November 2006

For a long period of lives the Ego remains practically unconscious of the Personality. The magnetic link exists, but that is all until the time comes when the personal life reaches a point where it has somewhat to add to the content of the causal body—a body at first small, colourless and insignificant. But the hour comes when the stones are first brought perfected from the quarry of the personal life, and the first colours are painted in by the man, the builder and the artist. Then the Ego begins to give attention, rarely at first, but with increasing frequency, until lives come around in which the Ego definitely works at the subjugation of the lower self, at the enlargement of the communicating channel, and at the transmission to the physical brain consciousness of the fact of its existence and the goal of its being. Once that is accomplished, and the inner fire is freer in its passage, lives are then given to the stabilising of that impression, and to the making of that inner consciousness a part of the conscious life. The flame radiates downward more and more until gradually the different vehicles come into line, and the man stands on the Probationary Path. He is ignorant yet of what lies ahead, and is conscious only of wild and earnest aspiration and of innate divine longings. He is eager to make good, longing to know, and dreaming always of someone or something higher than himself. All this is backed by the profound conviction that in service to humanity will the dreamed-of goal be reached, will the vision become reality, the longing fructify into satisfaction, and aspiration be merged in sight. (Letters on Occult Meditation, pp.35-6)