Fellowship
of Cosmic Fire
Commentary
Semester VIII Section XII Part I
TCF 1063-1070 : S8S12
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Under our consideration of the
law of radiation, we will first of all take up the topic of the cause of
radiation.
1.
From the last commentary we remember that the Tibetan considered
this among the most important of topics.
a. The Cause
of Radiation. The student will only be
able to get a true view of this matter if he views the subject in a large
way. Two aspects of the matter naturally
come before his mental vision,
2.
This is a type of vision which is framed by the mind and not merely
by the imagination, which, essentially, is an astral activity.
both of which must be
dealt with if any adequate concept of this subject is to be reached,—a subject
which has engrossed philosophers, scientists and alchemists for hundreds of
years consciously or unconsciously.
3.
The subject has probably not been framed in terms of “radiation” but
has been of moment to different types of thinkers who are interested in the
question of liberation.
We must, therefore, consider:
a. That which radiates.
4.
This will be the nucleus of any atom.
b. That which is the
subjective cause of radiation.
5.
These will be higher energy which stimulates the nucleus.
6.
A refined condition of the form will also be necessitated so that
the higher stimulating energies can reach the nucleus which is to rendered radiatory.
It might be very briefly stated
that when any form becomes radioactive, certain
conditions have been fulfilled and certain results brought about, which
conditions and results might be summed up as follows:
The
radioactive form is one which has run
through its appointed cycles,
7.
These are necessitated, required cycles. They are determined by
law.
through its
wheel of life, great or small, which has been turned with adequate frequency,
8.
There is no ‘fast path’ to bringing about the state of radiation.
9.
On the human level, this is equivalent to saying that a sufficient
number of incarnations must have been experienced through the turning of the
“wheel of life” with adequate frequency, and, we might add, ‘for a sufficient
duration’.
so that the
volatile life-essence is ready to escape from that form and merge itself in the
greater form of which the lesser is but a part.
10.
This is clear. The volatile essence escapes from its present
ring-pass-not which bounds its enclosing form which is but part of a larger
form. The volatile essence will now take part in the life process of a greater
life expressing through that greater form—a form which had included the lesser
form from which the volatile essence had escaped.
11.
When this escape occurs it signifies liberation, however relative
that liberation may be.
12.
The human being, for instance, escapes into the fifth kingdom of
nature in such a way as to become a full member of that kingdom, instead of
simply an ‘applicant’ to full membership in that kingdom, as had been the case
up to the fourth initiation.
13.
For the human being at the fourth initiation, it is not the
volatile essence in utter purity that
escapes. The escaping essence is still encumbered by various identifications or
veils, and will be encumbered until the final escape is made into the Universal
Ring-Pass-Not. (We have no idea how many trillions of years into the future
this final escape may be accomplished—final
for this Universe only).
It must be remembered in this
connection that radiation occurs when the etheric
or true form becomes responsive to certain types of force.
14.
We must watch for the way that the etheric body is involved in
inducing the process of radiation. There are, after all, many kinds of
radiation taking place upon a number of planar levels.
Radiation, as it is occultly understood, does
not concern itself with the escape from the physical or dense form, but with
that period in the life of any living entity (atomic, human or divine) wherein the etheric or pranic body is in
such a state that it can no longer limit or confine the indwelling life.
15.
DK is speaking of a kind of escape from the etheric field.
16.
We note that the etheric body is called the “pranic body”; it is
the vehicle which receives prana, contains and circulates it and radiates it.
17.
We understand that the etheric body can act as an imprisoning field
to the volatile essence and its consciousness and that when the field is
“loosened” or sufficiently refined, it can no longer imprison this essence.
18.
We must also realize that the causal body is positioned on what
might be called the etheric subplanes of the mental plane, and that, in a
sense, the escape of the life centralized in the Jewel in the Lotus at the
fourth initiation, is an escape from the mental ethers.
Radiation comes about when the
internal, self-sufficient life of any atom is offset by a stronger urge, or pull, emanating from the enveloping greater existence of whose body it
may form a part.
19.
We see that radiation is induced by the effect of the “greater
enveloping existence” upon the nucleus of the existence which is enveloped.
20.
The third aspect which is the “internal, self-sufficient life” of
the atom is overcome by a greater energy which promotes in the atom a more
interactive relationship with the larger enveloping sphere. The atom’s
‘limiting integrity’ is destroyed as its animating life escapes to find its
place within the enveloping sphere.
21.
The first force (the “internal, self-sufficient life” seeks to
maintain the established ring-pass-not and the second force attempts to destroy
it in the interests of liberation and greater unification.
22.
That which offsets the lower integrative tendencies has been
characterized as a “pull”. This means that the Law of Attraction is involved in
engineering the response of the lesser, enveloped life to the greater
enveloping Life. Life calls to life and form is destroyed.
This is nevertheless only true
when it is caused by the pull upon the
essential [Page
1064] life by the essential
life of the greater form;
23.
As stated above. Life calls to life; life answers Life. We are
speaking of the interplay of essences.
24.
Master DK has told us that, ultimately, magnetism is ruled by the
first ray.
There
is still another point upon which I would like to touch. Owing to the fact that the Law which governs
the Hierarchy is the second systemic law, the Law of Attraction, students are
apt to think that magnetism is a second ray quality. They are right in so far that all the
systemic laws are expressions of the life of God through the medium, at this
time, of the second ray, which makes our solar system a second ray system. All other laws and qualities (for a law from
the divine angle is the motivating, qualified agent of the divine will, as
understood in Shamballa) are related to the second ray as it manifests through
our planetary Logos. Nevertheless, magnetic action is more
closely allied to first ray functioning than it is to the second ray, and is an
aspect or quality of the Law of Synthesis. It was this magnetic power of the first ray to
which the Christ referred when He said "I, if I be lifted up (The
Ascension Initiation. A.A.B.), will draw all men unto me." He faced then those initiations which would
qualify Him to become what is esoterically called "a Shamballa
recipient." There is, in magnetic
action, more of the element of the will and of an expressing purpose. In explanation it might be said that the
radiation of the Hierarchy, which is definitely second ray in nature, and which
is projected as attractive radiation, is implemented by the magnetic
aspect. This—as the Old Commentary puts
it—is "a point of focussed fire, found in the centre of the jewel. [Page
376] It stirs to life the quality of love which permeates the Ashram of the
Lord. Radiation then can penetrate to
other centres and to other lives, and thus the Lord is served." It is this point of focussed dynamic will at
the very heart of the Hierarchy which in reality implements the Plan. (R&I
375-376)
it is not
due to the attractive power of the form aspect of that greater life.
25.
We have a very important statement here. The form of the greater
Life, which enfolds the lesser life and its form, is not the attractive factor.
It is the greater Life itself which
calls to the lesser life expressing through the lesser form.
26.
And as well, it is not the form life of the enclosed unit on which
the “pull” of the greater life is exerted.
A very definite distinction must
here be made. It is the failure to
recognise this that has led so many alchemical students and scientific
investigators to lose their way, and thus negate the conclusions of years of
study. They confuse the impulse of the atom to respond to the vibratory
magnetic pull of the more
powerful and comprehensive form with the true esoteric
attraction which alone produces "occult radiation,"
27.
DK differentiates between exoteric attraction (emanating from the
form life of the greater, including Being) and “the true esoteric
attraction”—the attraction of the greater Life upon the lesser life. Like calls
to like.
—that of the central essential life of the form in which the
element under consideration may have place.
It is very necessary to make this clear from the start.
28.
We notice DK’s use of the word “element”. The lesser form is
considered an “element” within a greater form. Certainly, it is a constituent
within the greater form.
29.
Thus, when achieving the fourth initiation, it is not the triadal
vehicles or the monadic vehicle (for these do exist) which call to the life
confined within the causal body, but the Monad itself—the greater Life. The
greater energies of buddhi and atma which are expressions of the monadic Life
may also be considered as aspect of the “pull” from essence to essence.
Perhaps the whole subject may be
clearer if we consider it in the following way.
The atom in a form revolves upon
its own axis, follows its own revolution, and lives its own internal life. This concerns its primary awareness.
30.
The “primary awareness” of any unit of life is awareness of itself.
This is the stage which in the human experience corresponds to individualism.
As time progresses it becomes magnetically aware of the attractive
nature of that which envelops it on all sides, and
becomes conscious of the form which surrounds it.
31.
This is consciousness of the form
which surrounds it, but not necessarily consciousness of the greater Life
within the greater form.
This is its secondary awareness but it still concerns what we might, for
lack of a better term, call matter.
32.
Form is composed of matter.
33.
The first type of awareness is awareness of its own ring-pass-not. The second type
of awareness is awareness of the form
of the greater, enfolding Life.
The atom, therefore, has an interplay with
other atoms.
34.
This is interplay with the other atoms comprising the greater form
which surrounds the atom in question.
Later, the atom in a form becomes
aware that it not only revolves upon its axis, but that it also follows an orbit around a greater centre of force
within a greater form.
35.
The atom can become aware of the other atoms to be found within the
greater form encompassing it before it becomes aware that it is following an
orbit around the major center of force within that greater form.
This is tertiary awareness, and is caused by the magnetic pull of the greater centre being felt,
thus causing an urge within the atom which impels it to move within certain
specific cycles.
36.
Primary awareness is individual; secondary awareness is relational;
tertiary awareness causes a yearning to follow a straight line towards a higher
attractive center, but (due to cyclic restraints) results in spirals which
achieve in a greater amount of time the same objective.
37.
The cycles involved might be called ‘cycles of evolutionary
ascension’.
38.
In time, and symbolically, we could say that the attracted
revolving unit spirals inward (metaphysically inward) towards the center of
attraction. This culminates in absorption in the greater center.
This awareness, esoterically
understood, concerns itself with
substance or with the true form within the objective form.
39.
Tertiary awareness is concerned with “substance” which is different
from matter in its objective state.
40.
The movement is towards something more subtle than the form and its
environing constituents contacted in secondary awareness. The movement is
sequentially into a subtler form and towards the animating center of that
subtler form.
Finally, the attractive pull of the greater centre becomes so powerful that
the positive life within the atom (whatever type of atom it may be and
in whatever kingdom) feels the force
of the central energy which
holds it, [Page 1065] along with other atoms, coherently
fulfilling their function.
41.
This is the fourth stage of a four-stage process.
42.
This reminds one of the sixth Rule for
White Magic: “The devas of the lower four feel the force when the eye
opens. They are driven forth and lose their master.”
43.
On the human level, we might say that the disciple becomes aware of
other disciples in the Ashram before becoming aware of the Master in the
Ashram, and before ‘revolving around that Master’, until finally, the force of the
Master is so great that the disciple breaks through the ring-pass-not of the
ashramic periphery and is drawn progressively towards the Master.
44.
We might substitute the word “Monad” for Master when looking at the
human being’s initiatory process.
This energy penetrates through
the ring-pass-not, evokes no response from what might be called the
electronic or negative lives within the atomic periphery,
45.
These lesser lives have no more hold over the volatile essence in
process of liberation. Such lesser lives used to ‘contain’ the volatile essence
inhibiting its release. Now they are no longer sufficiently strong to do so.
46.
The greater energy enters and the electronic or negative lives do
not ‘know’ it has entered. They are not aroused in resistance.
47.
If we analogize to the human atom, the elemental lives do not
respond or resist when the greater energy enters. It is too high for them to
recognize or resist. Or, these elemental lives have been sufficiently raised in
their vibration to offer no resistance.
48.
If we analogize to man the social being, the forces of the fourth
kingdom of nature (i.e., often the surrounding personnel—one’s family, friends
and, in general, the force of society) cannot detect the coming in of the
greater force. They are no longer strong enough to prevent its influencing the
sensitive human being. That human being is no longer attracted to the
surrounding personnel and does not ‘care’ what they think. The transformative
forces enter and the usual self-protective responses of socially conditioned
people are not aroused and, if they were aroused, would be ineffective.
but does evoke a
response from the essential, positive nucleus of the atom.
49.
The greater energy reaches through, arousing to response the
“positive nucleus of the atom”. The lesser factors within the atom are
penetrated and offer no resistance.
This
is due to the fact that the essential life of any atom, its highest positive
aspect, is ever of the same nature as that of the greater life which is drawing
it to itself.
50.
Like calls to like. Spirit is merging with Spirit.
51.
We are speaking of intercourse between identical essences.
When this is felt sufficiently
strongly, the atomic cycle is completed, the dense form is dispelled, the true form is dissipated,
52.
By this DK means either the etheric form, or the causal form, or
both. The etheric form is always a reflection of the egoic lotus.
53.
In the human microcosm, the elemental lives are scattered and
return to the reservoir which is designed to receive them. The devic lives of the
higher mental plane and the solar angelic forces are scattered and return to
their sources—in the case of the Solar Angels, the Heart of the Sun (and
perhaps, in some instances, to the Central Spiritual Sun—the monadic Lire of
the Solar Logos).
54.
In relation to the human being in society, he is ejected from the
normal society which characterizes the fourth kingdom of nature, and instead is
released into the “Society of Organized and Illumined Minds”. Normal personal
and social forces are no longer strong enough to prevent the greater force from
stimulating him in such a manner that he breaks fully into the fifth kingdom of
nature.
and the central life escapes to find its greater magnetic focal point.
55.
The greater magnetic focal point is, as we have been told, that
part of the greater enveloping atom which represents the life aspect or the
first ray.
56.
Let us review the process:
a.
Phase one: individual rotary motion
b.
Phase two: relational interplay with aspects of the enveloping form.
c.
Phase three: discovery of the central Life of the enveloping form
and spiralling revolution around that centralized aspect of the enveloping form
through which the central Life most expresses.
d.
Phase four: reception of the influence of the central Life without
resistance from the electronic life of the recipient’s form. Evolutionary
spiral-cyclic motion increases progressively.
e.
Phase five: intensified radiation of the central nucleus of the
enveloped form, until that nucleus (the “volatile essence” of the enveloped
form) breaks through its own ring-pass-not and seeks ever-closer direct
association with the greater Life of the enveloping form. This type of activity
corresponds to the motion of “progress onwards”.
Through this process (which is
found throughout the solar system in all its departments) every atom in turn becomes an electron.
57.
The atom, which is a greater life to still lesser units, is but an
electron to the greater unit which contains it.
58.
As well, the liberated essence does not achieve immediate high
status in the greater form into which it has been liberated. It takes up a
tertiary place and fulfills a humble function.
The
positive life of any atom in due course of evolution becomes negative to a
greater life toward which it is impelled or drawn,
59.
The liberated life “rises to the feet” of the greater Life into
whose presence it has been liberated.
60.
A homely way of expressing this (and one that is well recognized by
most human beings): the big fish in the little pond becomes the little fish in
the big pond.
and thus the
process of evolution carries every life invariably through the four stages enumerated above.
61.
Rotation; Relation; Revolution; Release. (I added as the fourth
stage, “Reception”, making “Release” the fifth.)
Within the three lower kingdoms
of nature, the process is undergone unconsciously, according to the human connotation of that term;
62.
DK is alerting us to the idea that there may be limitations in our
conception of “unconsciousness”.
63.
There is consciousness of what is happening, but no central “I” point
to which to relate the experience. There is no sense of an “I” undergoing the
experience. There is only the registration of the experience itself.
it is
consciously passed through in the human kingdom, and in the higher spheres of
existence, with an enveloping consciousness which can only be hinted at in
the ambiguous term "self-conscious group realisation."
64.
This is state of consciousness which embraces the qualities of
consciousness of both Leo and Aquarius.
65.
It is the “We-in-the-I” and the “I-in-the-We”.
66.
The individual consciousness is not lost in the growing group
consciousness. This paves the way for the realization of the “Individual and
the Universal’.
Therefore,
after the fourth initiation, when the work of the soul is accomplished and the
soul body fades out of the picture, only the quality which it has imparted in
substance is left as its contribution—individual, group or planetary—to the
sumtotal of manifestation. All that
remains is a point of light. This point
is conscious, immutable and aware of the two extremes of the divine
expression: the sense of individual
identity and the sense of universality.
These are fused and blended in the ONE.
Of this ONE the divine Hermaphrodite is the concrete symbol—the union in
one of the pairs of opposites, negative and positive, male and female.
In the state of being which we call the monadic, no difference is
recognised between these two because (if I can bring such ideas down to the
level of the intelligence of the aspirant) it is realised that there is no identity apart from universality
and no appreciation of the universal apart from the individual realisation,
and this realisation of identification with both the part and the whole finds
its point of tension in the will-to-be, which is qualified by the will-to-good
and developed (from the consciousness angle) by the will-to-know. (R&I 106)
It was in connection with this
transmutative process that the alchemists of old occupied themselves, but seldom did they reach the stage
wherein it was possible for them to concern themselves with the response of the
two types of positive energy to each other,
67.
This means that their experiments rarely dealt with radioactivity
as it is here being described and rarely involved the relationship between two
essences.
and with the
consequent escape of a lesser positive force to its greater attractive centre.
68.
These were alchemists working primarily in with the mineral
kingdom. They were not capable of rendering radioactive the elements with which
they were working.
When they did (with a few exceptions)
they were brought up against a dead wall, for though they had succeeded in locating the radiating principle in
substance, or in the true
form,
69.
These successful alchemists were able to register the etheric
component of the atom—the ‘substantial’ aspect. They had succeeded in moving
beyond the dense physical form.
and had managed to
pierce through (or to negate) both the dense physical [Page
1066] body and the etheric form,
70.
They also negated the hold which the true form or etheric body had
on the volatile essence.
yet
they had no
perception of the nature of the central force which was drawing the life they were concerned with out of
its apparently legitimate sphere into a new realm of activity.
71.
Did this new realm of activity involve the vegetable kingdom? Or
was the “central force” a still higher order of life within the mineral
kingdom?
72.
Note the words “apparently legitimate sphere” indicating, as they
do, that the larger sphere into which the volatile essence escapes is also a
“legitimate sphere” and, perhaps, even more “legitimate”.
Some few did possess this knowledge but (realising the danger of
their conclusions) refused to put in writing the result of their investigations.
73.
Presumably, these findings could have led to the dematerialization
of matter and the liberation of great quantities of energy.
74.
We may assume that the fifth ray, in its normal cycle, was not in
incarnation at this time, but such workers were certainly responding to a
combination of fifth ray and seventh ray energies. From whence did they gather
these energies if the rays which promote such investigations were not in
incarnation? These are deep questions. The third ray came into incarnation in
its present cycle in 1425, and contains rays five and seven, yet there was
another 3000 year third ray cycle which may have begun in Grecian times—A.D.
500 or so—which may have been in effect during the period of the alchemists
operative before 1425.
If students will study the laws
of transmutation,11 as already apprehended,
and above all, as incorporated in the writings of Hermes Trismegistus, bearing
this in mind, some interesting results might be brought about.
75.
Who was Hermes? It would seem that He was a great third ray/seventh
ray teacher—the very rays that Master R. now demonstrates so fully as the
Mahachohan.
76.
This is not to say that Master R. was Hermes Trismegistus, but the close relationship is to be
pondered. One can also wonder about the relationship of Hermes to the previous
Mahachohan.
77.
The writings of Hermes Trismegistus now extant are thought to be
some to originate in Neo-Platonic times—i.e. during certain early centuries of
the Christian Era.
Footnote 11:
In connection with Transmutation the following ancient formula is of interest. It was the basis of the alchemical work of
olden days.
78.
The following is the most famous of all the sayings of Hermes.
"True, without error,
certain and most true; that which is above is as that which is below and that
which is below is as that which is above, for
performing the miracles of the one Thing;
79.
These miracles, we may assume, are the many magical operations
which are possible when working in the One Substance.
80.
They may also be thought of as the various Shaktis associated with
the various levels of substance/matter.
and as all things
were from one by the mediation of one
81.
The One is related to all things which have gone forth from it.
82.
This phrase suggests the process of emanation.
so all things arose
from this one thing by adaptation.
83.
Here is the suggestion that through combinations and permutations
of the One Thing in relation to Itself, or through the
combinations and permutations of the Aspects of the One Thing, all things may
arise.
84.
The term “adaptation” suggests the involvement of the third ray
and, to a degree, the seventh.
The Father of it is the
sun, the mother of it is the moon; the wind carries it in its belly and the
Mother of it is the earth.
85.
We see how the Moon and Earth are equated; they are both the
“Mother of it”.
86.
There is a hint concerning the use of the breath in the magical
process.
87.
We may also visualize here the Tree of Life and the relationship
between the sixth, ninth and tenth Sephiroth—Tiphereth, Yesod and Malkuth.
This is the Father of all perfection, and
consummation of the whole world. The
power of it is integral if it be turned into earth.
88.
There is a hint concerning the power of the One Thing embodied in
earthly forms. We have the secret of atomic energy hinted.
89.
The Father is the Source of archetypal perfection. We may equate
the “Father” with the planet Uranus.
90.
When this Father or Spirit-power is precipitated into lower
substances, it is the power of integration within those substances.
91.
We have here a relationship between the Sun, Moon and Earth—between
Spirit/Soul, substance/form and matter.
Thou shalt separate the
earth from the fire and subtle from the gross, gently with much sagacity;
92.
This suggests the separation of substance from matter.
93.
This is a direction which alchemists for ages have attempted to fulfill.
it ascends from earth
to Heaven, and again descends to earth;
94.
The Spirit comes and goes as it wills. It is free.
95.
We are speaking about the liberation of the subtle aspects of life
from their confining forms.
and receives
the strength of the superiors and the inferiors—
96.
The Spirit is at home in both worlds and is empowered in both.
97.
We are speaking of superior and inferior lives, presumably devic
agencies of various kinds. The cooperation of various groups of devas is needed
in this alchemical process.
98.
The Spirit holds sway over various kinds of devic lives.
so thou
hast the glory of the whole world;
99.
All things are possible to the one who has been released and can
control the various elements.
therefore
let all obscurity fly before thee.
100. The veils are penetrated.
Ignorance is dispelled.
This is the strong fortitude of all
fortitudes overcoming every subtle and penetrating every solid thing. So the world was created."
101. The Great Creative Power is
in the hands of the alchemist. There is nothing he cannot do within the
many-layered worlds of form.
102. The normal constraints upon
change and transformation have been loosened.
103. The alchemist is adept.
—Emerald Tablet of Hermes.
Let them remember that that
which "seeks liberty" is the central electric spark; that this liberty is achieved first of all through the results brought
about by the activity of the "frictional fire"
104. All fires are involved sequentially in preparing for the release and
freedom of the “central electric spark”.
105. “Burning grounds” even of a
personal nature are a necessary preparatory stage.
which speeds
up its internal vibration;
106. The vibratory rate of the
“central electrical spark” is sped up by the frictional fires.
107. The alchemical work is
furthered by external application of frictional fires as well as by the
internal stimulus of solar and, then, electric fire.
then by the work upon
the atom, or the substance of solar
fire, which causes:
a. Orbital progression,
b. Stimulative vibration,
c. Awakened internal
response,
108. Solar fire plays its part.
Growth occurs through sequential exposure during “orbital progression”.
Refinement and sensitivity play their parts. All aspects of the atom become
vibrant and radiatory. This prepares for the moment of release of the volatile
essence.
109. Awakening “internal
response” is, first of all, under the influence of solar fire, which prepares
the way for the activation of electric fire.
until finally
electric fire is contacted.
110. We see this from our own
developmental process. We do not reach release into the monadic sphere
immediately, or even release into direct contact with the Monad. We must first
pass through the stages when fire by friction and, then, solar fire dominate
and prepare the way for the time when the influence of the Monad will be the
major influence upon the human energy system.
111. The process of working
through the two lower fires on the way to the third represents a gradual unveiling.
This is true of all atoms: [Page 1067]
a. The atom of substance,
b. The atom of a form
whatsoever it be,
c. The atom of a kingdom
in nature,
d. The atom of a planet,
e. The atom of a solar
system.
112. DK has listed some of the
types of atoms to be encountered. The names of some important atoms have been
skipped.
113. Of interest is the phrase
“the atom of a kingdom of nature”.
114. To the extent that every
form has Spirit, soul and body, it is an atom.
In every case the three fires or
types of energy play their part; in every case the four stages are passed
through;
115. As above, summarized as:
Rotation; Relation; Revolution; (Reception); Release
in every case
transmutation, transference, or radiation takes place,
116. Another name for radiation
is “transference”. The life is transferred from a lesser ring-pass-not into a
greater.
and the result of the escape of the central positive
energy is
achieved, and its absorption into a greater form, to be held in place for
a specific cycle by the stronger energy.
117. The liberated essence is
not, thus, unconditionally free. It is free only to be bound. The greater Life
of the greater form into which it is liberated binds it for a term. All
proceeds under law.
This process of rendering radioactive all the elements has, as we have
seen, occupied students down the ages.
118. The stage of radioactivity
is a consummating stage. There are different forms of radioactivity and
according to the level of the form to be rendered radioactive, so will be the
type of radioactivity achieved. The radioactivity of a mineral is not that of a
plant or animal, yet all achieve, at length, radioactivity.
The alchemists of the middle ages beginning
with the simpler elements and starting with the mineral kingdom sought to find out the secret of the liberating
process, to know the method of release, and to understand the laws of
transmutation.
119. Transmutation, or the
refinement of matter, prepares the way for liberation.
120. In an historical period of
spiritual oppression, a mode of liberation was sought, though we can say with
confidence that the practice of alchemy far antedates the Middle
Ages.
They did not succeed in the
majority of cases
121. Apparently some did succeed.
because, having
located the essence, they had no idea how to deal with it when released,
nor (as we have seen) had they any
conception as to the magnetic force which was drawing the released essence to
itself.
122. Two sources of failure are
listed: the inability to handle the released essence and the inability to
understand the greater energy inducing the release of the essence and drawing
that essence towards itself.
123. Note again the term
“magnetic force” can apply to the attractive power of the greater enveloping
form or the attractive power of the nucleus of the greater Life or essence.
To comprehend the law and
therefore to be able to work perfectly with it, the experimenting student must
have the ability to release the essence from its form.
124. And even in this, the
average alchemist failed.
125. Analogically, our entire
study of spirituality leads towards the full release of the essence into the
fifth kingdom of nature.
He must know the formulae
and words which will direct it to that particular focal point in the mineral kingdom which stands in the same correspondential
relation to the mineral monad as the Ego on its own
plane stands to the man who casts off his physical and true forms through death.
126. Here there is a
clarification of the point raised earlier in this commentary. Through the
alchemical process as enacted with respect to the mineral kingdom, the essence
is not always released into the vegetable kingdom but into a superior condition
within the mineral kingdom—i.e., released towards closer relation to the
mineral Monad. There do come, however, points of transference from kingdom to
kingdom and these are also vital points of alchemical release.
127. We see that the “formula
and words” were not in the possession of the average alchemist.
128. There is the analog of and
‘egoic point’ within the mineral kingdom and towards it the release essence is
to gravitate. Certain words and formulas will make that gravitation possible.
129. And if the liberated
essence arrived at the “focal point”. What then?
This involves knowledge only
committed to the pledged disciple;
130. Most pledged disciples, of
whom we know, have not received such knowledge. Perhaps these words are
committed along the third ray, fifth ray and seventh ray lines. Perhaps, also,
the time has not yet come for the committing of these words to pledged
disciples. In other words, with the time comes that such words may be safely committed, they will be committed only to pledged disciples.
if chance students
stumble upon the law, and theoretically know the process, they would do well
to proceed no further until they have learned how [Page
1068] to protect themselves from the interplay of forces.
131. Another caution is given.
DK said how many disasters would arise through man’s imminent encounter with
the deva kingdom.
132. It is always true of
neophytes upon the path of occult development: “fools rush in where angels fear
to tread”.
As we well know, the workers with
radium, and those who experiment in the world's laboratories, suffer
frequently from loss of limb or life; this
is due to their ignorance of the forces they are dealing with.
133. There are pictures of early
experiments actually handling radium (radioactive isotopes) with their bare
hands!
The liberated
essences become conductors of the greater force which is their magnetic centre,
because they are responsive to it,
134. This is a point of great
moment. The liberated essence, thus, becomes empowered by the greater force of
the greater center.
135. From the human perspective
the essence within the causal body is weaker than the essence liberated into
the spiritual triad.
and it is this force which produces
the distressing conditions sometimes present in connection with radioactive
substances.
136. We are now speaking of the
burning of tissue which occurs in the unprotected presence of radioactive
substances.
137. The cause is the greater
power of the magnetic center towards which the liberated essence is attracted.
Every radioactive atom becomes, through this conductive faculty, a
releasing agent;
138. From the human perspective
a liberated human being becomes a releasing agent for the power of the Monad.
His vehicles can be ‘burned’ thereby. Others in his presence can also be
‘burned’ in other ways.
139. But because the greater
force of the greater magnetic center is conducted through the released
essences, the result can also be a releasing
effect upon other atoms contacted.
140. It would seem that
radioactive substances which are in
process of release are also conductors
of the greater force of the higher magnetic center. The burning discussed below
can occur, it seems, before there is complete
release of the essence. This must be investigated.
and they
consequently cause what we call burns. These burns are the result of the process of releasing the essential life of the atom
of physical substance being dealt with.
141. The empowered volatile
essence, when released, impacts substances which cannot withstand its power.
142. From the human perspective,
the ‘released initiate’ must modulate his radiatory impact if he is not to be
the cause of harm to those around him.
There might here be noted the
curious phenomenon, in the human kingdom which is erroneously termed the prolongation of life; it might more
truthfully be called the perpetuation
of the form.
143. DK, obviously, does not
think much of the desperate attempts of modern medical science to prevent the
unit of consciousness from escaping the confines of the dense physical body.
Medical science today strains
every effort to retain life in forms diseased and inadequate; these Nature, if left to herself, would long ago have
discarded.
144. Thus, there is a greater
wisdom in Nature. It seeks the advancement of the consciousness. This cannot be
achieved in inadequate forms.
145. Note the discarding process which is a natural part of Nature’s dynamics.
They thereby imprison the life, and force back the life essence again
and again into the sheath at the moment of liberation.
146. Perhaps this is why, so it
is reported, that those who have ‘died’ greatly resent being ‘called back’ by
‘heroic’ medical efforts.
147. We can see that what is
called the “release of the volatile essence” occurs in several phases depending
upon that category of form from which it is being released (for instance: the
dense physical body, the etheric body, the astral body, the lower mental body,
the causal body, etc.) Every time a vehicle dies and the “center of
consciousness” is released to pursue experience in a higher vehicle
(unencumbered by the lower vehicle) there is a kind of “release of the volatile
essence”.
In course of time and with more
knowledge, true medical science will become purely preventative.
148. “An ounce of prevention is
worth a pound of cure.”
149. Etheric vision will make it
possible to “see trouble coming”.
Let the healer train himself to know the
inner stage of thought or of desire of the one who seeks his help. He
can thereby know the source from which the trouble comes. Let him relate the cause and the effect, and
know the point exact through which relief must come. (Rule III, EH 57)
It will concentrate its ability on preserving
the atomic life of the human atom, and at furthering the preservative
protective processes,
150. This will involve the
strengthening of the health aura—the radiatory power of the etheric body.
and the functionary
smoothness of the atomic rotary life, thus conducing to the correct following of the human orbital path.
151. From a certain perspective,
the “human orbital path” is pursued on the “wheel of life”. There is a proper
‘reincarnational rhythm’ for the human being which
will be rightly fulfilled when there is health, vibrancy and “functionary
smoothness of the atomic rotary life”. From this perspective, the “orbital
path” includes passage through the Ego on the higher mental plane.
But further than that it will not
go, and when the course of nature has been run, when the wheel of life has run
down, when the hour for liberation has struck, when the time has come for
the return of the essence to its centre, then the work will be recognised
as completed, and the form discarded.
152. Medical doctors will not
interfere inappropriately nor interrupt the natural process of extraction and
release.
153. Much reduction of the fear
of death will be required before this attitude is of general acceptance.
154. Notice here that the
“centre” to which the essence is to return is, after several phases, the Ego on
the higher mental plane.
But this will not, however, be
possible until the human family has reached a stage [Page
1069] when, through pure living and clean thinking,
the present corruptions have been eliminated.
155. “When the building energies
of the soul are active in the body, then there is health, clean interplay and
right activity. When the builders are
the lunar lords and those who work under the control of the moon and at the
behest of the lower Personal self, then you have disease, ill health and death.”
(LAW VI, EH 191)
156. We can see the intimate
relationship between clean thinking and pure living. Following occult sequence,
the first should precede the second.
157. Many purificatory processes
lie ahead before the desired state of wisdom and detachment can be achieved.
Men will then function on
into old age,
158. They will do so in full
heath, such will be the advanced state of medical knowledge.
159. Elsewhere, DK has told us
that, in the future, the body may be dropped earlier than now it is, once the
life purpose has been accomplished.
or until the Ego, realising the
particular work to be accomplished in any one life has been duly worked out,
160. This is according to the
judgment of the Ego and not the judgment of the personality. These two often
differ appreciably.
161. It seems that there is a certain elasticity to life in form. The Ego may wait, so
it seems, until the soul-in-incarnation has accomplished the particular work to
be accomplished.
calls in the lower spark of life, and withdraws the central point
of fire.
162. The “lower spark of life”
and the “central point of fire” are here equivalent.
163. The withdrawal or release
of the “essence” so much discussed in these sections of text,
is the withdrawal of the “lower spark of life”.
164. There is also a ‘higher
spark of life’ of which the “lower spark of life” is an emanative extension.
This naturally presupposes
knowledge and faculties at present lacking.
165. The Ego does this even now,
but the man on the physical plane does not realize it is happening and is no
position, in terms of his knowledge, to cooperate with it.
All these thoughts can be
extended to include entire kingdoms of nature, the globes of a chain, the
chains themselves, a planetary scheme or a solar system.
166. The Law of Analogy ever
holds good, but man being in no position to understand how this abstracting
process occurs in relation to his own microcosm, is in no position to
understand in any detail how it applies to the larger forms of life in which is
lives and moves.
The moon is an interesting
instance of the transmutative or liberating process practically completed
in a globe:
167. Which globe? The fourth?
Probably—the fourth globe of the former third chain of the Earth-scheme. And
which round? Individualization took place on the Moon-chain in the fifth race
of the third round. If the destruction took place in the fourth round (fourth
race) it would have set up a resonance of the incoming of Moon-chain Egos in
the fourth rootrace of the fourth round on the Earth-chain.
168. Is DK telling us that the
transmutative or liberating process is, even now, still continuing on the Moon?
It would seem so from what is said below.
the essential life of the human
kingdom has withdrawn and found a new field of expression.
169. Was it a natural process?
Was there a natural completion? Or was the process interrupted as we have been
told, before there could be completion?
170. That new field of
expression became the Earth-chain and this field of expression was needed
because the natural evolutionary process was disturbed by the Solar Logos.
The
progress of evolution on the moon was abruptly disturbed and arrested by the
timely interference of the solar Logos.
The secret of the suffering in the Earth chain, which makes it merit the
name of the Sphere of Suffering, and the mystery of the long and painful watch
kept by the SILENT WATCHER,48 has its
origin in the events which brought the moon chain to a terrific culmination. Conditions of agony and of distress such as
are found on our planet are found in no such degree in any other scheme. (TCF
416)
All animal life has equally been absorbed by a greater centre in another
chain.
171. Can we, with reason, think
of this chain as the sixth—the Mars-chain? There are a number of triangles in
the diagram of the Mars-chain indicating an affinity for the third or animal
kingdom.
172. Does this mean that no
Moon-chain animal life was absorbed into the Earth-chain of the Earth-scheme?
Practically
the same can be said of the vegetable kingdom on the moon though there
are a few of the lower forms of the vegetable life (of a kind unrecognisable by
us) still to be found there;
173. A fascinating thought.
Perhaps recent explorations of the Moon have gathered examples of these lower
forms together without realizing it.
174. Were the vegetable forms
transferred, apparently, to still another chain, transferred, perhaps, to the
second of Venus-chain? The vegetable kingdom is the second kingdom.
whilst the
mineral kingdom is radioactive and the essence of all mineral forms is
fast escaping.
175. But escaping whither if not
to another chain?
176. The “Mystery of the Moon”
is far deeper than we suspect.
177. We see that not all Moon
lives were transferred to the Earth-chain.
178. If the mineral kingdom on
the Moon is radioactive now it would
seem that contemporary science should be able to determine if this is the case.
Perhaps analysis of rock from the Moon will reveal the extent to which it is
radioactive or not.
179. What will remain of the
mineral forms once the essence of the mineral forms escapes? We may infer that
this escape will contribute to the physical disintegration of the present
physical form of the Moon.
In connection with the kingdoms
of nature, it must be remembered that their growth and eventual radiation
is dependent upon the cyclic purpose
of the planetary Logos, and upon the currents of force which play upon His planetary body,
and which emanate from other planetary schemes.
180. The different kinds of
radioactivity achieved in the various kingdoms on our planet (and in other
places within our planetary scheme) depend on many factors. Currents of force
external to our Planetary Logos and coming from other planetary schemes
determine, in part, the timing of the radioactive demonstration of any kingdom
of nature. The “cyclic purpose of the Planetary Logos”, however, is probably
the most important determinant.
181. If we examine the state of
the various kingdoms on our planet, we will see that, relatively speaking, the
planet kingdom (as the most highly developed kingdom) is closer to a state of
radioactivity than the other kingdoms, and especially closer than the animal or
the human kingdom.
182. Humanity, however, is
heading into a period of increasing radiation. This has happened twice before
in recent history—once at the time of the Christ in
All atoms become radioactive as the result of a response to a stronger magnetic centre which response is brought about
through the gradual evolutionary development of consciousness of some kind or
another.
183. A greater magnetic center
is always the cause of the radioactivity of a lesser life.
184. This happens only gradually
and requires the growth of consciousness to prepare the lesser atom for
response to the greater magnetic center.
This is known to be true in a
small degree in connection with the mineral kingdom though scientists have not yet admitted that radiation is thus
caused.
185. A little over a hundred
years ago, humanity entered a phase in which radiation/radioactivity in the
mineral kingdom became a well-known and widely accepted fact.
Later they will, but only when this general
theory which is here laid down in connection with all atoms is admitted by
them to be a plausible hypothesis.
186. We see how important this
book, A
Treatise on Cosmic Fire, will be to scientists of the coming era.
187. It seems as if Master DK is
planting the seeds for the development of many forms of knowledge in the coming
Age.
Then the goal of their endeavour will be
somewhat changed; they will seek to ascertain through clear thinking and a
study of the involved analogy what
focal points of magnetic energy may be regarded as existing, and how
they affect the atoms in their environment.
188. They will be entering an
appreciation of the life of the greater Being Who is
the ensouling Life of the mineral kingdom.
189. Interestingly the use of
the Law of Analogy will be necessary for scientific progress along these lines.
190. Scientists now know
something about the existence of the nucleus of the atom, but of the greater
magnetic center which ‘calls to’ the life within the atom, they know little if
anything.
191. One can think that such
discoveries will be made partially under the influence of magnetic, attractive Jupiter
in Aquarius.
One hint only can here be
given. Light upon these dark problems
will come along two lines.
First, it will come through the study of the place of the solar system
in the universal whole, and the effect that certain constellations have upon
it;
192. Thus the work of the
esoterically-inclined astrophysicist will be necessary to the scientific
alchemist.
193. We can see also, why DK
said that a study of analogies would be required to discover what focal points
of magnetic energy might exist.
194. What we are attempting to
do now—blending macrocosm
and microcosm through a study of analogy—will be the mode of
procedure for scientific alchemical investigators of the future.
195. The effect of greater
cosmic centers upon lesser ‘atoms’ such as our Sun and its solar system will
give the analogical hint.
secondly, it will
come through a close study of the effect of one planetary scheme upon another,
and the place of the moon in our own planetary life.
196. So the alchemical
scientific investigator will have to “look to the heavens” for hints regarding
the discovery of the focal points of magnetic energy.
197. Uranus is the planet of
radioactivity and, presumably, the influence of the Moon, such as it is today,
resists the activation of radioactivity in elemental substances within the
Earth-globe (and perhaps chain(, though its own physical disintegration may be
seen as partially related to the radioactive state of its mineral forms.
198. Mars rules exoteric science
and Uranus rules occult science. These two may play opposing roles. The planet
Uranus has a liberative effect upon the Creative Hierarchy of Lunar Lords,
which is ruled, in different ways, by both Mars and the Moon.
This will lead to a close
investigation of polar conditions in the earth, of the planetary magnetic
currents, and of the electrical intercourse between our earth, and the Venusian
and Martian planetary schemes.
199. Are Venus and Mars meant to
be the two planetary schemes suggested above when DK mentioned “the effect of
one planetary scheme upon another”? We could understand this to be the case. If
so, Mars would be the retarding factor resisting the etherealization of matter
and Venus the soul-related promotive factor.
200. From another perspective,
Mars represents fire by friction and Venus solar fire, both of which (we have
been told above) prepare the way for the demonstration of radiation.
201. Let us tabulate the three
factors which will be investigated:
a.
Polar conditions—the relationship between the magnetic condition of
the North Pole and the Southern Pole
b.
Planetary magnetic currents
c.
The relationship between Earth, Venus and Mars
When this has been accomplished,
astronomy and esoteric astrology will be revolutionised, and the nature of solar energy as an
expression of an Entity of the fourth rank will be appreciated.
202. The occultism only deepens.
203. We have in the Teaching the
statement that our Solar Logos is one of the “fourth order”. Does DK here refer
to the ranking of our Solar Logos; is He an “Entity of the fourth rank”—for
instance within His own Creative Hierarchy
of Solar Logoi?
204. Or are we speaking of an
Entity even greater in scope?
205. It also seems necessary to
notice the role played by the fourth cosmic etheric subplane which, itself, is
an entified sphere.
From
the cosmic point of view, as we know, our sun is but of the fourth order, and
on the lowest cosmic plane. When the Son
has, through the Sun, attained full expression (that is, perfected His display
of light and heat) then He will shine forth upon another plane, that of the
cosmic mental. (TCF 230)
206. We note also that by the
time of this revolution “esoteric” astrology will be well-established and
presumably in need of revolutionizing.
This will come at the close of this century after a scientific
discovery of even greater importance to the scientific world than that as to
the nature of the atom.
207. We do not know whether such
a discovery has come or even what it is intended to be. Perhaps, since this
book was written in the early 1920’s, some retardation has set in. On the other
hand, the implications of discoveries made the scientific elite take some time
to percolate into the consciousness of humanity.
Until that time it will be as
difficult to express the hylozoistic conception in terms of exact science
208. Though it can be expressed
more philosophically and symbolically…
as it would be for
the sixteenth century ancestor of present humanity to conceive of the atom as being simply an aspect of
force, and not objective and tangible.
Hence further elucidation will but serve to confuse.
209. The veils over the mind are
only slowly lifted and what is now inconceivable becomes reasonable
speculation.
210. We presume that our ability
to think in terms of the intangible is rapidly growing.