Commentary on Rule V for Disciples and Initiates
Part V of V
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
As has been my custom when writing the final commentary for any two Rules, I shall focus largely upon directives (and especially, this time, meditative directives) created to help us to fulfill these Rules. That which is given below is not a meditation form, per se, but many of the directives can be singled out for pondering and meditation. Actually, the potential for creating a number of meditations exists in these directives. The use of the creative imagination will be exercised.
Rule V for Applicants
A. Let the applicant see to it that the solar angel dims the light of the lunar angels remaining the sole luminary in the microcosmic sky.
Points to Ponder in Relation to the Above Sentence
1. Clear the consciousness of preoccupations so that the Solar Angel may come into focus.
2. Find the influence of the Solar Angel in your heart center and at the crown of your head.
3. Visualize the Solar Angel as:
a. As a radiant angelic existence. This is seen by the inner eye with the same accuracy of vision and judgment as when a man stands face to face with another member of the human family. The great solar Angel, Who embodies the real man and is his expression on the plane of higher mind, is literally his divine ancestor, the "Watcher" Who, through long cycles of incarnation, has poured Himself out in sacrifice in order that man might BE.
b. As a sphere of radiant fire, linked with the initiate standing before it by that magnetic thread of fire which passes through all his bodies and terminates within the centre of the physical brain. This "silver thread" (as it is rather inaccurately called in the Bible, where the description of its loosing of the physical body and subsequent withdrawal is found) emanates from the heart centre of the solar Angel, linking thus heart and brain,—that great duality manifesting in this solar system, love and intelligence. This fiery sphere is linked likewise with many others belonging to the same group and ray, and thus it is a literal fact in demonstration that on the higher planes we are all one. One life pulsates and circulates through all, via the fiery strands. This is part of the revelation which comes to a man who stands in the "Presence" with his eyes occultly opened.
c. As a many tinted Lotus of nine Petals. These petals are arranged in three circles around a central set of three closely folded petals, which shield what is called in the eastern books "The Jewel in the Lotus." This Lotus is a thing of rare beauty, pulsating with life and radiant with all the colours of the rainbow, and at the first three initiations the three circles are revealed in order, until at the fourth initiation the initiate stands before a still greater revelation, and learns the secret of that which lies within the central bud. In this connection the third initiation differs somewhat from the other two, inasmuch as through the power of a still more exalted Hierophant than the Bodhisattva, the electrical fire of pure Spirit, latent in the heart of the Lotus, is first contacted. (IHS 115-117)
4. Recognize each of the three lunar vehicles, plus the personality elemental. View them with objectivity and detachment.
5. Realize that you are, essentially, none of the lunar vehicles you see. To facilitate this you may use the ancient Raja Yoga formulation: “I have a body, but I am not that body”; “I have emotional sentiency, but I am not that emotional sentiency”; “I have a lower mind, but I am not that lower mind”; “I have a personality, but I am not that personality”. (This method, of course, could be continued until one reaches the spirit aspect.)
6. Try to understand the ‘place’ from which it is possible to recognize these vehicles. That ‘place’ may be imagined as midway between personality consciousness and soul consciousness.
7. Imagine the Solar Angel shining with a golden light and the lunar vehicles with a silvery light.
8. Imagine the golden light waxing in brilliance as the luminosity of the silvery light subsides, dimming appreciably.
9. Imagine the golden light of the Solar Angel filling each of the lunar vehicles and the personality as a whole. One may form an objective image of this process, or imagine that it is happening with respect to one’s Solar Angel and one’s lunar vehicles. One is facilitating the process of soul-infusion through the use of the creative imagination.
10. Imagine the personality and the three lunar vehicles, infused by radiant golden light, gradually absorbed into the intensifying golden radiance of the Solar Angel.
11. Ponder on the esoteric ‘feel’ of this absorption.
12. Alternatively, and/or additionally, visualize an expanse of blue sky. Find within this sky a blazing golden sun and below it a silvery moon.
13. Visualize the light of the golden sun intensifying to such an extent that the silvery moon becomes very dim by comparison.
14. Visualize the now dim sphere of the moon rising into the blazing golden sun and disappearing therein.
15. Ponder on the blazing sun, realizing it to be the “sole luminary in the microcosmic sky”.
16. Become, in imagination, that blazing sun which has absorbed the dimmed lunar sphere.
17. Identify as a “Sun of God”, a ‘Sun of Life’.
18. Now see the sky filled with many other blazing suns, which you realize to be ‘brother luminaries’. As a sun, feel yourself connected to all the other suns.
19. Ponder on the unity which prevails in the solar world of soul.
Sentence 1 in Rule V for Disciples and Initiates
As stated above, the various points listed below need not be considered a single meditation, though some may choose to treat them this way. In general, they should be considered a number of points for pondering. Each point indicates a possible esoteric act at the execution of which we could seek to become proficient.
B. In unison, let the group perceive the triad shining forth, dimming the light of the soul and blotting out the light of form.
Points to Ponder in Relation to the Above Sentence
1. Identify as soul. This will be a solar identification of the kind achieved in relation to Rule V for Applicants.
2. Realize the state of soul-unity existing between you (as a soul) and all souls related within the group soul. All ‘soul-suns’ are linked.
3. Visualize the group soul and immerse yourself, as soul, within its reality.
4. Listen for the one ‘note’ pervading the entire group-soul field. It is the note which blends all souls within the group soul.
5. As if seeing with the ‘group-eye’, visualize the group antahkarana, shining with the seven colors of the rainbow, extending ‘upwards’.
6. In the midst of indigo-blue ‘space’, and as-if perceiving with the ‘group-eye’, visualize the symbolic triangle of the spiritual triad shining forth in white light tinged with blue.
7. Imagine the manasic, buddhic and atmic permanent atoms placed, each at a vertex of the triangle.
8. Ponder on each of the permanent atoms, attempting to be impressed sequentially by the essence of manas, buddhi and atma as you do so.
9. Ponder on the synthesis of atma-buddhi-manas.
10. Note the blue-white brilliance of the spiritual triad shining forth and attempt to feel that brilliance, intensifying in your consciousness the sense of the presence of the spiritual triad.
11. Visualize the brilliant blue-white triad hovering over the group soul (shining with its golden solar-angelic light.)
12. Attempt to feel simultaneously the quality of the group-soul center and the triadal center. (The group-soul is supra-individual, and the spiritual triad is planetary in its significance.)
13. Through an act of imagination, see the blue-white light of the spiritual triad growing in intensity and the golden light of the group soul fading in intensity.
14. Attempt to be sensitive to the esoteric ‘feel’ of this process.
15. As the light of the group soul dims, see the blue-white light of the spiritual triad pouring through the group soul. The group-soul is increasingly infused by triadal light.
16. See the triadal light continuing to descend into the fourfold personality which is shining dimly with a silvery light.
17. See the light of the spiritual triad completely negate or blot out the light of the personality form. See personality light completely extinguished in the intense presence of triadal light.
18. Grasp the ‘feel’ of this blotting-out, this extinction.
19. Identified as the spiritual triad infusing the now-dimmed light of the group soul, remain open to the changes in consciousness achieved through this process.
20. Make note of any thoughts which come to you whilst imaginatively immersed within the triad.
21. Send the best of those thoughts on a redemptive mission into the world of soul.
Sentence 2 in Rule V for Disciples and Initiates
C. The macrocosmic Whole is all there is.
Points to Ponder in Relation to the Above Sentence
1. Visualize our planet. Realize it as a whole
2. Visualize all planets in our solar system in relation to our Sun. Realize them all as a whole.
3. Visualize the six other Suns to which our Sun and its solar system are related. Realize them as a whole.
4. Visualize the many local constellations within the range of the local Central Spiritual Sun (the Pleiadian Cluster of stars). Realize them as a whole.
5. Visualize our galaxy. Realize it as a whole.
6. Visualize our local family of galaxies. Realize it as a whole.
7. Visualize our local super-galaxy. Realize it as a whole.
8. Extend your inner vision to include all galactic structures within cosmos. Realize all this as a whole.
9. Go within, and realize that there is a vast subjective life underlying all galactic structures within the universe. Realize all this as a great, existing Whole.
10. Attempt to realize that there is nothing else existent than this Whole. Stay with the wonder of this realization.
11. Realize that no apparent thing within the Whole is in any way separate from or different from that Whole.
12. Realize that any apparent part of the Whole does not really exist; that only the Whole exists. (This will be a subtle realization. It can be facilitated by mentally-imaginatively asserting the Whole as identical with any apparent part of that Whole. While this may seem anti-logical, it is essentially and metaphysically true.)
13. Dwell in contemplation of the Whole, and whenever consciousness of a part arises, do not let is ‘stand as itself’ but connect it to the Whole and affirm it as the Whole.
14. Affirm when any apparent part is presented to consciousness that only the Whole is present. Thus see any apparent part truly indivisible from the Whole.
15. Ponder, “The Macrocosmic Whole is all there is.” Never leave the overpowering Presence of the Whole.
Sentence 3 in Rule V for Disciples and Initiates
D. Let the group perceive that Whole and then no longer use the thought, “my soul and thine”.
Points to Consider in Relation to the Above Sentence
1. Identify within the triadally-infused group soul. (This is not an easy identification. Thus assure that it is established to the greatest degree possible.)
2. By an act of the creative imagination try to ‘find’ the ‘Group-Eye’. Try to achieve the sense of the group seeing-as-one, together.
3. As if ‘seeing’ within or with the Group-Eye, contemplate the Macrocosmic Whole.
4. Continue this contemplation, increasing as you do so the sense that the Macrocosmic Whole is all there is.
5. Imaginatively look into the group soul field, and then extend your imagination to include the field of all human souls.
6. Realize that although souls appear to be different and distinct, not only are they all linked to each other, but essentially, their consciousness is one, and, in fact, they are all one thing.
7. Realize that there is only One Identity within the Macrocosmic Whole.
8. Realize, therefore, the fundamental illusion of using the thought, “my soul and thine”. Be deeply impressed by the depth of this illusion.
9. Ponder on the One Macrocosmic Soul of the One Macrocosmic Whole.
Additional Thoughts
1. The directives given above are mostly directives in the realm of consciousness and concern the ‘disciplines of realization’.
2. As I began to write them, I became aware that we can devise certain imaginative-meditative exercises for the group which can be used to make the realization of the meaning of the Rules more vivid.
3. We will be discussing the possibility of providing you with such exercises to enrich your imaginative approach to understanding.
To the meditative visualizations