The Rays and the Initiations

by Alice A Bailey

  The Energy of Harmony through Conflict.

  Our study today is of profound interest and has a great bearing on the present world situation. I would like to make clear two important facts:

  1. The fact that the world war (1914-1945) was quite unavoidable, though the conflict might have been retained upon mental levels, had humanity decided rightly.

  2. The fact of the inevitability of the return of the Christ in this era and in the relatively immediate future. We are here dealing with immutable law, for the energies of the various rays move under law; humanity can therefore do naught but accept, determining only what I might [603] call the locale, or the sphere of activity, of both these major events. The determination of mankind to fight out the issues involved in the world war upon the physical plane, at the same time automatically determined the sphere of Christ's activity—as I shall attempt to show you. In many ways, this particular instruction is one of the most important I have yet given because of its essential and obvious implications. We will therefore study the fourth initiation and its relation to the fourth Ray of Harmony through Conflict.

  This fourth ray, as you have several times been told, is out of incarnation, as far as the reincarnating egos or souls of men are concerned. From another angle, however, it is always active and ever present, because it is the ray which governs the fourth kingdom in nature, the human kingdom in the three worlds of strictly human evolution.

  It is the dominant energy, always exerting pressure upon the fourth kingdom; this pressure began to exert itself primarily towards the end of the fourth human race, the Atlantean race of men; at that time men began to give evidence of a growing sense of responsibility, and therefore of the power to demonstrate discriminative choice. This led to the great war in the fourth race which culminated in the Flood, to which all parts of the world testify and to which the majority of the world Scriptures bear evidence. In that era, in which the then known world of men was extensively involved, the Black and the White Lodges of adepts were also implicated, and the first major fight between the demonstrators of evil and the Forces of Light took place; it was inconclusive, with the evidence for defeat to be found on the side of the good more than on the side of evil. Under the symbolism of the Flood, it is apparent to students that the fight was focussed primarily upon the astral plane, though fought out historically upon the physical plane; it resulted in the destruction of the world by water, as it might be symbolically expressed.

  In the climaxing war of the immediate past, the mental plane was the focus of the amalgamated forces, for [604] the war was in reality a clash of ideologies and has been far more the result of man's thinking than of man's emotional desires. It therefore automatically involved the three levels of human activity and was fought out upon the physical plane, although it was impulsed from the mental plane. The symbol of fire was this time involved, instead of water, and this fire led to the destruction of men and of cities by fire (literally, “fire from heaven”), by the evocation of the fiery emotions so prevalent in the councils of men at this time, and by the drought of the year 1947 which burnt up the terrain in Europe and in Great Britain, being—curiously enough—preceded by the floods and waters of the earlier spring, thus evidencing the repetition of cycles; this repetition is distinctive of natural process, leaving each stage of man's evolution depicted, but producing a climaxing point which is indicative of the past and of the present, but leaving (as is the case today) the future locked in the determinative processes of man's thinking and planning. As man thinks and decides “in his heart,” so will the future of humanity prove to be, for it is the same process for mankind as a whole as it is for the individual.

  I would like to cover this theme by dividing my subject into the following parts:

  1. The particular type of energy involved and its initiatory effect. This concerns the Principle of Conflict as contained in the activity of this fourth ray.

  2. The effect upon humanity as a whole. The “Renunciation Initiation” is an expression of the result of the activity of this Principle.

  3. The factor of the second Ray of Love-Wisdom as it basically controls Ray IV and implements the return of the Christ, because the potency of the heart centre is involved.

  4. The effect of this Ray IV in the modern world of nations and of fundamental organisations.

  5. The result of this fourth ray activity upon the individual disciple: [605]

  a. In the three aspects of his nature, physical, emotional and mental.

  b. Upon the soul-infused personality.

  6. Summation of the whole theme and a forecast of future possibilities.

  I shall attempt to deal with this as concisely as possible, and will keep the handling of this subject exceedingly brief, or as brief as its historical importance will permit and its definitive angle will allow. The whole of human history has been conditioned by the fourth Ray of Harmony through Conflict, and it is this ray which has determined the ring-pass-not within which humanity must work.

  At this time, the effect of this ray is predominantly of a group nature, and there are—except in the ranks of disciples of the Great White Lodge—no fourth ray souls in incarnation. Once humanity has decided upon the goal and the method of reconstruction and of reorganisation which is to take place within the periphery of the fourth ray ring-pass-not, then (if humanity's decision is correct and is not postponed) many fourth ray souls will resume incarnation, and so implement human decision. This will mark a great turning point in human history and will enable seventh ray energy to be turned to the best advantage.

  The Particular Type of Energy involved and its Initiatory Effect

  Here we are confronted with a basic problem, i.e., the nature of the Principle of Conflict which is the outstanding characteristic of this fourth Ray of Harmony through Conflict. This is by no means an easy subject to handle or to make clear, for the correctness of conflict, its naturally separative and eliminative effect and its power to condition not only Humanity but also the Hierarchy, will have to be considered. When we study the fourth initiation, that of the Renunciation, the effects of its activity will emerge more clearly.

  Fundamentally, this fourth ray is that which is responsible [606] for the strains and the stresses, and for the initial conflict between the major pair of opposites to which we give the name of spirit-matter. It is this fourth ray energy which makes apparent the distinction (so often misunderstood by man) between good and evil. In Atlantean days, the leaders of men, under the influence of this paramount fourth ray energy, made a decision which laid the emphasis upon the matter aspect, according to their desire and their emotional reaction, which is present in the essential duality of manifestation, and thus inaugurated the Age of Materialism. This age has wrought itself out through its accompanying greeds, hate, separativeness and aggression. During the present century, this materialism led to the world war which was in reality the expression of a shifting orientation, and therefore to a certain extent, of a coming triumph of Good.

  The balance is slowly, very slowly, swinging over to the side of the spirit aspect of the duality; it has not yet swung, even in intention, completely over, but the issues are becoming increasingly clearer in men's minds and the indications are that man will eventually decide correctly, will attain a point of balance or equilibrium, and will finally throw the weight of public opinion on the side of spiritual values, thus leading to a collective renunciation of materialism, particularly in its grosser and physical forms. The time is not yet, but a great awakening is in process; men, however, will only see correctly when this Principle of Conflict is properly evaluated as a spiritual necessity and is used by humanity as an instrument to bring about emergence from the wrong controls and principles. Just as the individual disciple uses it to emerge out of the control of matter in the three worlds, beginning with the emergence from the control of the physical body, passing out of the control of the emotional nature, and formulating for himself a spiritual ideology which enables him to pass out of the
control of the three worlds of forms, and so begin to function as a soul-infused personality, so mankind also has to do the same in mass formation. [607]

  This whole process culminates when the fourth initiation, the Great Renunciation, is taken by man today, and by humanity in some distant future; this “point of emergence” is reached by right decision and as a result of a right use of the Principle of Conflict.

  It will be obvious to you that this Principle of Conflict is closely related to death. By death, I mean extraction from form conditions—physical, emotional or mental; I mean cessation of contact (temporarily or permanently) with physical form, with astral glamour and with mental illusion; I mean the rejection of Maya, the name of that all-inclusive effect which overwhelms a man who is immersed in materialism of any kind, and is therefore overcome (from the soul angle) by life in the three worlds. It is the Principle of Conflict, latent in every atom of substance, which produces, first of all, conflict, then renunciation, and finally emancipation; which produces war in some form or another, then rejection, and finally liberation. This principle is, as you can well see, closely linked to the law of Karma; it is to this principle that Mrs. Besant refers when she speaks in one of her books of the fact that the substance whereof all forms are made is already—from the very dawn of the creative process—tinged with karma. There is deep occult significance to the thought, often voiced, that death is the great Liberator; it means that the Principle of Conflict has succeeded in bringing about conditions wherein the spirit aspect is released (temporarily or permanently) from imprisonment in some kind of form life, either individual or group.

  You will all, as disciples or aspirants, be able to interpret the working of this principle as you watch the effect, in your own lives, of the action of the strains and stresses, the points of crisis or of tension which the conflict between soul and personality produces. Conflict is always present prior to renunciation, and it is only at this fourth great spiritual crisis that conflict, as we understand it, ends. In the realms of formless living wherein the Hierarchy lives and moves and has its being, conflict, which has developed [608] in man the sense of discriminative choice, is superseded by crises of decision—not decision based upon discriminative perception between right and wrong or between spirituality and materialism, but crises of decision based upon perception of the Plan, participation in the Purpose, and the prevention of evil. I would have you ponder on these three phrases which distinguish the crises of decision which confront the Master after the fourth initiation, and which take the place of the crises of discrimination which precede that stage:

  Perception of the Plan.

  Participation in the Purpose.

  Prevention of evil.

  These decisions are based, first of all, on goodwill to all forms in the three worlds, and secondly, upon the will-to-good which impulses and implements the three creative and manifesting aspects of divinity.

  These are deep things whereof we speak; it is wise to remember that all crises in the material world—individual crises and those related to humanity as a whole—are governed by the Principle of Conflict, whilst crises in the spiritual world are controlled by the esoteric Principle of Decision.

  The Principle of Conflict is the prime factor lying behind the evolution of form as the field of experience for the soul in the four kingdoms in nature: the human and the three subhuman. It is based on the intellectual factor of discrimination which is inherent in the smallest atom of substance, and which reaches its fullest expression in advanced humanity; the indications that it has achieved its purpose, as far as humanity is concerned, are to be found in the passing through the Initiation of Renunciation. The Principle of Decision which controls the Master governs His work within the Hierarchy, in relation to Shamballa and in connection with all the service rendered in the three worlds; it is based on the energy of the second Ray of Love-Wisdom, just as the Principle of Conflict is based on the energy of the third Ray of Active Intelligence. [609] This Principle of Decision, as a controlling factor, is put to the test at the sixth initiation, the Initiation of Decision; at that time, the will aspect of divinity summarises in a unique manner all past achievements of the two principles and brings in a final cycle of unfoldment to which I can give no truly appropriate name, but which climaxes in the ninth Initiation of Refusal. You have, therefore, in relation to these principles (which are all related to the Law of Karma) three great initiations at which the effectiveness of the liberation brought about by their inherent action is finally tested:

  1. The Initiation of Renunciation . . . 4th Initiation

  The Principle of Conflict

  Governed by Ray IV

  Active in the Human Kingdom, the 4th

  Leading to right Discrimination

  2. The Initiation of Decision... 6th Initiation

  The Principle of Decision

  Governed by Ray III

  Active in the Hierarchy

  Leading to right Perception

  and Participation

  3. The Initiation of Refusal... 9th Initiation

  The Principle of liberated Being (shall we call it thus?)

  Governed by all three major Rays

  Active in Shamballa

  Leading to one or other of the 7 Paths

  In the above tabulation you have a wide and general picture of three major Principles, leading to three great spiritual events, each of which is an expression of the personality, the soul and the Monad. Where humanity as a whole is involved, the effect is upon the reincarnating soul of the human kingdom, then on the liberated souls of the members of the Hierarchy, and finally on the Being which is distinctive of the Council at Shamballa.

  A planned synthesis thus appears, producing immutability, [610] inevitability and correct prevision; it is also the result of the liberation of free will, and in no way infringes the right of the individual man or disciple to make free choice, once the Principle of Conflict has made him aware of the basic dualism of the manifested worlds. This presents him with a battleground and a field of experience wherein he makes great experimental choices and comes eventually to correct orientation and to the door of initiation, progressively revealed to him as the result of right choice, right perception and right decision. Thus the nine initiations are covered.

  The Principle of Conflict has a close connection with the Path of Discipleship, and here lies the reason for the inclusive and synthetic aspect of the present world conflict; though the physical aspects of the conflict are today greatly lessened (but are still present on a small scale in various parts of the world), the conflict is by no means over or yet resolved. It is still being violently waged by advanced human beings upon the mental plane and by the masses upon the plane of emotional reactions; it will be some time before the war truly is brought to a finish.

  There could, however, be no disaster more serious than a too abrupt ending of this clash of the emotional reactions of humanity and of the current ideologies. It is essential that the issues become still clearer in the minds of men, prior to any final choice or decision. This must be remembered, and students would do well to avoid discouragement and train themselves to wait with spiritual optimism for the way of humanity to clear. Too prompt a choice at this time might prove only a makeshift decision and one based on expediency and impatience. The Hierarchy is in no way discouraged, though somewhat concerned that the factor of timing may not prove correct.

  This Principle of Conflict is a familiar one to every struggling aspirant and conditions his whole life, producing crises and tensions, sometimes almost past endurance; they indicate nevertheless rapid development and steady progress. The activity of this principle is greatly increased [611] at this time through the medium of the following spiritual events (the full discussion appears on pages 741-760):

  1. The crisis of the ideologies.

  2. The awakening of humanity to better understanding.

  3. The growth of goodwill which leads to the presentation of certain fundamental cleavages which m
ust be bridged by human effort.

  4. The partial “sealing of the door where evil dwells.”

  5. The use of the Great Invocation with its extraordinary and rapid effects, at present unrealised by you.

  6. The gradual approach of the Hierarchy to a closer and more intimate relation to Humanity.

  7. The imminent return of the Christ.

  There are other factors, but these will be adequate to demonstrate to you the increased expression of conflict on all the three levels of strictly human evolution. It is a conflict which has engulfed the masses in every land, which is still producing physical conflict, emotional strain and tremendous mental issues, and which will greatly lessen when the masses of people everywhere are convinced that right human relations are of far greater importance than greed, human pride, territorial grabbing, and material possessions.

  The Effect of the Energy of Harmony through Conflict upon Humanity

  It will be obvious that this ray energy, embodying the Principle of Conflict, has a unique and curious effect upon relationships. This is due to the interrelation of this Ray of Harmony through Conflict and the second Ray of Love-Wisdom; this second ray is primarily the ray of right human relations—as far as the fourth kingdom in nature is concerned. The energy of love governs all relations between souls and controls the Hierarchy, the Kingdom of Souls; the energy of wisdom should govern all relations within the fourth kingdom, the human; some day it will inevitably do so, hence the emphasis laid upon the need for soul-infused personalities in the world today, as promulgated by all true esoteric schools. [612]

  It might be said that the effect of the Principle of Conflict, operating under Ray IV and controlled by Ray II, will be—as far as humanity is concerned—to bring about right human relations and the growth of the universal spirit of goodwill among men. Only the most benighted and uncouth of thinkers would fail to see that these two results of the conflict, engendered at this time, are the two most desirable factors for which all men of goodwill should work. The inflow of energy into humanity at this time is all in favour of such efforts, and the Principle of Conflict has worked so effectively that all men are desiring harmony, peace, equilibrium, right adjustment to life and circumstances, and right and balanced human relations.