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2. Various Aspects of the Will

We have now the difficult task of considering an aspect of divine manifestation which is as yet so little apparent upon the physical plane that we lack the exact word with which to express it and those words available are likewise misleading. I can, however, attempt to give you certain concepts, relationships and parallels which may serve to close this section on astrology and lay a foundation for future teaching around the year 2025. That is the mode whereby all revelation comes. A thought is given; a symbol described; an idea portrayed. Then, as the minds of men ponder upon it and the intuitives of the world pick up the thought, it serves as a seed thought which eventually comes to fruition with the presentation and the unfolding of a revelation which serves to lead the race of men nearer to their goal.

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TABULATION X

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Planets

 Planets

Ray

 

Constellations

 Orthodox

 Esoteric

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

|

Aries.

The Ram. . . . . . . . .

Mars. . . . . . .

Mercury

I. Will or Power. . . . . . . . . . . . .

|

Leo.

The Lion. . . . . . . . .

The Sun. . . .

The Sun

 

|

Capricorn.

The Goat. . . . . . . .

Saturn. . . . . 

Saturn

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

|

Gemini.

The Twins. . . . . . . .

Mercury. . . .

Venus

II. Love-Wisdom. . . . . . . . . . . .

|

Virgo.

The Virgin. . . . . . . .

Mercury. . . .

The Moon

 

|

Pisces.

The Fishes. . . . . . .

Jupiter. . . . .

Pluto

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

|

Cancer.

The Crab. . . . . . . . .

The Moon. . .

Neptune

III. Active Intelligence. . . . . . . .

|

Libra.

The Scales. . . . . . . 

Venus. . . . . .

Uranus

 

|

Capricorn.

The Goat. . . . . . . . .

Saturn. . . . . .

Saturn

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

|

Taurus.

The Bull. . . . . . . . . .

Venus. . . . . .

Vulcan

IV. Harmony through Conflict. . 

|

 Scorpio.

The Scorpion. . . . . .

Mars. . . . . . .

Mars

 

|

Sagittarius.

The Archer. . . . . . . .

Jupiter. . . . . .

The Earth

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

|

Leo.

The Lion. . . . . . . . . .

The Sun. . . .

The Sun

V. Concrete Science. . . . . . . . .

|

Sagittarius.

The Archer. . . . . . . . 

Jupiter. . . . . .

The Earth

 

|

Aquarius.

The Water Carrier. . 

 Uranus. . . . .

 Jupiter

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

|

Virgo.

The Virgin. . . . . . . . .

Mercury. . . . .

The Moon

VI. Devotion. Idealism. . . . . . . 

|

Sagittarius.

The Archer. . . . . . . . 

Jupiter. . . . . .

The Earth

 

|

Pisces.

The Fishes. . . . . . . .

Jupiter. . . . . .

Pluto

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

|

Aries.

The Ram. . . . . . . . . 

Mars. . . . . . . 

Mercury

VII. Ceremonial Order. . . . . . .

|

Cancer.

The Crab. . . . . . . . . 

The Moon. . .

Neptune

 

|

Capricorn.

The Goat. . . . . . . . . 

Saturn. . . . . .

Saturn

 

 

 

 

 

 

We are considering the expression of the Shamballa force in terms of Will, i.e., of divine purpose, latent in the mind of God since the beginning of time and the dawn of creation. In God's mind, that idea is seen whole and complete. In manifestation it is a gradual, self-revealing evolutionary and demonstrated activity. We know somewhat of the intelligence aspect of God. It is revealed in the living activity of substance. Of the love of that Great Thinker, we are learning slowly and its revelation has reached the stage where the human mind can contrast its [591]  mode of living activity with the visioned and sensed love of Deity, expressed as yet by the desire for right human relations and right treatment of all that is non-human. Of the will and purpose of God, humanity knows nothing, for the individual will or the collective human will which could act as interpreter, revealer and also serve as a mode of contact, is dedicated to selfishness and blind to the higher reaches of divine expression. Mankind's so-called acquiescence in the will of God is based on his wish life, on his negativity and on the visions of the saints. Their keynote was submission and their highest point of spiritual contact was still tinged with dualism and still conditioned by modes of human interpretation.

Under the occult method, we must begin with the universal and the whole; in time the individual and the particular will stand revealed, but in relation to the whole. It should be possible, through a study of the seven rays and their related constellations and their transmitting agents, the planets, to gain some general idea of the pouring through of the Shamballa energy as emerging purpose on the physical plane.

I have earlier referred to three major expressions of the will aspect. There is will, as the conditioner of the life aspect. This refers not to events, happenings and occurrence, but to the nature of the life manifestations in any cycle, through any nation or race, where humanity is concerned. This refers also to the broad and general lines which at any time upon the planet are setting the pace for the evolution of forms and which basically concerns the force and endurance of the life as it manifests through and creates those external conditions which are qualified and expressed in terms of life, of quality and appearance. The word "life" in this triplicity of terms refers to life as [592] humanity understands it. The word "life" to which I here refer is the life to which H.P.B. refers as that which synthesises spirit, soul and body. (See The Secret Doctrine, I. 81 [1st ed: 50]). It is in reality that fourth something which hovers behind all manifestation and behind all objects, all qualified expressions of divinity and which is hinted at in the Bhagavad Gita in the words: "Having pervaded this whole universe with a fragment of Myself, I remain."

There is next the will which brings fulfilment. This is the basis of all relationships and all processes of inter-relation in our solar system and (as far as humanity is concerned) in the planet. It is the prime factor in bringing about the inevitability of the divine consummation; it is the cause of all fruition of all forms on all planes and of divine intention; it is that which lies back of consciousness itself. I know not how else to express this in words and having done so they prove wholly inadequate. There is a faint, dim, uncertain reflection of this will-fulfilment in the joy of achievement as registered by a human being who finds his heart's desire. Long processes of evolution precede this fulfilment and long experience of the living activity of the will of God as Life. This concentrated evolutionary effort, this undeviating purpose has called forth more than desire and more than the will-to-be-active. There is a realised achievement from the very start for this is the divine will-to-completion which precedes the creative effort. It is the synthesis of creation, or persistent endeavour, adherence to vision and complete sacrifice, and all of these in terms of divine experienced experiment, if I might so formulate the idea. Remember, therefore, that all through these experiences of the divine will runs the thread of a fulfilled synthesis. This is more than cohesion in time and space; it is more [593] than the principle of privation about which H.P.B. speaks, and more than self-imposed limitation. It is the end seen from the beginning; it is alpha and omega producing the completed whole and the perfect fruition of the divine will.

It is, finally, the will which conquers death. This again must not be interpreted in terms of death as it affects the form nature of manifestation. The note of synthesis and triumph—realised and complete—persists behind all that we can recognise as death. This will is the principle of victory, of the ultimate goal of life when fruition is achieved; it is the final united success or unified conformity to a long foreseen purpose of spirit-matter, life-form, plus that something which is the dream and goal of the highest initiates in the Hierarchy to contact—the secret revelation of Shamballa itself. More it is not possible to say. If Christ Himself is striving towards that knowledge, it is not possible for us to do more than speculate.

In these few words, I have sought to convey an idea of a vast subjective realisation. What I am hinting at in reality is the objective of that "endless Way of which Nirvana itself is but the open door"—the Way to the higher evolution for which our evolutionary process prepares mankind. I am indicating what is the goal of all hierarchical endeavour. Mankind is so preoccupied with the attitude and effort of the Hierarchy as regards human welfare and guidance that the goal of the efforts of the Masters of the Wisdom is naturally overlooked. It is in reality no concern of man. Nevertheless, the picture of the divine Plan so oft emphasised in occult books and by occult teachers is distorted unless it is realised that just as humanity strives towards the Hierarchy, so that Hierarchy itself strives towards Shamballa. As the Old Commentary has it:

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"He who sees in the dark light of Shamballa penetrates to that which lies beyond our little sphere to that which can be sensed behind the holy triangle (Venus, Mercury, the Earth, A.A.B.). There is to be found the point of radiant fire which shines within the eye (Taurus), which burns upon the mountain-top (Capricorn) and which the water cannot quench (Aquarius). These are the holiest three."

As we consider the seven rays as outlined in Tabulation X, I would have you bear in mind that we are viewing them as expressions of this threefold will. We have studied them in some detail in my other books from the angle of consciousness and from the point of view as producing changes and expansions of consciousness in man, in nations and in races. Now, as far as may be possible, we are going to consider these rays as they express the pure, living activity of Deity as it fulfils Itself in manifestation as pure incentive, directed impersonal energy, divine instinct which latter is a blend of instinctual force and intuitive energy. It might be pointed out to those of you who have some measure of occult perception that this synthetic Life, being cosmic, emerges from cosmic planes and not systemic. Hence the difficulty in comprehending it.

1. The conditioning will is the synthesis of the life of the cosmic physical plane of which our seven planes are the seven subplanes. Until, therefore, the human consciousness is far more expanded than it is, it is not possible for man to understand this synthetic realisation.

 

2. The will which brings fulfilment is the divine incentive [595] (impulse is not the correct term) coming from the cosmic astral plane.

3. The will which conquers death is an outpouring from the cosmic mental plane.

From these three cosmic planes (embracing the sacred personality of the Logoi, solar and planetary) come the united energies of the three constellations which control and energise our solar system: The Great Bear, the Pleiades and Sirius; these work through the medium of the seven rays and these in turn express themselves through the twelve constellations which form the great zodiacal wheel. The Lords or ruling Powers of these twelve sources of light and life "step down" the potency of these three major energies so that our solar Logos can absorb them; they "tune out" those aspects of these three Potencies which are not suited to our systemic life at this point in the evolutionary process, just as the Hierarchy upon our little planet tunes out or steps down the energies from Shamballa. These three major energies in a mysterious manner express themselves through the seven rays just as all triplicities subdivide into septenates, yet preserve their identity. These seven energies, emanating from the major three and transmitted via the twelve constellations, are embodied in the seven sacred planets and are represented on our Earth by the seven Spirits before the throne of God (the symbol of synthesis). This tremendous inter-relation is embodied in one great process of: Transmission. Reception. Absorption. Relation and Living Activity. The method is one of Invocation and Evocation. In these two sentences, you have one of the most important clues to the whole evolutionary process; the key to the mystery of time and space, and the solution of [596] all problems. But the factor which is of major importance is that the whole matter is an expression of focussed Will.

In considering this process, I would have you study Tabulation X, for it is a symbolic form, embodying what I seek to convey. I would point out that the will aspect—as it is embodied in the rays and transmitted by the constellations—works out destructively when concentrated through an orthodox planet and constructively when concentrated through an esoteric planet. Here you have the secret guide to the significance of death and immortality. This is something which the average astrologer will be unable to prove because the cycles involved are too long; intuitively he can however grasp the probability of my proposition. May I again remind you that our theme is the divine plan, purpose and will; it is not the evolution of consciousness, or of the second aspect of divinity. It concerns spirit and not soul. We are attempting in some measure to formulate the life of the Father, the will of the Monad and the purpose of Spirit. In all these (the three aspects of the will) lies germinating the seed of the next solar system, the third, and the fruition of the Personality Manifestation of the Logos. We need, therefore, to formulate the interpretation of the seven rays in terms of will and not of love or consciousness. This we will now attempt to do.

RAY I.—The energy of Will or Power. This ray is outstandingly related to that aspect of will which conquers death. It is nevertheless the Ray of the Destroyer. In this connection, I would remind you that the human attitude that death is the destroyer presents a limited and erroneous point of view. The first ray destroys death because in reality there is no such thing; the concept is all part of the Great Illusion, is a limitation of [597] the human consciousness, and is basically connected with the brain and not with the heart, strange as that may seem to you. It is in a very true sense "a figment of the imagination." Ponder on this. The abolition of death and of the destruction of form is a manifestation of Ray I, for it brings about in reality the death of negation and the inauguration of true activity. It is the energy which can be called "divine incentive"; it is the life in the seed which destroys successively all forms in order that realised fruition may eventuate. That is the clue to Ray I. It is the Will which initiates.

Today, as regards humanity, its highest realisation is initiation.

RAY II.—The energy of Love-Wisdom. This basic energy is the will to unify, to synthesise, to produce coherence and mutual attraction and to establish relationships, but—remember this—relationships which are entirely apart from the consciousness of relation or the realisation of unity. It is the fact of unification as seen from the beginning and as existing ever and forever in the Mind of God Whose will embraces past, present and future and Whose mind does not think in terms of evolution or of process. The process is inherent in the seed; the evolutionary urge is the inevitable accompaniment of life in manifestation. It is the Will to unification.

Today, as regards humanity, its highest expression is the mystical vision.

RAY III.—The energy of Active Intelligence. This is the will of conditioned purpose. The factors which are working out through its medium are the forceful carrying forward of the recognised plan with a goal intelligently [598] conceived and an active incentive which carries the process intelligently forward on the strength of its own momentum. Again I would remind you that I am dealing not with human consciousness but with the sum total of that undertaking which makes matter subservient to and adaptable to the basic idea in the mind of God. And no human being is as yet able to conceive of that idea. No one knows what is the will of God or what is the nature of His intelligent purpose. It is the Will to evolution.

Today, as regards humanity, its highest expression is education, or progressive development through experience.

RAY IV.—The energy of Harmony through Conflict. This is fundamentally the will to destroy limitation. This is not the same thing as the will to destroy negation as in the case of Ray I, but is an allied aspect of that. I am not referring to the consciousness aspect which recognises and profits by such struggle. I am referring to the energy, inherent in all forms and peculiarly strong in humanity (because man is self-conscious), which produces inevitably and unavoidably the struggle between life and that which it has chosen as a limitation; this eventually shatters or breaks up that limitation the moment that a point of real harmony or at-one-ment has been reached. Esoterically it might be said that the moment that form (limitation) and life balance each other a rift immediately appears and through it flows a fresh outpouring of the will. Christ had to die because He had achieved harmony with the will of God and then "the veil of the Temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom." The significance of this fresh [599] inflow of the Will will now appear; the stage is set anew for a fresh and renewed activity of the living principle. As far as humanity is concerned the "seeds of death" emerge through the medium of this Ray and the Grim Reaper, Death, is but an aspect of this will, conditioned by the fourth ray and emerging from the fourth plane. Death is an act of the intuition, transmitted by the soul to the personality and then acted upon in conformity to the divine will by the individual will. This is the Will to harmonisation.

Today, its highest expression as regards humanity is the intuition, as it works out through group activity. Death always releases the individual into the group.

RAY V.—The energy of Concrete Science or Knowledge. To understand this expression of the divine will, the student should bear in mind the occult aphorism that "matter is spirit at its lowest point of manifestation and spirit is matter at its highest." Basically this is the will which produces concretion and yet at the same time constitutes the point at which spirit and matter are balanced and co-equal. That is the reason why human perfection is carried forward consciously upon the mental plane, the fifth plane; this is brought about by the fifth ray and upon this plane liberation takes place at the time of the fifth initiation. This is the will which is inherent in substance and which actuates all atoms of which all forms are made. It is closely related to the first solar system even whilst liberating members of the human family who will constitute the nucleus around which the third solar system is constructed. The energy of this ray is intelligence; it is the seed of consciousness but not of consciousness as we understand it; it is the inherent [600] life of matter and the will to work intelligently; it is that living something for which we have no name which was the product of the first solar system. It is one of the major assets of God, the Father and also of the human Monad. This is the Will to Action.

Today, as regards humanity, its highest expression is liberation—through death or initiation.

RAY VI.—The energy of Devotion or of Idealism. This is the will which embodies God's idea. It provides the motive power behind the working out of whatever may be the purpose of creation. What that purpose is we have not as yet the faintest idea. An ideal is related to the consciousness aspect as far as human beings are concerned. An idea is related to the will aspect. This ray embodies a dominant potency. It expresses God's desire and is the basic energy emanating from the cosmic astral plane. It conceals the mystery which is to be found in the relationship of the will and desire. Desire is related to consciousness. Will is not. We are not, however, dealing with consciousness but with that impersonal force which drives forward through all the seven planes of our solar system and which makes the idea of God a consummated fact in the Eternal Now. Does that statement mean much to you? I would surmise that it means but little; it is a basic statement of occult fact anent energy as it expresses itself through humanity in a manner which is unique and peculiar. I would here remind you of a statement in The Secret Doctrine that "an Idea is a Being incorporeal which has no subsistence by itself but gives figure and form unto shapeless matter and becomes the cause of the manifestation." This statement takes you straight back to God [601] the Father, to the Monad, to the One. It is related, consequently, to the Will and not to consciousness. Consciousness is per se the recognition of a progressive plan. The Will is the cause, the energising Principle, Life, Being. This is the Will to Causation.

Today, as regards humanity, its highest expression is idealism, the incentive and cause of human activity.

RAY VII.—This is the energy of Ceremonial Order. It is an expression of the will which drives through into outer manifestation; it is that which embodies both the periphery and the point at the centre. It is the will to "ritualistic synthesis," if I might so word it. It is Necessity which is the prime conditioning factor of the divine nature—the necessity to express itself; the necessity to manifest in an orderly rhythmic manner; the necessity to embrace "that which is above and that which is below" and, through the medium of this activity, to produce beauty, order, perfect wholes and right relationships. It is the driving energy which Being emanates as It appears and takes form and lives. It is the Will towards Expression.

Today, as regards humanity, its highest expression is organisation.

In the above statements anent the rays, you can see that the full circle of their activity is complete from the angle of God the Father; the will to initiate manifestation and its attendant progressive expression meets the will towards full achievement and the energy of Being itself arrives—in time and space today (in the mind of God) at full consummation.

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