1. The work of the three rays - of
personality, soul, & monad
2. The personality ray and the
permanent atom
3. The personality ray and karma
Treatise on Cosmic Fire
Section 1: The Internal Fires
Division B
The Personality ray and fire by friction 1
Main Topics in Section 1:
Introductory Remarks
Div. A The Internal Fires of the Sheaths
Div. B The Personality ray and its
relationship to Fire
Div. C Prana and the Etheric Body
Div. D Kundalini and the Spine
Div. E Motion on the Physical and Astral lanes
Div. F The Law of Economy
I. THE WORK OF THE THREE RAYS 2
Each body (form) wherein Spirit functions has, for
focal point on each plane, an ‘atom’ composed of matter of ‘the atomic
sub-plane’ of each plane.
This ‘permanent atom’ serves as a nucleus:
Ø ‘for the distribution of force’
Ø for ‘the conservation of faculty’
Ø for ‘the assimilation of experience’
Ø for ‘the preservation of memory’
The permanent
atoms are in direct connection with one of the three Great rays in
connection with the microcosm:
a. The Monadic Ray, the synthetic ray of the microcosm
b. The Egoic Ray
c. The Personality Ray
Each of these rays has a connection with one of the
permanent atoms in the lower threefold man, and has a direct action upon the spirillae found within the atom.
Ø The Personality Ray has direct action on
the ‘physical permanent atom’
Ø The Egoic Ray has a direct action on the
‘astral permanent atom’
Ø The Monadic Ray has a close connection with
the ‘mental unit’
The effect they have is threefold, but is not simultaneous 4
II. THE PERSONALITY RAY AND THE PERMANENT ATOM 5
Ø The Personality Ray deals with the first four spirillae, and is the source
of their stimulation.
Ø The Egoic Ray concerns itself with the fifth and sixth, and is the cause of
their emerging from latent potential into power and activity.
Ø The Monadic Ray is the source of the
stimulation of the seventh spirilla.
Ø This threefold action varies in timing and
sequence according to the ray of the Monad
The ‘latent fire of matter’ in the atom is brought to
brilliance and usefulness by action of the Personality Ray
The Personality Ray acts as the force that brings latency into activity and potentiality into demonstrated power
Correspondences between the Personality Ray and Fohat
III. THE PERSONALITY RAY AND KARMA 7
Recapitulation 7
The Rays of 9
Ø Cosmic Mind,
Ø Primordial Activity, and
Ø Divine Love-Wisdom
are but essential quality
demonstrating through the agency of
some factor.
The Primordial Ray
The Primordial Ray is the quality of motion, demonstrating through matter.
The Ray of COSMIC Mind
The Ray of Mind is the quality of intelligent organisation, demonstrating
through forms, which are the product of motion and matter
(Blends intelligent organisation with the products of
the Primordial ray).
The Ray of DIVINE Love-Wisdom
The Ray of Love-Wisdom is the quality of basic motive that utilises the intelligent organisation of matter in motion
to demonstrate in one synthetic whole
the great Love aspect of the Logos.
(Blends the motive of love-wisodom with the products
or effects of the combination of the effects of the Ray of Mind and the
Primordial Ray)
At this point in the treatise we are confining our
attention to the Ray of Active Matter, to the ‘latent heat in substance,’ which 10
Ø underlies
its activity and is
Ø the
cause of its motion.
The Lipika Lords, the Lords of Karma
Ø Three of Them are closely connected with
Karma as it concerns one of the three great Rays, or the three FIRES, while
Ø The fourth Lipika Lord synthesizes the work
of his three Brothers. He attends to the
uniform blending and merging of the three fires.
The Karma of Matter itself 12
Ø It is indissolubly mixed up with the karma
of the individual
Ø It involves a control of the evolution of
the monadic essence, the elemental essence, and the atomic matter of the plane
Ø It is concerned with the development of the
four spirillae, their activity, and their attachment to forms when atomic
Ø It is concerned with the development of the
inner latent heat, and its gradual fiery increase until we have within the atom
a repetition of what is seen within the causal body: the destruction of the periphery of the atom
by the means of burning
Ø It deals with the building of matter into form by the interaction of the two rays, the Divine (Ray of Love-Wisdom, Ed.) and the
Primordial (Ray), producing thereby
that ‘fire by friction’, which tends to life and fusing
The karma of form 13
It is a factor of importance, and should not be overlooked
in connection with
the evolution of a world,
a synthesis of worlds, or
a (solar? Ed.)
system, when viewed from higher levels.
Everything in its totality is the result of action
taken by cosmic Essences and Entities in
earlier solar systems
This is working out through the individual atoms, and
through those congeries of atoms which we call ‘forms’
The effect of the personality Ray on the internal
fires is the result of the influence
of the planetary Logos (of whatever ray is implicated), as He works out that
portion of Karma which is His share in any one cycle, greater or lesser.
The planetary Logos thus brings about, and eventually
transmutes, the effects of causes – causes which He set in motion earlier in
relation to His six Brothers, the other planetary Logoi.
[Page 69] We touch next on a matter of great interest which is as yet very little comprehended – the permanent atoms. [1]
[Page 70]
We noted in "Letters on Occult Meditation" that the atoms of the lower threefold man underwent a twofold process:
This is all brought about by the action of the three rays upon the atoms and upon the life within each atom. [Page 71]
The relationship between these three rays and the permanent atoms might be summarised as follows:
Ø They work ever, as do all things in Nature, in ordered cycles.
Ø The stimulation, that is the result of action of the monadic Ray on the mental unit is only felt when the aspirant treads the Path, or after he has taken the first Initiation.
Ø The action of the egoic Ray on the astral permanent atom is felt as soon as the Ego can make good connection with the physical brain. When this is so the egoic ray is beginning to affect the atom both powerfully and continuously. This occurs when a man is highly evolved and is nearing the Path.
This threefold force is felt in the following way:
Note the correspondence to the lower quaternary and its stimulation by the ego.
[Page 72]
There is plenty of interest in this subject. Vast fields for thought and investigation open up before the student.
(the subject is too vast to be handled here)
Ø Looking at the matter from the standpoint of ‘fire’, realise that the ‘latent fire of matter’ in the atom is brought into brilliance and usefulness by the action of the personality Ray, which ‘merges’ with this ‘fire’.
Ø
It (the latent fire of matter? – or the personality ray? Ed.) stands
in the same position to the permanent atom in the microcosm, as FOHAT does on
the cosmic plane (to the Macrocosm?
Ed.).
Ø The ‘fire’ is there ‘hidden within the sphere’ (whether the ‘sphere systemic’ or the ‘sphere atomic’).
Ø The personality Ray in the one case, and Fohat in the other, acts as the force that brings latency into activity and potentiality into demonstrated power.
This correspondence should be thought out with care and judgment.
Ø Just as Fohat has to do with active manifestation or objectivity (in the Macrocosm? Ed.), so the Personality Ray has to do with the third, or activity aspect in the microcosm.
Ø The work of the third aspect logoic was the arranging of the matter of the (Macrocosmic? Ed.) system so that eventually it could be built into form through the power of the second aspect.
Thus the correspondence works out.
By ‘life upon the
physical plane’ (that life wherein the physical permanent atom has its full
demonstration) the matter is arranged
and separated, that must eventually be built into the ‘
Ø
Symbolically, in the ‘quarry of
the personal life’ are the ‘stones’ prepared for ‘the great
Ø In existence upon the physical plane and in the objective personal life is that experience gained which demonstrates as (subjective, Ed.) faculty in the Ego.
What is here suggested would richly repay the closest attention, opening up vast reaches of ideas, which could eventuate in a:
Ø Wiser comprehension,
Ø Sounder judgment, and
Ø Greater encouragement to action.
[Does this imply that “Fohat” is actually the personality Ray of the
solar Logos? Ed.]
In refreshing the memory comes further knowledge.
o.
We dealt next with the three fires of the microcosmic system
y.
We dealt next with Fire in Manifestation
[In the second section of this treatise we will consider all from the standpoint of mind, and in the final section from the standpoint of the Divine Ray].
Here we are dealing with what H. P. B. calls the ‘primordial ray’ and its manifestations in matter.[3]
[Page 74]
This line of thought can be worked out also
correspondingly in the microcosm, and will show how individual man is engaged in
the same type of work on a lesser scale as the solar Logos.
If we think with sincerity and clarity we can see how closely the Lipika Lords (the Lords of Karma) are associated with this work.
(In
these sentences, DK seems to imply that Rays and FIRES are synonymous, - is that true? Ed.)
On our planet, the Earth, the Lipika Lords, the Lords of Karma, find Their points of contact through the three "Buddhas of Activity," [5] and the fourth Kumara, the Lord of the World. (The correspondence should be noted here).
Therefore, we arrive at a realisation that the personality Ray, in its relation to ‘the fire of matter’, is directly influenced and adjusted in its working by one of the Buddhas of Activity.
[Page 75]
The karma [6]of matter itself is an abstruse subject and scarcely yet even hinted at.
The karma of form is a vast subject, too involved for average comprehension but
[Page 76]
We see an illustrative parallel in the effect which one individual will have upon another in worldly contact, in moulding and influencing, in stimulating or retarding.
Remember that all fundamental influence is felt on the astral plane, and works thence through the etheric to the dense physical, thereby bringing matter under its sphere of influence, yet not itself originating on the physical plane.
[Page 77]
(One
might review here the paragraphs about the early descent of the seven rays in
EP I, Ed.)
(What
is the difference between a cosmic Essence and a cosmic Entity? Ed.)
[1] Permanent Atom: An
appropriated point of atomic
matter. A tiny ‘centre of force’ which forms the central factor and attractive
agency around which the sheaths of the incarnating Monad are built. The P.A.s
are strung like pearls upon the sutratma,
or thread.
Ray: A stream of force or an emanation. The solar Logos, or
Macrocosm, manifests through three major rays and four minor rays. The Monad or
microcosm likewise manifests through three rays as mentioned in the text above.
All rays express a peculiar and specialized type of force.
Triad: This is Atma‑buddhi‑manas,
the expression of the Monad, just as
the personality is the expression of
the Ego.
The Monad expresses itself through the Triad, and in
its lowest or third Aspect forms the Egoic or Causal body, the infant or
germinal Ego.
Similarly, the Ego expresses itself through the
threefold lower man, mental, emotional, and etheric (these being the reflection
of the higher Triad) and these three give rise to the dense physical
manifestation.
[2] Spirilla: In order to
examine the construction of the atom, a space is artificially made, then, if an
opening be made in the wall thus constructed, the surrounding force flows in,
and three whorls immediately appear, surrounding the "hole" with
their triple spiral of two and a half coils, and returning to their origin by a
spiral within the atom.
Ø
These are at once followed by seven
finer whorls, which, following the spiral of the first three on the outer
surface, and returning to their origin by a spiral within that, flowing in the
opposite direction – form a caduceus
with the first three.
Ø
Each of the three coarser whorls,
flattened out, makes a closed circle; each of the seven finer ones, similarly
flattened out, makes a closed circle.
Ø
The forces, which flow in them come from ''outside,'' from a fourth‑dimensional
space.
Ø
Each of the finer whorls is formed
of seven yet finer ones, set successively at right angles to each other, each
finer than its predecessor. These we
call spirillae.
Ø
Each spirilla is animated by the
life‑force of a plane.
Ø
Four are at present normally active,
one for each round.
Ø
Their activity in an individual may
be prematurely forced by yoga practice. Occult
Chemistry, P. 28.
[3] S.D., I, 108; II, 596
[4] S. D., 1, 99, 108; IT, 596.
[5] Buddhas of Activity: The 'Pratyeka
Buddhas.' This is a degree which belongs exclusively to the
[6] From the view taken of Karma as I have done it, you
will see that no plane of the highest spirituality, be that the plane of the
nirvanees, is ‘outside the karmic wheel’, and when it is said in the Sanskrit
writings and even in the Bhagavat Gita that men ‘cross the karmic ocean’, it
must be understood with some allowance.
The entities that have now succeeded in going ‘outside
the karmic wheel’, have done so, only if that wheel be taken as the one that
turns now.
The cosmos is not going in one groove all the days of
Brahma, but it is going on a higher and higher status as it fulfils its
mission.
Those who have attained unto a rest in a state of
spirituality not reachable now, will therefore in a future day come within the
action of the wheel, with perhaps a punishment for the great duties neglected
for long ages. ‑ Some Thoughts on the Gita, p. 40.
The Lipika: These are
‘the Spirits of the Universe’.
They are connected with the Law of Cause and Effect
(Karma) and its recorders.
Lipika comes from ‘Lipi', writing.
For information concerning the Lipika Lords see S. D.,
I, pp. 152, 153.
The Buddhas of Activity: These are the Triad Who stands closest to
Sanat Kumara, The Lord of the World. They are ‘the planetary correspondences to
the three Aspects of the logoic third Aspect’.
They are concerned with ‘the force behind planetary manifestation’.
Monadic Essence:
The matter
of the atomic (or highest) sub-plane of each plane.
Elemental Essence: The matter of the six sub-planes which are
non atomic. It is ‘molecular matter’.
Karma: Karma may be defined as the force generated
by a human centre to act on the exterior world, and the reactionary influence
that is in turn generated from the exterior world to act on him.
This may be called ‘karmic influence’ and the visible
result that is produced by this influence under proper conditions may be called
‘karmic fruit.’ Some thoughts on the Gita, p. 53.