Fellowship of Cosmic Fire

Commentary Semester VIII Section IV

TCF 967 - 969 : S8S4 Part III

28 November – 13 December 2008

 

(Most of the Tibetan’s text is put in font 16, to provide better legibility when projected during classes. Footnotes and references from other AAB Books and from other pages of TCF are put in font 14. Commentary appears in font 12. Underlining, Bolding and Highlighting by MDR)

It is suggested that this Commentary be read with the TCF book handy, for the sake of continuity. As analysis of the text is pursued, many paragraphs are divided, and the compact presentation in the book, itself, will convey the overall meaning of the paragraph. So please read an entire paragraph and then study the Commentary

 

It will be obvious, likewise, that the disciple's power for service for humanity is dependent largely upon three things:  [Page 967]

 

a.  The state of his bodies and their egoic alignment.

 

1.            Notice the occult factors on which the disciple’s power for service to humanity depends. This is probably little realized by those who are interested or engaged in service.

2.            We can never forget the importance of the condition of the instrument.

3.            Instruments in good condition, however, are not sufficient. They must be correctly aligned with the Ego.

 

b.  The condition of activity present in the physical head centres.

 

4.            Not only are the etheric centers to be sufficiently stimulated and in circulatory relationship, the physical head centers must be activated.

5.            Service must work out onto the physical plane, so the physical apparatus, though not a principle, is of real importance.

 

c.   The circulatory action of the triangular transmission of force.

 

6.            Presumably this applies to the transmission of force between the crown, ajna and alta major centers. In some manner there must be a triangular transmission of force (a more physical relationship—is it electro-chemical?) between the physical centers as well.

 

These factors are again dependent upon others, among which might be enumerated:

 

7.            We remember that we are speaking of the disciple’s power in service and the factors upon which such power depends.

 

1.  The ability of the disciple to meditate.

 

8.            We are being told that without the power to meditate, there can be no true service, because without meditation the necessary physical plane activations, stimulations, alignment and interconnection cannot be established.

9.            How often has servers related their effectiveness in service to their power to meditate? At least servers associated with the Ageless Wisdom must do so.

 

2.  The capacity he displays for bringing through accurately from the subtler levels the plans and purposes of which his Ego is cognisant.

 

10.         This capacity, presumably, is somewhat dependent upon alignment but, perhaps, a certain profound quality of attentiveness is also required. Alignment may exist, but the power to bring through with accuracy still wanting.

11.         We note that the Ego, on its own plane, is aware of aspects of the Plan of which the soul-in-incarnation is usually unaware. As the capacity for meditation grows and as alignment strengthens, some of that of which the Ego is aware will filter into the consciousness of the soul-in-incarnation within the personality. The disciple is literally an advanced condition of the soul-in-incarnation.

12.         The thought of independent (though interrelated) centers of consciousness to be found within the entirety of our nature (from the Monad to the physical plane) is to be pondered.

 

3.  The purity of his motives.

 

13.         Such purity, therefore, has physical plane effects and affects the disciple’s power in service. Obviously, if motives are impure, that tells us something about the condition of the astral and mental bodies. Impure motives arise from impure psychological conditions and such conditions (such energy dynamics within the lower vehicles) block the downflow of higher energies.

 

4.  His power to "hold a state of meditation," and while in that state begin to build the form for his idea, and thus materialise the plan of his Ego.

 

14.         We began with the “power to meditate” as a prerequisite for ensuring certain physical plane developments necessary for power in service. Now we see that a sustained state of meditation is required, and also one in which constructive thoughtform building can be achieved.

15.         One cannot build magically and with spiritual constructiveness unless in a state of meditation—presumably sustained meditation.

 

5.  The amount of energy he can pour later into his thought form and thus procure for it a period of existence, or its tiny "day of Brahma."

 

16.         It is not enough to build accurate thoughtforms in line with the Divine Plan; one must also empower those thoughtforms.

17.         The energizing of thoughtforms may be considered related to occult breathing and to the degree of concentration of which the meditator is capable.

18.         Each thoughtform has its tiny “day of Brahma”, its span of endurance as a separate entity. The use of this term invites us to apply what is here said to the manner in which the Planetary Logos creates, and even the manner in which the Solar Logos creates.

 

These subsidiary factors are again dependent upon:

 

19.         We are being given tabulations of certain requirements necessary for those who would serve humanity with power and effectiveness. Each group of requirements seems dependent on certain other requirements:

a.            Power in service is dependent upon the condition of the personality instruments, their degree of alignment with the Ego and the degree of activation and interrelation between the physical plane head centers and their etheric counterparts.

b.            These physical conditions are dependent upon meditation, accurate reception of that which is touched in meditation, purity of motive, the power to build thoughtforms while in a state of meditation, and the capacity of the meditator to empower his thoughtforms.

c.            This latter group of requirements is dependent upon certain conditions described below:

 

a.  His place on the ladder of evolution.

 

20.         The true white magician is ever an advanced soul.

21.         It is futile for the individual to attempt thoughtform building under the influence of the Ego before the Ego has become a sensed and felt factor in his life.

 

b.  The condition of his bodies.

 

22.         The condition of all vehicles of the personality. This condition will affect the condition of the physical plane apparatus to be found in the head.

23.         Weak and chaotic vehicles cannot participate in the process of white magical thoughtform building.

 

c.   His karmic condition.

 

24.         There are many preoccupations forced by unresolved karma. These preoccupations deprive the disciple of the time to fulfill other of the requirements.

25.         The karmic condition of the vehicles may also prevent them from adequately playing their role in ensuring the presence of the necessary requirements. We remember that the personality vehicles must be in good condition if a real capacity for white magic is to arise and karmic conditions (weakening the vehicles or rendering them disorganized) may militate against this.

 

d.  The tenuosity of the etheric web.

 

26.         If the etheric web is thick and, therefore, relatively impenetrable, the finer energies from higher dimensions will not be able to get through to stimulate the physical apparatus in the head, the activation of which is so necessary in producing the white magician.

27.         We remember that as evolution proceeds, the gradual burning of the etheric web also proceeds. In the undeveloped human being, this web is very much intact and prevents the conscious intercommunication between the different aspects of man’s personality nature and their communication with the Ego and still higher aspects of man’s nature.

 

e.  The calibre of his physical body, and its relative refinement.

 

28.         This requirement has already been mentioned. The calibre of the physical vehicle is directly related to the condition of the all-important triangle of head centers.

29.         Here we are speaking of the degree of transmutation which remains to be accomplished. Personality vehicles which are not in process of transmutation will be obstructive to the white magical creation of soul-aligned thoughtforms.

 

It is necessary here to warn the student against the error of making any hard or fast rule anent the sequential order of the development of the physical head centres, and the vitalisation of the force centres.

 

30.         Such development seems to depend on many and variable factors—for instance, the ray of the Monad.

31.         In any case, many etheric and physical developments are occurring with relative simultaneity but this is not readily apparent to most disciples.

 

This process is incident upon many things, such as the ray upon which the monad may be found, and the nature of the develop­ment in the past incarnations.

 

32.         It is quite arresting to consider that the ray of the highest center within the constitution of man is responsible for the sequence of etheric and physical plane developments. The Monad has a definite etheric-physical influence.

33.         Different incarnations offer different kinds of opportunities for development. Probably the astrological configurations to be found in those incarnations are of importance in this process. We all build upon our past. Tendencies established in the past have influential momentum in the present.

34.         If we do not know who as man was it is difficult to determine who he is in his present incarnation.

 

Nature, in all departments of her corporate life, parallels her efforts, and overlaps her various processes, and it takes a seer of [Page 968] vast wisdom and experience to state exactly the stage at which any particular unit of the human family may be.

 

35.         Presumably a Master such as DK is such a seer, for He seems very capable of assessing the stage of development which His students have achieved.

36.         The overlapping processes of nature are to be pondered. To reduce the growth process to a strictly linear sequence of states is an error. At best it reveals an incomplete picture of the truth. Such formulations satisfy only the limited human mind which, despite the truth, seems to possess the ‘will-to-be-satisfied’!

 

 He that is wise always refrains from assertion until he knows.

 

37.         This is frequently the Master’s advice to His students. Many are the apparently knowledgeable assertions prematurely offered.

 

Let us now consider:

 

38.         We now enter a subject of great importance to all white magical procedure.

 

        b. The construction, vitalisation, and actuating of the thought form. 

 

39.         Three factors have been given, and presumably they occur more or less in sequential order, though we must acknowledge the presence of overlapping processes just discussed.

40.         In the white magical process, sufficiently vitalized, well-constructed thoughtforms are to become actual, i.e., are to become tangibly manifested.

 

The Ego, having brought about a condition of receptivity, or of recognition in the physical brain of the man,

 

41.         This has been accomplished through the cooperation of the Solar Angel with the higher aspect of man (an attenuated extension of the presence of the Monad) focused on the higher mental plane.

42.         We see that work occurs from two directions. Bringing the instrument into the proper condition is not the task of the soul-in-incarnation alone.

 

and having drawn from him the necessary response,

 

43.         The Ego has invoked the lower man; response, or evocation, followed.

 

 the process of building is there­upon begun.

 

44.         We see that building (presumably relatively constructive thoughtform building) begins after response to the Ego’s invocation has arisen in the lower man.

 

This process of physical plane response is based—as is all else in nature—upon the relation of the polar opposites.

 

45.         DK is telling us that all natural process arises from bi-polar interplay.

 

 The physical centres are receptive to the positive influence of the force centres.

 

46.         Negativity (electrically considered) is another name of receptivity.

47.         In studying occultism, we must always realize that etheric energy is positive to the strictly physical plane apparatus.

 

The physical brain is responsive to the positive influence of the lower nature in the earlier evolutionary stages,

 

48.         During the Lemurian and Atlantean stages of human development, the lower nature is positive and the physical brain negative, receptive or responsive. The lower nature runs the man.

49.         During the Aryan Race comes man’s great opportunity to reverse this polarity.

 

 or to the reactions of the substance of the sheaths, the impress of the lunar Lords.

 

50.         The lunar lords have had control over the behavior of the human being for millions of years. Because the lunar lords represent (from the perspective of the Planetary Logos) unprincipled substance, man’s behavior under their influence is unprincipled—in the moral sense.

51.         We see that polarity changes over the course of evolution. At first the lunar lords are positive and influential; later, the etheric body, which is often numbered among the principles, turns positive to the physical brain and to the physical body as a whole and, thus, turns positive to the lunar lords and their influence.

 

It [the physical brain] responds in the later stages to the positive influence of the Ego or the impress of the solar Lord.

 

52.         We have a threefold sequence:

a.            At first the physical brain is negative to the influence of the personality vehicles and thus to the lunar lords.

b.            Then the physical brain becomes negative or receptive to the etheric body.

c.            At last the physical brain becomes negative to the positive Ego.

53.         Here the Ego is called the “solar Lord” but this is not the same thing as to consider the Ego as identical with the Solar Angel in its true and independent nature. We must remember that the Solar Angel is a “returning Nirvani from a previous mahamanvantara”. The Ego of man-the-Monad is less that this—far less.

54.         We might question ourselves: “To which of these three sources is our physical brain currently negative or receptive?”

 

As is apparent, this building process is divided into three parts, which overlap, and assume an appearance of simultaneity.

 

55.         DK is giving us a hint concerning how relatively sequential processes, by overlapping, assume the appearance of simultaneity without actually being so.

56.         For practical purposes, we must realize that both sequentiality and simultaneity are facts in nature.

 

When (as is the case with the majority of the human family) the process is an unconscious one,

 

57.         The building process is an unconscious one.

 

produced by reflex action and based largely on the accomplishment of desire,

 

58.         It seems that desire, when accomplished, contributes to the building process.

59.         The mental elemental lives respond with reflexive activity to the impulse of desire.

60.         We certainly know that many human beings build their thoughtforms (really kama-manasic forms which are a mixture of thought and desire) under the impulse of desire. Perhaps we should say that these persons to not so much build the thoughtforms but that within their energy system, thoughtforms are built by reflex as the lower manasic vehicle responds to the promptings of desire.

 

all is carried on with great rapidity,

 

61.         Because there is no reflection! The salutary influence of the planet Saturn (a planet of mentality) is not applied.

62.         All proceeds under the rapidity of Mars which is one of the rulers of the astral body.

 

and leads to rapid results—these results being effective of accomplishment according to the ability of the man to vitalise and hold in coherent form his idea.

 

63.         We are speaking of the building process of the average man swayed far more by desire than mentality.

64.         Intensity and persistence of desire contributes to the coherence of the thoughtform.

 

Most of the thought forms created by average man are only rela­tively effective, and this within great limitations, and having but a restricted radius.

 

65.         Average human beings are far from being white magicians.

66.         We learn of the limited nature of the thoughtforms of average people and of the restricted radius within which they are only relatively effective. Given the nature and quality of these thoughtforms, we are fortunate that this is the case.

 

When man is learning consciously to create, which he does through the organisation of thought, concentration and meditation,

 

67.         Three factors are given involving largely the use of the fifth and seventh rays.

 

 he proceeds more slowly,

 

68.         The restraining, reflective influence of Saturn is employed in his thoughtform building process.

 

 for he has two primary things to do before the creative process can be carried through:  [Page 969]

 

69.         We are now speaking of conscious building and conscious creativity.

 

a.  To contact or communicate with the Ego, or solar Angel.

 

70.         This is absolutely necessary. Whether we think of the Ego and “solar Angel” as equivalent or merely as cooperative, contact must be made with a supervising Entity on the higher mental plane and communication established.

 

b.  To study the process of creation and to make it conform step by step with natural evolutionary law.

 

71.         For this reason A Treatise on White Magic was written. We can see from reading it how complex is the process of creation and how much the Tibetan refrained from including in this book, voluminous though it may be.

72.         The great danger to humanity is the unleashing of a creative potency which is out of conformity with evolutionary law. Man would then create only that which must later be destroyed if the Plan is to be manifested.

 

The above is necessarily but another way of defining meditation and its objective.

 

73.         DK has defined creative meditation. The objective of the kind of meditation we are here discussing is creative. There are other forms of meditation which may have different objectives.

 

Later on, when a man is an expert in meditation,

 

74.         To become so is certainly possible and is held out for us as an incentive.

 

 the work of thought creation proceeds with ever increasing rapidity, until he surpasses (on a higher turn of the spiral) the activity of the earlier unconscious period.

 

75.         We have been told of the rapidity of the creative process when under the impulse of desire. The interim process sees a slowing of the process under the reflective influence of Saturn. Later, again, when the meditator becomes highly accomplished, the creative process achieves even greater speed than it had when under the influence of desire.

76.         DK is telling us that the well-trained mind is more rapid than desire.

77.         Most of us, however, are not yet experts in meditation.

 

Starting, therefore, with the recognition of the egoic intent in the physical brain, the man proceeds to build the form for his idea.

 

78.         Notice that ideas come from a higher spiritual realm than the realm in which human thought originates.

79.         For practical purposes we may say that ideas come from the Ego or Solar Angel though true ideas have sources even higher.

80.         One must not start building unless within the physical brain there is the recognition of egoic intent. Presumably such intent can be recognized by its impressive and selfless quality.

 

 He begins first to organise the material required upon the mental plane.

 

81.         The man organizes his material to produce coherent thought.

82.         Even before organizing the material, he must gather the material. This, of course, requires a certain capacity for discriminative selectivity.

 

 It is on that plane that the impulse takes to itself its primary form.

 

83.         This is the primary form of the descending thoughtform but certainly not the final one.

84.         The impulse is the idea. The supervising or building consciousness is something still more essential and real. It is our very selves.

 

On the desire or astral plane, the process of vitalisation is largely pursued,

 

85.         Vitalization is a term often associated with the etheric body, but we see that in the magical process of thoughtform building, the vitalization occurs largely on the astral plane. The thoughtform becomes vibrant and pulsates with color.

86.         We well know that the factor of desire keeps thoughtforms alive.

 

 for the length of the life of any thought form (even such an one as our solar system) is dependent upon the persis­tence of desire, and the strength of the desire.

 

87.         The personality of a human being is a thoughtform and we realize that the “desire to live” (sometimes confused with the “will-to-live”) is very influential in keeping that thoughtform alive, i.e., in physical incarnation.

88.         The desire to remain in incarnation perpetuates that incarnation. This is surely not the only factor influencing the length of an incarnation but it is a significant one in many cases. Of course, no human being desiring “to live forever” in a particular personality can do so, but the duration of that personality’s physical body can be lengthened through intense desire. This may also apply to the perpetuation of the astral and mental bodies in the post-mortem state.

 

On the etheric levels of the physical plane the process of physical concretion takes place;

 

89.         Thus far we have discussed the processes of formation and vitalization. These processes are followed concretion taking place on the etheric plane.

 

as the physical vehicle assumes the neces­sary proportions, the thought form becomes divorced from the one who is giving it form.

 

90.         This is a great interest. The creator must always, at the point of objectification, release his creation. At least such a release is desirable. The consequences of not doing so are destructive.

91.         We are being told that the “divorce” comes “as the physical vehicle assumes the necessary proportions”. The systemic physical plane includes both the etheric aspect and the dense physical aspect. DK is probably speaking of the assumption of necessary proportions as a process occurring upon the etheric plane.

92.         In any case, as the objective form takes shape, the form becomes divorced from the one who created it.

 

Any idea of enough strength will inevitably materialise in dense physical matter,

 

93.         This should be an arresting thought. The question is—what exactly is enough strength?

 

 but the main work of its creator ceases when he has worked with it on mental, astral and etheric levels. 

 

94.         Our question is: “does the ‘divorce’ of which DK speaks at least begin on the etheric plane”? It surely must be consummated on the dense physical plane.

 

The dense physical response is automatic and inevitable.

 

95.         Apparently the occult creator has no extensive dense physical plane work to do. This should strike us as important when we think of our own creative process and will inform us concerning whether we have been creating using occult methods or only normal methods (which are very active upon the dense physical subplanes, per se).

96.         We must not overlook, however, the Tibetan’s use of the words “main work”, indicating that there may still be some work to be accomplished on the dense physical subplanes, even though relatively minor work.

 

Some ideas of a large and important nature, which have arisen in the consciousness of the Guides of the race, reach full manifesta­tion only through the medium of many agents, and the dynamic impulses of many minds.

 

97.         DK is telling us that some ideas are too large to be contained or embodied by any one human being. Perhaps these are the ideas “whose time has come”—ideas which move entire nations, cultures, civilizations and even human civilization considered as a whole.

98.         As we think of the ideas which now propel us, do we think we are involved in the execution of any such large and important ideas? If so, do we recognize the group of those who are similarly impulsed?

 

A few work consciously, when this is the case, at the production of the necessitated [Page 970] form;

 

99.         We could say that the Divine Purpose is the repository of the greatest ideas (from a planetary perspective), and that some of the Masters can work consciously at the registration of this Purpose (“Registrants of the Purpose”). They can build thoughtforms which embody this Purpose. Human beings recognize such thoughtforms as the Divine Plan.

 

 many more are swept into activity and lend their aid through the very negativity of their natures; they are "forced" to be interested in spite of themselves, and are "swept into the movement," not through any mental apprehension or "vital desire," but because it is the thing to do.

 

100.      DK is speaking of conscious and unconscious creators, indicating that there are many more who are unconscious than conscious.

101.      We see that ideas can compel, can force. We are being told that many people follow the direction of an idea not because they think about it, or even because they desire to follow, but due to some etheric force. There is a certain inevitability in this.

102.      We should ponder how often we have been swept into action by great ideas or thoughts without any conscious apprehension on our part and with no real desire to do what we have found ourselves doing!

103.      The “thing to do” is an energy pattern with which one can hardly resist engagement. DK speaks of the people who are “swept up and down the land”. Only very strong and conscious thinkers can choose whether or not to accept this ‘sweep’. Probably there are some sweeping actions which we cannot possibly resist. If the Planetary Logos strongly wills a certain action, can the cells in His body (human beings) resist?

 

In this may be seen an instance of the ability of the Great Ones to utilise conditions of apparent inertia and nega­tivity (due to little development), and thus produce good results.

 

104.      There is a great benevolence which sweeps the unknowing and even the unwilling into positive patterns of action.

105.      The entire process is an electrical one. The negative units are attracted to the positive energy source and, per force, must move (really, be moved) in accordance with the impulses emanating from that source.

106.      Thus, even when we cannot direct ourselves into constructive channels, we are directed.

 

We will here only deal with the man who is learning consciously to build, and will not consider the process as pursued by the adept, or the chaotic attempts of the little evolved.

 

107.      Thus, we are dealing with the building efforts of the conscious aspirant.