196-197
Through an understanding of,
- The law of vibration,
- The science of sound,
- The purpose of evolution,
- The present cyclic stage,
- The nature of form,
- The manipulation of atomic substance, the adept not only sees truth in all things but comprehends how to make truth visible, thus aiding the evolutionary process and “casting images upon the screen of time.” This he does through certain words and acts. For the aspirant, the development of this capacity comes through a constant effort to fulfill the following requirements:
- Strict attention to every formulation of words used,
- The wise use of silence as a factor of service,
- The constant study of the causes lying back of every act so that the reason for the effectiveness or non-effectiveness of action is understood.
- A steady endeavor to see the reality in every form. This literally involves a study of the law of cause and effect, or karma, the object of the karmic law being to bring the opposite pole of Spirit, matter, into strict conformity with the requirements of spirit so that matter and form can perfectly express the nature of spirit.
As we can appreciate, we have consciously and consistently (since we entered the path) made effort towards mastering the above rules as they appear to be instinctual of the fifth kingdom. Many disciples are engendering to ascertain the basic understanding of the sciences behind mantric effects as denoted above for the accurate construction of a concept to embody the truth. Each of us is working on this understanding at our own pace and all of these understandings are necessary to enter fully into the fifth kingdom more fully.
- The peace of the chitta (or mind stuff) can be brought about through the practice of sympathy, tenderness, steadiness of purpose, and dispassion in regard to pleasure or pain, or towards all forms of good or evil.
Discriminative action must ever be taken with reference to all demonstrations of good and evil force, and the law works in this connection, but emancipation from all the physical forms which that energy may take, eventuates when dispassion towards these objective forms is practiced. It might be useful if we note that the (1) sympathy dealt with concerns our relation to all other pilgrims, or towards the fourth kingdom in nature; (2) tenderness covers our relation to the animal or third kingdom; (3) steadiness of purpose deals with our relation to the Hierarchy of the planet, and (4) dispassion concerns our attitude to all the reactions of the lower personal self. The comprehensiveness of this sutra is therefore apparent and concerns all the brain vibrations of the disciple. LoS, p. 76
- When, through the removal of the hindrances and the purification of all the sheaths, the totality of knowledge becomes available, naught further remains for the man to do.
The dual work is accomplished. Those hindrances which are the result of ignorance, blindness, environment and activity have been done away with; the grossness of the sheaths has been corrected and because of this, and through following the means of yoga, all knowledge becomes available. The yogi is now aware of his essential omnipresence or that his soul is one with all souls and part therefore of the one essential unity, the one all-pervading life, the boundless immutable principle which is the cause of all manifestation. He is likewise omniscient, for all knowledge is his and all avenues of knowledge are open to him. He stands free of the field of knowledge, yet can function in it; he can utilize the instrument of knowledge and ascertain all that he seeks to know, but is himself centered in the consciousness of the knower. Neither space nor time can hold him, nor can the material form imprison him, and there comes for him the grand consummation given to us by Patanjali in his three concluding sutras:
As we have experienced in our own lives everything in our internal and external environments affects our vibration etherically which includes our brain. Thus, our development over time of more subtle capacities to discriminate these environments and the forms and lives that compose them. This permits us to then discern their purpose and function and whether or not this needs to relate to us in any karmic or service capacity. This is actually a process of elimination or purification. Over time the vibrations that effect our brain also become more subtle and refine as we move into a more spiritual comprehension and subjugation of these environments psychically. This process is in effect lowering over time the proportion of tamas and rajas’ elements in our sheaths and elevating the sattva elements slowly enlightening our sheaths permitting the full knowledge of the universal mind to become accessible.
- Time, which is the sequence of the modifications of the mind, likewise terminates, giving place to the Eternal Now.
Each time we enter Samadhi we enter into the Eternal Now to one extent or another as all events we register are happening outside of our normal time-space dimensions. There does appear to be various levels of the Eternal Now, but I do not know yet how best to categorize them if possible. They are in fact different levels of the expanding whole. This can be understood also as entity related rates of expansion.
- When the objective forms and the soul have reached a condition of equal purity, then is At-one-ment achieved and liberation results.
The soul and its vehicles form a unit and are at one; complete alignment of the bodies has been achieved and the Son of God can function freely on earth. Thus has the great objective been reached and through a following of the eight means of yoga the soul can manifest through the lower threefold man, and in its turn form a medium of expression for the spirit. Matter has been brought into a state where its vibration can synchronise with that of the soul, and the result is that—for the first time—spirit can make its presence felt, … To the man who has achieved this there is no rebirth. LoS, pp. 368-369
I am uncertain but I suggest the word permanently after the word “achieved this” in the quote above if he is referring to a fifth degree initiate? This quote above is just a reminder of the relative state of the “Eternal Now” and also of “right perception” or Samadhi. Yes, the personality has gain freedom in the three-worlds, but the soul has not yet gained freedom in the solar system or the monad the cosmos. The freedom here referred to appears to represent the third stage of illumination.
3. The stage wherein the consciousness shifts completely out of the lower personality and becomes the true spiritual consciousness, centered in the real man, the ego or soul. This brings in the consciousness of the Christ nature which is love, peace and truth. He can say now “I have reached my goal. Nothing remains to attract me in the three worlds.” Desire for happiness is satisfied. The third modification is transcended.]
Book 3:36. As the result of this experience and meditation, the higher hearing, touch, sight, taste and smell are developed, producing intuitional knowledge.
Through meditation the aspirant becomes aware of the counterparts of the five senses as they are found in the subtler realms, and through their awakening and conscious use he becomes able to function as freely on the inner planes as he does on the physical. He can then serve intelligently in those realms and cooperate with the great evolutionary scheme.
Higher clairaudience 7th Comprehension 7th Beatitude 7th
Planetary psychometry 6th Healing 6th Active Service 6th
Higher clairvoyance 5th Divine Vision 5th Realization 5th
Discrimination 4th Intuition 4th Perfection 4th
Spiritual discernment 3rd Idealism 3rd All Knowledge 3rd
Response to group vibration 2nd
Spiritual telepathy 1st
Right perception is really contingent upon the development of the inner senses which is used to perceive or in this case apperceive. If the senses are undeveloped or partially developed and their use not mastered correct perception cannot be insured. It is an unknown. We normally favor those inner senses we have developed more to access evidence and unless we know the fullness of our sense development we are at a disadvantage. Triadal microcosmic sense development is one of those variables that determine the degree of correct perception and thus leads to right perception.
Disciples will have unfolded various microcosmic senses and these can be combined also to collect correct evidence for correct knowledge. I have found that no matter what dimensional sense one uses they normally provide one with the same information but from a different sense context of the same dimension. One’s ability for right perception is based not really on these senses but on ones knowingness of the group life reality behind them that gives them purpose and meaning. The human soul uses pure vision to discern wisdom or wise meaning in the world of meaning; and the spiritual soul uses spiritual vision to intuit group purpose in the world of causes; whereas the divine Self uses realization to vision and identify with the oneness of being in the world of being in general. The microcosmic senses provide it with correct evidence to do so.
I think we can better understand why correct perception, deduction, evidence is necessary for correct knowledge to be used as a basis for “right perception” and the part the microcosmic senses play in providing this basis. It is interesting that pure vision and cosmic sight are not really microcosmic senses but an evolutionary development by way of the synthesis of lower sheaths built, organized, and purified by the soul and the monad. Cosmic sight might be understood as the monad’s way to vision the world outside of the world of being across the threshold of the Cosmic Physical Plane where the more “right” Presence exists.
On the fifth Ray of Concrete Knowledge or Science, we find the Master Hilarion, who, in an earlier incarnation was Paul of Tarsus. He is occupying a Cretan body, but spends a large part of His time in Egypt. He it was Who gave out to the world that occult treatise “Light on the Path,” and His work is particularly interesting to the general public at this crisis, for He works with those who are developing the intuition, and controls and transmutes the great movements that tend to strip the veil from the unseen. His is the energy which, through His disciples, is stimulating the Psychical Research groups everywhere, and He it was Who initiated, through various pupils of His, the Spiritualistic movement. He has under observation all those who are psychics of the higher order, and assists in developing their powers for the good of the group, and in connection with certain of the devas of the astral plane He works to open up to the seekers after truth that subjective world which lies behind the grossly material. Alice A. Bailey, Initiation Human and Solar (IHS), p.59
Composed by HZ
Raja Yoga & Exterior and Interior Mind-Etheric Brain Map Models
Experimental Directional Antahkarana Training Meditation
