A Treatise on Cosmic Fire

by Alice A Bailey

  3. Pranic emanation. The emanation, via the etheric body, which corresponds in man to solar prana and to planetary prana. This demonstrates principally in the health aura and has naught to do with magnetic qualities, as generally interpreted when considering a personality, or man as a unit. I make this repetition as it is very necessary that no mental confusion exists between that magnetism which is a spiritual emanation and that which is purely animal.

  It might be wise here to point out that this triple manifestation of fire demonstrates in the astral and mental bodies likewise, having to do with the substance of those bodies. We might express this fire in its triple manifestation as the sumtotal of the essential fire, or life activity of the third Logos. It should be carefully borne [62] in mind that the manifestation of the work of the three Logoi is the expression of the mind of some cosmic Entity. In the same way, the seven planetary Entities, the seven Heavenly Men, are seven Logoi (likewise cosmic Beings) Who in Their totality form the Body of the threefold Logos. We have, therefore:

  1. The undifferentiated Logos—a cosmic Entity.

  2. The Logos, threefold in manifestation:

  a. The cosmic Lord of Will Power.

  b. The cosmic Lord of Love and Wisdom.

  c. The cosmic Lord of Active Intelligence.

  3. The triple Logos, sevenfold in manifestation., i.e. The seven planetary Logoi. (18), (19), (20)

  [63] Each of these cosmic Entities is, in His essential essence, Fire; each manifests as fire in a threefold manner. In point of time the cosmic Lord of active Intelligence, considered from the standpoint of cosmic evolution, is more evolved than His two Brothers. He is the life of matter, its latent internal Fire. His is the fire essence that lies at the heart of the Sun, of the planet, and of man’s material forms. He is the sumtotal of the Past.

  The Lord of Cosmic Love now seeks union with His Brother, and, in point of time, embodies all the Present. He is the sumtotal of all that is embodied; He is conscious Existence. He is the Son divine and His life and nature evolve through every existent form. The Lord of Cosmic Will holds hid the future within His plans and consciousness. They are all three the Sons of one Father, all three the aspects of the One God, all three are Spirit, all three are Soul, and all three are Rays emanating from one cosmic centre. All three are substance, but in the past one Lord was the elder Son, in the present another Lord comes to the fore, and in the future still another. But this is so only in Time. From the standpoint of the Eternal Now, none is greater nor less than another, for the last shall be first, and the first last. Out of manifestation time is not, and freed from objectivity states of consciousness are not.

  The fire of Spirit is the essential fire of the first Lord of Will plus the fire of the second Logos of Love. These two cosmic Entities blend, merge, and demonstrate as Soul, utilising for purposes of manifestation the aid of the third Logos. The three fires blend and merge. In this fourth round and on this fourth globe of our planetary scheme, the fires of the third Logos of intelligent matter are fusing somewhat with the fires of cosmic [64] mind, showing as will or power, and animating the Thinker on all planes. The object of Their co-operation is the perfected manifestation of the cosmic Lord of Love. This should be pondered upon for it reveals a mystery.

  The blending of the three fires, the merging of the three Rays, and the co-operation of the three Logoi have in view (at this time and within this solar system) the development of the Essence of the cosmic Lord of Love, the second Person in the logoic trinity. Earlier it was not so, later it will not be, but now it is. When viewed from the cosmic mental plane these Three constitute the PERSONALITY OF THE LOGOS, and are seen functioning as one. Hence the secret (well recognised as fact, though not understood) of the excessive heat, occultly expressed, of the astral or central body of the triple personality. It animates and controls the physical body, and its desires hold sway in the majority of cases; it demonstrates in time and space the correspondence of the temporary union of spirit and matter, the fires of cosmic love and the fires of matter blended. A similar analogy is found in the heat apparent in this second solar system.

  d. The Atom. The inner fires of the atom can likewise be seen functioning along similar lines, their demonstration being already somewhat recognised by science. This being so there exists no necessity for further elaboration. (21)

  II. FIRE ELEMENTALS AND DEVAS

  [65] We might now briefly consider the subject of the fire elementals and devas, and then deal with the relation of the Personality Ray to this internal fire of the system in its threefold manifestation.

  Certain facts are known in connection with the fire spirits (if so they may be termed). The fundamental fact that should here be emphasised is that AGNI, the Lord of Fire, rules over all the fire elementals and devas on the three planes of human evolution, the physical, the astral, and the mental, and rules over them not only on this planet, called the Earth, but on the three planes in all parts of the system. He is one of the seven Brothers (to use an expression familiar to students of the Secret Doctrine) Who each embody one of the seven principles, or Who are in Themselves the seven centres in the body of the cosmic Lord of Fire, called by H. P. B. “Fohat.” He is that active fiery Intelligence, Who is the basis of the internal fires of the solar system. On each plane one of these Brothers holds sway, and the three elder Brothers (for always the three will be seen, and later the seven, who eventually merge into the primary three) rule on the first, third and the fifth planes, or on the plane of adi, of atma (22) and of manas. It is urgent that we here remember that They are fire viewed [66] in its third aspect, the fire of matter. In Their totality these seven Lords form the essence of the cosmic Lord, called in the occult books, Fohat. (23)

  This is so in the same sense as the seven Chohans, (24) with Their affiliated groups of pupils, form the essence or centres in the body of one of the Heavenly Men, one of the planetary Logoi. These seven again in Their turn form the essence of the Logos.

  Each of the seven Lords of Fire (25) are differentiated into numerous groups of fire entities, from the Deva-Lords of a plane down to the little salamanders of the internal furnaces. We are not dealing with the fiery essences of the higher planes at this stage in our discussion. We will only enumerate somewhat briefly some of the better known groups, as contacted in the three worlds.

  1. Physical Plane.

  Salamanders, those little fire elementals who can be seen dancing in every flame, tending the fires of the hearth and the home, and of the factory. They are of the same group as the fire spirits who can be contacted deep in the fiery bowels of the planet.

  Fire spirits, latent in all focal points of heat, who are themselves the essence of warmth, and can be contacted [67] in the heat of the bodily frame, whether human or animal, and who are likewise the warmth terrestrial.

  The Agnichaitans, a higher grade of fire spirit, who form a vortex of fire when viewed on a large scale, such as in volcanoes and large destructive burnings. They are closely allied to a still more important group of devas, who form the fiery envelope of the sun.

  The pranic elementals, those minute fiery essences who have the ability to permeate the texture of the human body, of a tree, or of all that may be found in the human, vegetable and animal kingdoms, and who blend with the fires of the microcosmic systems.

  Certain of the deva kingdom who may be described as ensouling certain of the great light rays, and Who are in Themselves the essence of those rays. Other forms of such elemental lives and of deva groups might be enumerated, but the above tabulation will suffice for our present purpose.

  2. The Astral Plane.

  The fiery essences of this plane are more difficult for us to comprehend, having not, as yet, the seeing eye upon that plane. They are in themselves the warmth and heat of the emotional body, and of the body of feeling. They are of a low order when upon the path of desire, and of a high order when upon the path of aspiration, for the elemental is then transmuted into the deva.

  Their gr
ades and ranks are many, but their names matter not save in one instance. It may be of interest to know the appellation applied to the devas of fire whose part it is to tend the fires that will later destroy the causal body. We need to remember that it is the upspringing of the latent fire of matter and its merging with two other fires that causes destruction. These elementals and devas are called the Agnisuryans, and in [68] their totality are the fiery essences of buddhi, hence their lowest manifestation is on the sixth plane, the astral.

  Further information concerning these deva lives will be found further on in the Treatise, where they are dealt with at some length.

  DIVISION B - THE PERSONALITY RAY AND FIRE BY FRICTION

  I. The work of the three rays

  1. The personality ray.

  2. The wgoic ray.

  3. The monadic ray.

  II. The personality ray and the permanent atom.

  III. The personality ray and karma,

  I. THE WORK OF THE THREE RAYS

  [69] We here touch upon a matter of wide general interest yet which is withal very little comprehended. I refer to the subject of the permanent atoms. (26) Each body or form wherein Spirit functions has, for its focal point on each plane, an atom composed of matter of the atomic subplane of each plane. This serves as a nucleus for the distribution of force, for the conservation of faculty, for the assimilation of experience, and for the preservation [70] of memory. These atoms are in direct connection with one or other of the three Great rays in connection with the microcosm:—

  a. The Monadic Ray, the synthetic ray of the microcosm.

  b. The Egoic Ray.

  c. The Personality Ray.

  of the higher Triad) and these three give rise to the dense physical manifestation.

  Each of these rays has a connection with one or other of the permanent atoms in the lower threefold man, and has a direct action upon the spirillae (27) found within the atom. We have noted in “Letters on Occult Meditation” that the atoms of the lower threefold man underwent a twofold process:—

  They were first vivified in rotation, and each held the light in ordered sequence until the lower triangle was entirely illumined.

  Eventually transmutation took place, or (to word it otherwise) the polarisation eventually shifted into the three permanent atoms of the Triad, and out of the three permanent atoms of the lower triangle. The physical permanent atom is transcended and the polarisation becomes manasic or mental, the astral permanent atom is transcended and the polarisation becomes buddhic, while the mental unit is superseded by the permanent [71] atom, of the fifth plane, the atmic. This is all brought about by the action of the three rays upon the atoms and upon the life within each atom. The relationship between these three rays and the permanent atoms might be summarised as follows:

  The Personality Ray has direct action upon the physical permanent atom.

  The Egoic Ray has a similar action upon the astral permanent atom.

  The Monadic Ray has a close connection with the mental unit.

  The effect which they have is threefold, but is not simultaneous; they work ever, as do all things in Nature, in ordered cycles. The stimulation, for instance, that is the result of the action of the monadic Ray upon the mental unit is only felt when the aspirant treads the Path, or after he has taken the first Initiation. The action of the egoic Ray upon the astral permanent atom is felt as soon as the Ego can make good connection with the physical brain; when this is so the egoic ray is beginning to affect the atom powerfully and continuously; this occurs when a man is highly evolved and is nearing the Path. This threefold force is felt in the following way:

  First. It plays upon the wall of the atom as an external force and affects its rotary and vibratory action.

  Second. It stimulates the inner fire of the atom and causes its light to shine with increasing brilliancy.

  Third. It works upon the spirillae, and brings them all gradually into play.

  II. THE PERSONALITY RAY AND THE PERMANENT ATOM

  The Personality Ray deals with the first four spirillae, and is the source of their stimulation. Note here the [72] correspondence to the lower quaternary and its stimulation by the ego. The Egoic Ray concerns itself with the fifth spirilla and with the sixth, and is the cause of their emerging from latency and potentiality into power and activity. The Monadic Ray is the source of the stimulation of the seventh spirilla.

  There is great interest attached to this subject and wide reaches of thought and vast fields for investigation open up before the earnest student. This threefold action varies in point of time and sequence according to the ray itself upon which the Monad may be found; but the subject is too vast to be handled at this time.

  In looking at the matter from the standpoint of fire the idea may be grasped a little through the realisation that the latent fire of matter in the atom is brought into brilliance and usefulness by the action of the personality Ray which merges with this fire and stands in the same position to the permanent atom in the microcosm as FOHAT does on the cosmic plane. The fire is there hidden within the sphere (whether the sphere systemic or the sphere atomic) and the personality Ray in the one case, and Fohat in the other, acts as the force which brings latency into activity and potentiality into demonstrated power. This correspondence should be thought out with care and judgment. Just as Fohat has to do with active manifestation or objectivity, so the personality Ray has to do with the third, or activity aspect in the microcosm. The work of the third aspect logoic was the arranging of the matter of the system so that eventually it could be built into form through the power of the second aspect. Thus the correspondence works out. By life upon the physical plane (that life wherein the physical permanent atom has its full demonstration) the matter is arranged and separated that must eventually be built into the Temple of Solomon, the egoic body, through the agency of the egoic life, the second [73] aspect. In the quarry of the personal life are the stones prepared for the great Temple. In existence upon the physical plane and in the objective personal life is that experience gained which demonstrates as faculty in the Ego. What is here suggested would richly repay our closest attention, and open up before us reaches of ideas, which should eventuate in a wiser comprehension, a sounder judgment, and a greater encouragement to action.

  III. THE PERSONALITY RAY AND KARMA

  It might be wise here to recapitulate a little so that in the refreshing of the memory may come the basis of further knowledge. We dealt first with the three fires of the system, macrocosmic and microcosmic, and having laid down certain hypotheses we passed to the consideration of the first of the fires, that which is inherent in matter. Having studied it somewhat in its threefold manifestation in the various parts of the system, including man, we took up the matter of the personality Ray and its relationship to this third fire. We must recall here that all that has been dealt with has been in relation to matter, and for the whole of this first section this thought must be borne carefully in mind.

  In our second section we will consider all from the standpoint of mind, and in the final from the standpoint of the Divine Ray. Here we are dealing with what H. P. B. calls the primordial ray and its manifestations in matter. (See S. D., I, 108; II, 596.) All these Rays of Cosmic Mind, Primordial Activity, and Divine Love-Wisdom are but essential quality demonstrating through the agency of some one factor.

  The Primordial Ray is the quality of motion, demonstrating through matter.

  [74] The Ray of Mind is the quality of intelligent organisation, demonstrating through forms, which are the product of motion and matter.

  The Ray of Love-Wisdom is the quality of basic motive that utilises the intelligent organisation of matter in motion to demonstrate in one synthetic whole the great Love aspect of the Logos. (S. D., I, 99, 108; II, 596.)

  This line of thought can be worked out also correspondingly in the Microcosm, and will show how individual man is engaged in the same type of work on a lesser scale as the solar Logos.

  At this point i
n the treatise we are confining our attention to the Ray of Active Matter, or to that latent heat in substance which underlies its activity and is the cause of its motion. If we think with sincerity and with clarity we will see how closely therefore the Lipika Lords or the Lords of Karma are associated with this work. Three of Them are closely connected with Karma as it concerns one or other of the three great Rays, or the three FIRES, while the fourth Lipika Lord synthesizes the work of his three Brothers and attends to the uniform blending and merging of the three fires. On our planet, the Earth, They find Their points of contact through the three “Buddhas of Activity,” (30) (the correspondence should be noted here) and the fourth Kumara, the Lord of the World. Therefore, we arrive at the realisation that the personality Ray, in its relation to the fire of matter, is directly influenced and adjusted in its working by one of the Buddhas of Activity.

  [75] The karma (31, 32, 33) of matter itself is an abstruse subject and has as yet scarcely been hinted at. It is nevertheless indissolubly mixed up with the karma of the individual. It involves a control of the evolution of the monadic essence, the elemental essence and of the atomic matter of the plane; it is concerned with the development of the four spirillae, with their activity, with their attachment to forms when atomic, and with the development of the inner latent heat and its gradual fiery increase until we have within the atom a repetition of what is seen within the causal body: the destruction of the periphery of the atom by the means of burning. It deals with the subject of the building of matter into form by the interaction of the two rays, the Divine and the Primordial, producing thereby that fire by friction which tends to life and fusing.