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THOUGHT-FORM BUILDING

[273]

THOUGHT-FORM BUILDING

In Rule Ten two facts about the form are stated, which are true of all forms, and three strong injunctions are given in the following terms:

The facts are:

1. The form absorbs and uses the waters in which it is immersed.

2. As a result it grows in strength.

The three injunctions are:

1. Let the magician go on building his form until its adequate potency is assured.

2. Then let the "outer builders" cease from labour.

3. Let the "inner builders" enter on their cycle.

We have seen how, in the process of thought-form building, the time came when the form had to be oriented in the right direction and set upon the proper path in order to carry out its creator's will and purpose. This takes place fairly early in the work and after the process of orientation the work of building proceeds, for the thought-form is not yet ready for an independent life. There is a true analogy between the gestation period of an infant and that of a thought-form. The importance of the right placement of the child within the womb is never overlooked by a good physician, and where there is analogously a wrong position upon the path to be followed into manifested existence, death and trouble oft ensue. The analogy is close—as you well know. Birth is preceded by the "breaking of the waters" (in medical [274] parlance), and before the thought-form brings about the desired results on the physical plane there comes too a similar reaction; the waters of desire become so potent as to cause precipitation, and the consequent appearance of the desired form of expression.

Let us take the facts and analogies as they stand and study them from the standpoint both of the macrocosm and the microcosm.

We note that the form absorbs and uses the substance wherein it is immersed. Our solar system is one of many, and not the greatest. It constitutes a fragment of a greater whole. This greater whole, formed of seven parts (or seven solar systems), is itself immersed in the waters of space, is born of desire and, therefore, a child of necessity. It draws its life from its surroundings. Streaming into our solar system from all sides are force currents, emanating from what A Treatise on Cosmic Fire calls the "One about Whom naught may be said". These currents embody His will and desire, express His love or attractive capacity, and manifest as that great thought-form we call our system.

In parentheses, it is well to note that this Existence is termed "the One about Whom naught may be said", not because of secrecy or mystery, but because all formulation of ideas about His life and purpose are impossible until one has completed the term of evolution in our solar system. Note, I say, our solar system, not just our planetary existence. Speculation about the Existence who, through His life, informs seven solar systems is wasted energy. On our planet, only such great lives as the Buddha, the Kumaras and the planetary Logos, are beginning to sense the dynamic impulse of the greater Whole, and even they are only sensitive to it but are, as yet, utterly unable to conceive of its trend, for it lies beyond mind and love and will. It brings into play factors [275] for which we have no terms and tendencies which are as yet not even remotely visioned on our planet.

We have generated a term we call the ether. Occultly speaking, this is the modern way of expressing "the waters of space", which are the waters of desire, in which we are immersed. It is in constant ebb and flux, and is the stream of life, constituted of forty-nine types of energy, which pours through the cosmic egoic lotus, and (radiating forth from it) feeds with its measure of sustenance the form—solar, planetary, or human—for which it is responsible. This is dealt with in A Treatise on Cosmic Fire.

Man is immersed in forces which are to him as the waters of space are to our solar system. He finds himself, as does our sun and its attendant planets, forming part of a whole, and just as our system is but one of seven systems, drawn together to form the body, or manifested expression of a life, so is the human kingdom of which he is an infinitesimal part, one of seven kingdoms. These are the correspondences in the life of the planetary Logos to the seven solar systems. When he begins to sense the life of the solar Logos as it expresses itself through the seven planetary schemes we will have touched the consciousness of the planetary Logos of our special scheme, who is sensing somewhat the united vibrations of the lives of the seven solar Logoi.

Bringing the analogy down closer still, the human kingdom itself is an analogous state of consciousness to the human unit through its subjective force existence, and from the standpoint of consciousness provides "the waters of space" in which a human being thrives and grows. Again, we are met in the fourth kingdom with expressions of the same seven forces, and as man awakens to a recognition of the seven rays or types, and begins to work consciously with them, he is taking the first step towards transcending them and controlling them [276] within his field of operation. This is now taking place. Knowledge of the seven ray types is beginning to permeate among the thinkers of the race and this knowledge was in past aeons the prerogative of the initiates of the time. Held latent in the astrological presentation is that information which will lead disciples to realization, and which will put them en rapport with the seven planetary schemes. Real developments in astrology may not be looked for, however, until the New Age is really with us and the new orientation achieved.

The form of humanity is completed. Its right placement within the womb of matter is the objective of the Hierarchy, with all the consequent implications. Note these words. The need at this time is terrific, and the soul is at the birthing in humanity as a whole. Cosmically speaking, if right direction of the forces of the human kingdom is now achieved, there will be manifested on the earth a humanity which will manifest a purpose, a beauty and a form which will be full expressions of an inner spiritual reality and in line with egoic purpose. Other eventualities can be sensed as sadly possible but these we will not consider for it is the hope and the belief of the watching Brothers that men will transcend all undesirable eventualities and make the goal. One word here, and one hint. The Hierarchy of the planet constitutes symbolically the head centre of humanity and their forces constitute the brain forces. On the physical plane are a large band of aspirants, probationary disciples and accepted disciples who are seeking to be responsive to the "head centre", some consciously, others unconsciously. They are gathered from all fields of expression but are all creative in some way or other. They in their turn constitute what might be symbolically called the "pineal gland" of humanity. As in individual man this is usually dormant and asleep, so, in humanity, this group of cells within the brain of the body corporate is dormant, [277] but thrilling to the vibrations of the head centre—the occult Hierarchy. Some of the cells are awake. Let them intensify their endeavour and so awaken others. The pioneers of the human family, the scientists, thinkers and artists constitute the pituitary body. They express the concrete mind but lack that intuitive perception and idealism which would place them (symbolically speaking) in the pineal gland; they are nevertheless brilliant, expressive and investigating. The objective of the Hierarchy (again symbolically speaking) is to make the pineal gland so potent and, therefore, so attractive that the pituitary body of cell lives may be stimulated and thus a close interplay be brought about. This will lead to such potent action that there will be a streaming forth of new cells to the pineal gland and at the same time such a strong reaction set up that the entire body will be affected, resulting in the streaming upward of many stimulated lives to take the places of those who are finding their way into the centre of hierarchical endeavour.

The "waters of space", in which this re-orientation and reversal of tendencies is progressing, are in a state of violent turmoil. The vortex of conflicting desire in which men find themselves is now chaotic and so potent that these waters are stirred to the very depths. Students of modern history and of social order are faced with an unprecedented condition, corresponding in the corporate body of humanity to that upheaval in the life of an individual aspirant which always precedes the passing onto the Path of Discipleship. Hence there is no cause for depression or undue anxiety, but only ardent desire that the transition may be made in due time and order and be neither too rapid—hence destructive to all right ties and affiliations—nor too prolonged and so strain beyond endurance the sorely tried fabric of humanity. All new manifestations in all kingdoms in all ages must come slowly, and therefore safely, to the birthing. [278] All new forms, if they are ultimately to carry weight and gather adequate momentum to carry them through their life cycle, must be built in silent subjectivity, in order that the building may be strong and sure and the inner contact with the creator (human or divine) and true conformity to the pattern may be substantial and unbreakable. This is true of a universe, a kingdom in nature, or a thought-form created by a human thinker.

In all form-building the technique of construction remains basically the same, and the rules and realizations may be summed up in the following aphoristic phrases.

Let the creator know himself to be the builder, and not the building.

Let him desist from dealing with the raw material on the physical plane, and let him study the pattern and the blue prints, acting as the agent of the Divine Mind.

Let him use two energies and work with three laws. These are the dynamic energy of purpose, conforming to the Plan, and the magnetic energy of desire, drawing the builders to the centre of endeavour.

Let these three laws hold sway, the law of synthetic limitation, of vibratory interplay, and of active precipitation. The one concerns the life, the second concerns the building, and the third produces manifested existence.

Let him deal first with the outer builders, sending his call to the periphery of his circle of influence.

Let him set the waters of living substance in motion by his idea and impulse, bending the builders to his purpose and plan.

Let him build with judgment and with skill, preserving always the "stool of the director" and coming not down into close contact with his thought-form.

Let him project, in time and space, his form through [279] visualization, meditation and skill in action, and so produce that which his will commands, his love desires, and his need creates.

Let him withdraw the builders of the outer form, and let the inner builders of dynamic force push it forth into manifestation. Through the eye of the creator are these inner builders brought to functioning, directed action. Through the word of the creator were the outer builders guided. Through the ear of the creator the volume of the greater Word vibrates through the waters of space.

Let him remember the order of creative work. The waters of space respond to the word. The builders build. The cycle of creation ends and the form is adequate in manifestation. The cycle of performance succeeds and depends for its duration on the potency of the inner builders, who constitute the subjective form and transmit the vitalising life.

Let him remember that the cessation of the form ensues when purpose is achieved, or when impotency of will produces failure of functioning in the cycle of performance.

Students would do well to study these cycles of creative building, of performance and of subsequent disintegration. They are true of a solar system, of a human being, and of the thought-forms of a creative thinker. The secret of all beauty lies in the right functioning of these cycles. The secret of all success on the physical plane lies in right understanding of law and of order. For the aspirant the goal of his endeavour is the correct building of forms in mental matter remembering that "as a man thinketh so is he"; that for him the control of mental substance and its use in clear thinking is an essential to progress.

This will demonstrate in organization of the outer life, [280] in creative work of some kind—a book written, a picture painted, a home functioning rhythmically, a business run along sound and true lines, a life salvaged, and the outer dharma carried out with precision, whilst the inner adjustments proceed in the silence of the heart.

For the disciple, the work extends. For him there has to be realization of the group plan and purpose and not simply of his own individual spiritual problem. There has to be conformity to the purpose for his immediate cycle and life period; the subordinating of his personal dharma and ideas to the need and service of that cycle. For him there has to be that attainment of knowledge, of strength, and of coordination between the personal self and the soul which will result in ability to build organized forms and groups on the physical plane and to hold them coherently together. This he does, not through the force of his own character and equipment but because that character and equipment enable him to act as a transmitter of the greater life energies and to serve as an efficient cooperator with a plan of which he can only vision a fragment. He works, however, faithfully at the building of his aspect of the great plan and finds one day when the building is completed and he sees the whole, that he has built true to design and in conformity with the blue prints as they have been carried in the minds of the architects (the Elder Brothers) who—in Their turn—are in touch with the Mind of the one Existence.

The practical application of these truths is of utmost importance. There is no life so circumscribed and no person so situated who cannot begin to work intelligently and to build thought-forms under law and with understanding. There is no day in any man's life, particularly if he is an aspirant or a disciple, when a man cannot work in mental matter, control his use of thought, watch the effect of his mental processes on those he contacts, and [281] so handle his "chitta" or mind-stuff (as Patanjali calls it) that he becomes more and more useful.