Letters on Occult Meditation

by Alice A Bailey

  This marks the period between twenty-eight and thirty-five in the life of the adult. It is the period wherein a man finds himself, discovers what his line of activity may be, what he can accomplish, and from the worldly standpoint, comes into his own.

  During the fifth period, the Flame gradually breaks through the periphery of the causal body, and the “path of the just shineth ever more and more unto the perfect day.” It is in the fourth period that meditation commences,—the mystic meditation that leads, in the fifth period, to that occult meditation that brings about results, being under the law and hence following the line of the ray. It is by meditation that the man—as a Personality—feels out the vibration of the Ego, and seeks to reach up to the Ego and bring the egoic consciousness ever more and more down, so as to include consciously the physical plane. It is by meditation or by retreating within that the man learns the significance of Fire, and applies that fire to all the bodies, till naught is left save the fire itself. It is by meditation, or the reaching from the concrete to the abstract, that the causal consciousness is entered, and man—during this final period—becomes the Higher self and not the Personality.

  The polarisation shifts during the fifth period (the period of the Path of Initiation) entirely from the Personality to the Ego, until, at the close of that period, liberation is complete, and the man is set free. Even the [29] causal body is known as a limitation and the emancipation is completed. The polarisation then shifts higher into the Triad—the shifting beginning at the third Initiation. The physical permanent atom goes and the polarisation becomes higher mental; the emotional permanent atom goes and the polarisation becomes intuitional; the mental unit goes and the polarisation becomes spiritual. The man then becomes a Master of the Wisdom and is of the symbolic age of forty-two, the point of perfected maturity in the solar system.

  A still later period comes, corresponding to the ages forty-two to forty-nine, wherein the sixth and seventh Initiations may be taken, but this period concerns not the readers of these letters....

  June 9, 1920.

  The Specific Gravity and Content of the Causal Body.

  This subject, anent the causal body, opens up for the thinker much food for speculation. The literal figures and the dimensional lines cannot be given. They form one of the secrets of initiation but certain ideas may be suggested and submitted to the consideration of all interested.

  Just what do you mean when you speak of the causal body? Say not glibly, the body of causes, for words thus spoken are oft but nebulous and vague. Let us nowconsider the causal body and find out its component parts.

  On the involutionary path you have what is termed the Group Soul, aptly described (as far as earth words permit) as a collection of triads, enclosed in a triple envelop of monadic essence. On the evolutionary path, groups of causal bodies correspond and are similarly composed, three factors entering in. [30]

  The causal body is a collection of permanent atoms, three in all, enclosed in an envelop of mental essence.... What happens at the moment when animal-man becomes a thinking entity, a human being? The approximation of the self and the not-self by means of mind, for man is “that being in whom highest spirit and lowest matter are linked together by intelligence.” What do I mean by this phrase? Just this: that when animal-man had reached a point of adequacy; when his physical body was sufficiently co-ordinated, when he had an emotional or desire nature sufficiently strong to form a basis for existence, and to guide it by means of instinct, and when the germ of mentality was sufficiently implanted to have donated the instinctive memory and correlation of ideas that can be seen in the average domesticated animal, then the descending spirit (which had taken to itself an atom on the mental plane) judged the time ripe for taking possession of the lower vehicles. The Lords of the Flame were called in and they effected the transfer of polarisation from the lower atom of the Triad to the lowest atom of the Personality. Even then, the indwelling Flame could come no lower than the third subplane of the mental plane. The life of the first Logos must be blended with that of the second Logos and based on the activity of the third Logos.

  Therefore, you have at the moment of individualisation, which is the term used to express this hour of contact, on the third subplane of the mental plane a point of light, enclosing three atoms, and itself enclosed in a [31] sheath of mental matter. The work then to be done consists of:

  1. Causing that point of light to become a flame, by steadily fanning the spark and feeding the fire.

  2. Causing the causal body to grow and expand from being a colourless ovoid, holding the Ego like a yolk within the egg-shell, to a thing of rare beauty, containing within itself all the colour of the rainbow. This is an occult fact. The causal body will palpitate in due course of time with an inner irradiation, and an inner glowing flame that will gradually work its way from the centre to the periphery. It will then pierce through that periphery, using the body (that product of millennia of lives of pain and endeavour) as fuel for its flames. It will burn all up, it will mount upward to the Triad, and (becoming one with that Triad) will be re-absorbed into the spiritual consciousness,—will carry with it—using heat as the symbol—an intensity of heat or quality of colour or vibration that before were lacking.

  Therefore the work of the Personality—for we have to view all from that angle until egoic vision may be ours,—is first to beautify, build and expand the causal body; secondly to withdraw within it the life of the Personality, sucking the good out of the personal life and storing it in the body of the Ego. We might term this the Divine Vampirism, for always evil is but the other side of good. Then, having accomplished this, comes the application of the flame to the causal body itself and the joyous standing by whilst the work of destruction goes on, and the Flame—the live inner man and the spirit of divine life—is set free and mounts to its source.

  The specific gravity of the causal body fixes the moment of emancipation and marks the time when the work of beautifying and building is completed, when the [32] Temple of Solomon is erected, and when the weight (occultly understood) of the causal body measures up to the standard looked for by the Hierarchy. Then the work of destruction supervenes and liberation approaches. Spring has been experienced, the full verdure of summer has succeeded, now must be felt the disintegrating force of autumn,—only this time it is felt and applied on mental levels and not on physical. The axe is laid to the root of the tree, but the life essence is garnered into the divine storehouse.

  The content of the causal body is the accumulation by slow and gradual process of the good in each life. The building proceeds slowly at first, but towards the end of incarnation—on the Probationary Path and on the Path of Initiation—the work proceeds rapidly. The structure has been reared, and each stone quarried in the personal life. On the Path, in each of its two divisions, the work of completing and beautifying the Temple proceeds with greater rapidity....

  Briefly and in conclusion of this matter, I would seek to point out that the circumference of the causal body varies according to type and ray. Some egoic bodies are of a form more circular than others; some are more ovoid, and others more elongated in shape. It is the content and the pliability that matter, and above all the occult permeability of the lower auric egg that permits of contact with other egos, yet retains identity; that merges itself with its fellows, yet preserves individuality; and that absorbs all that is desirable, yet keeps ever its own shape.

  June 16, 1920.

  4 - Condition of the Causal Body

  The fourth factor underlying the choice of a method [33] of meditation is our subject today and consists of the condition of the causal body.

  We have dealt with the causal body in its relationship to the Personality or lower self, showing the interplay between the two and their interdependence. Through steady application to occult meditation, and through the gradual stilling of the lower mind, through concentration and the wise following of the egoic ray meditation, balanced by the personality ray mediation, we found
that the relationship of the causal body to the Personality became ever closer and the channel connecting the two became ever more clear and adequate. This resulted eventually, we saw, in a shifting of polarisation from the lower to the higher and later to complete emancipation from both,—centralisation ensuing then in the spiritual consciousness. We dealt with the matter from the lower point of view, seeing it from the standpoint of a man in the three worlds.

  Today we will deal with the matter from the standpoint of the Higher Self, from the egoic level, and consider the relationship of that Self to the Hierarchy, to surrounding egos, and to the Spirit. It will be difficult to do more than give some few hints, for much that I could say would be little comprehended, and much be too occult and dangerous for general communication.

  Three things may be imparted, which—when wisely meditated upon—may lead to illumination:

  The Ego on its own plane, realises consciously its relationship to the Master, and seeks to transmit that consciousness to the Personality.

  The Higher self on its own plane, is not trammeled by time and space, and (knowing the future as well as that which is past) seeks to bring the desired end nearer and make it more rapidly a fact. [34]

  The Higher Self or Ego on its own plane has direct relationship with other egos on the same ray, and on a corresponding concrete or abstract ray, and—realising that progress is made in group formation—works on that plane at the helping of his kind. These facts are already half apprehended among students but by a slight elaboration I may make it clearer.

  Relationship of the Ego to the Hierarchy.

  The relationship of the Ego to some one Master is at this stage consciously realised, but is nevertheless, itself of evolutionary development. As we have been told, there are sixty thousand million units of consciousness or spirits in the evolving human hierarchy. These are found on causal levels, though the numbers are slightly less now, owing to the attainment of the fourth Initiation by individuals from time to time. These egos at different stages of development are all linked with their Monad, Spirit or Father in Heaven, in much the same way (only in finer matter) as the Ego is linked with the Personality.

  All the Monads are, as you know, under the control, or rather form part, of the consciousness of one of the Planetary Spirits. On egoic levels, the egos are in a similar condition. An Adept of their ray supervises their general evolution, dealing with them in groups. These groups are formed under three conditions:

  a—As to sub-ray of the egoic ray.

  b—As to period of individualisation or of entrance into the human kingdom.

  c—As to point of attainment.

  The Adept of their ray handles the general supervision but under Him work the Masters each on His own ray, and with Their own individual groups, who are affiliated with Them through period, through karma and [35] through point of vibration. Under the Masters work the disciples who have the consciousness of the Higher Self, and are therefore able to work on causal levels and aid in the development of those egos whose causal bodies are less developed than their own.

  All is beautifully subject to law, and as the work of developing the egoic body is dependent upon the progress made in the threefold personality, the Ego is consequently aided on lower levels by two different disciples, one working on emotional levels and reporting to another disciple who works upon the mental vehicle. He in his turn reports to the disciple with causal consciousness, who reports again to the Master. All this is done with the co-operation of the indwelling consciousness in the causal body. This, as you see, entails five factors concerning themselves with the aiding of the Ego in his evolutionary development:

  l—The Adept of his Ray.

  2—The Master of his group.

  3—A disciple with causal consciousness.

  4—A disciple on the mental plane.

  5—A helper on the emotional plane.

  For a long period of lives the Ego remains practically unconscious of the Personality. The magnetic link exists. but that is all until the time comes when the personal life reaches a point where it has somewhat to add to the content of the causal body—a body at first small, colourless and insignificant. But the hour comes when the stones are first brought perfected from the quarry of the personal life, and the first colours are painted in by the man, the builder and the artist. Then the Ego begins to give attention, rarely at first, but with increasing frequency, until lives come around in which the Ego [36] definitely works at the subjugation of the lower self, at the enlargement of the communicating channel, and at the transmission to the physical brain consciousness of the fact of its existence and the goal of its being. Once that is accomplished, and the inner fire is freer in its passage, lives are then given to the stabilising of that impression, and to the making of that inner consciousness a part of the conscious life. The flame radiates downward more and more until gradually the different vehicles come into line, and the man stands on the Probationary Path. He is ignorant yet of what lies ahead, and is conscious only of wild and earnest aspiration and of innate divine longings. He is eager to make good, longing to know, and dreaming always of someone or something higher than himself. All this is backed by the profound conviction that in service to humanity will the dreamed-of goal be reached, will the vision become reality, the longing fructify into satisfaction, and aspiration be merged in sight.

  The Hierarchy begins to take action and his instruction is carried out as aforesaid.... Until now the Teachers have only watched and guided without definitely dealing with the man himself; all has been left to the Ego and the life divine to carry out the plan, the attention of the Masters being directed to the Ego on his own plane. The Ego bends every effort to quicken vibration, and to force the oft-rebelling lower vehicles to respond and measure up to the rapidly increasing force. It is largely a matter of increased fire or heat, and consequent intensification of vibratory capacity. The egoic fire waxes ever greater until the work is done, and the purificatory fire becomes the Light of Illumination. Ponder on this sentence. As above, so below; on each rung of the ladder the process is repeated; the [37] Monad, at the third Initiation, begins itself to be conscious of the Ego. The work, then, is more rapid owing to the rarity of the material and to the fact that resistance is a factor in the three worlds but not elsewhere.

  Hence, pain ceases for a Master. That is, pain as we know it on earth, which is largely pain in matter. The pain that lies hid in comprehension, not resistance, is felt to the highest circles, yea, it reaches to the Logos Himself. But this is beside the point and well-nigh incomprehensible to you who are yet trammelled by matter.

  Relationship of the Ego to its own development.

  The Ego seeks to bring about the desired end in three ways:—

  1—By definite work on abstract levels. It aspires to contact and enclose the permanent atom, its first direct approach to the Triad.

  2—By definite work on colour and sound with the aim in view of stimulation and vivification, working thus in groups and under the guidance of a Master.

  3—By frequent attempts to definitely control the lower self, a thing distasteful to the Ego, whose tendency is to rest content with consciousness and aspiration on its own plane. Forget not that the Ego itself has somewhat to wrestle with. The refusal to incarnate is not found only on spiritual levels, but is found also on that of the Higher Self. Certain developments also, incidental to the factors of time and space (as understood in the three worlds) are aimed at by the Ego, such as the increase of the causal periphery through the study of divine telepathy, systemic psychology and the knowledge of the law of fire. [38]

  Relationship of the Ego to other egos.

  Certain things need to be remembered:—

  The factor of periodicity. Egos that are in incarnation, and egos that are out of incarnation are differentiated and capable of different work. Egos whose reflections are in incarnation are more limited than those who are not. It is almost as if the Higher Self were directed downwards, or willingly ci
rcumscribing itself to three-dimensioned existence, whereas the egos out of incarnation are not so limited but work in another direction or dimension. The difference lies in the focusing of attention, during physical plane life. The matter is hard for you to grasp, is it not so? I scarcely know how to express the difference more clearly. It is perhaps as if the incarnating egos were more positive, and the non-incarnating egos more negative.

  The factor of activity. This is largely a matter of ray, and affects closely the relationship between egos. Those on similar rays coalesce and vibrate more readily to each other than those on different rays, and it is only as the second or wisdom aspect is developed that synthesis becomes possible.

  On the third subplane of the mental plane egos are separated into groups—individual separation exists not, but group separation can be felt, incidental to ray and point in evolution.

  On the second subplane the groups become merged and blend, and from their forty-nine groups are formed (by merging) forty-two. The process of synthesis might be tabulated as above:

  Mental plane: 1st subplane 35 groups, 7 x 5

  2nd subplane 42 groups, 7 x 6

  3rd subplane 49 groups, 7 x 7

  Buddhic plane: 3rd subplane. 28 groups, 7 x 4

  1st subplane 21 groups, 7 x 3

  Atmic plane: Atomic subplane . 14 groups, 7 x 2

  Monadic plane: 7 great groups

  [39] I have given a few hints here. It is so little, compared with what will later be known when those of you now studying expand the consciousness still further, but it is all I can as yet impart, and only this has been given with the intent of showing how much has to be considered, when meditation forms are duly set by a Master. He has to take into wise consideration the egoic ray, and the condition of the causal body in its relationship to the lower self and to the Hierarchy. The state of the body must be known, and its content; its relationship to other egos must be duly considered, for all is in group formation. Meditation must therefore be given which is in line with the group to which the Ego is assigned, for as each man meditates he contacts not only his own Ego but also his egoic group, and through that group the Master to Whom he is consequently linked, though the efficacy of a meditation depends upon the work being done in an occult manner and under law. The group significance of meditation is little understood, but the above thoughts are commended to you for your wise study.