A Treatise on Cosmic Fire

by Alice A Bailey

  a. Differentiation, the involutionary process, or the one becoming the many, the homogeneous becoming the heterogeneous.

  b. Balance, or the process of karmic adjustment.

  c. Synthesis, or spiritualisation, the many again becoming the One.

  d. Obscuration, or liberation, the end of the evolutionary process, or the freeing of Spirit from the limitations of matter.

  By this we must understand that all incarnations on the physical plane are not of equal importance, but some are of more moment than others; some, from the point of view of the Ego, are practically negligible, others count; some are to the evolving human Spirit of importance analogous to the incarnation of a planetary Logos in a globe, or through a root-race, whilst others are as relatively unimportant to him as the manifestation of a branch-race is to a Heavenly Man.

  As yet, owing to the small point of development of the average man, the astral incarnations or cycles count for little, but they are by no means to be discounted, and are oft relatively of more importance than the physical. In due course of time the astral cycles will be better comprehended and their relation to the physical. When it is realised that the physical body is not a principle but that the kama-manasic principle (or desire-mind principle) is one of the most vital to man then the period or cycle in which a man functions on the fifth subplane of the astral (the fundamentally kama-manasic plane) will assume its rightful place. It is so again with the mental cycles and so with the causal. The causal cycles or the egoic cycles, which include all the groups of lesser [304] cycles in the three worlds correspond to a complete round in the cycles of a Heavenly Man. There are seven such cycles, but the number of lesser cycles (included within the seven) is one of the secrets of Initiation.

  The egoic cycles proceed in groups of sevens and of threes, and not in groups of fours and sevens as do the personality cycles, and the same ratio must be predicated of the central cycles of a Heavenly Man and of a solar Logos.

  The monadic cycles proceed in groups of ones and of threes as do the basic cycles of those great Entities of which man is the microcosmic reflection. If the general concept here laid down is studied in relation to the schemes, and other forms of manifestation to each other and, if the microcosm himself is studied as the clue to the whole, some idea will begin to permeate the mind as to the purpose underlying all these manifestations. It should be borne also in mind that just as the average man in each incarnation achieves three objects:

  1. The development of consciousness or the awakening of the faculty of awareness,

  2. The achievement of a certain proportion of permanent faculty, or the definite increase of the content of the causal body,

  3. The making of karma, or the setting in motion (by action), of causes which necessitate certain unavoidable effects,

  so a Heavenly Man at one stage of His evolution does the same. As man progresses and as he enters upon the Probationary Path and the subsequent Path of Initiation, he succeeds in bringing about some further noticeable developments.

  1. As before, his consciousness expands, but he begins to work intelligently from above and does not work blindly on the lower planes. [305]

  2. The building of the causal body is carried to full completion, and he begins next to shatter what he earlier wrought, and to destroy the Temple so carefully constructed, finding it too to be a limitation.

  3. He ceases to make karma in the three worlds, but begins to work it off, or, literally, to “wind up his affairs.”

  So do the Heavenly Men, for They likewise have a cosmic path to tread, analogous to that trodden by man, as he nears the goal of his endeavor.

  Again we can with exactitude carry the concept further still, and predicate action of a similar nature by the solar Logos.

  The consideration of this question is nearly concluded and it must be apparent that the relation between the aforementioned manifestations is of a psychic nature (using the word psychic in its true sense, as having reference to the psyche, or soul, or consciousness) and deals with the gradual expansion of Soul-Knowledge in a Heavenly Man. A word of warning should here be sounded. Though all these cosmic Beings find in man a reflection of Their Own Nature, yet the analogy of resemblance must not be pushed to extremity. Man reflects, but he reflects not perfectly; man is evolving, but he is not occupied with the same problems in exact detail as are the perfected Manasaputras.

  Man aims at becoming a Divine Manasaputra, or perfected Son of Mind showing forth all the powers inherent in mind, and thus becoming like unto his monadic source, a Heavenly Man. A Heavenly Man has developed Manas, and is occupied with the problem of becoming a Son of Wisdom, not inherently but in full manifestation. A solar Logos is both a Divine Manasaputra and likewise a Dragon of Wisdom, and His problem concerns itself [306] with the development of the principle of cosmic Will which will make Him what has been called a “Lion of Cosmic Will.”

  Throughout all these graded manifestations the law holds good, and the lesser is included in the greater. Hence the need for the student to preserve with care a due sense of proportion, a discrimination as to time in evolution, and a just appreciation of the place of each unit within its greater sphere. Having sounded this note of warning we can now proceed with the concluding remarks anent this final question.

  It has been stated that a mystery lies hid in the 777 incarnations. This figure provides room for much speculation. (S.D., I, 191) It should be pointed out that it does not hold the number of a stated cycle of incarnations through which a man must pass, but holds the key to the three major cycles previously mentioned. Primarily this number applies to the planetary Logos of our scheme and not so much to other schemes. Each Heavenly Man has His number and the number of our Heavenly Man lies hid in the above three figures, just as 666 and 888 holds the mystery hid of two other Heavenly Men. This number 777 is also the number of transmutation, which is the fundamental work of all the Heavenly Men. The basic work of man is accumulation and acquisition, or the acquiring of that which must later be transmuted. The work of transmutation, or the true cycle of 777 commences on the Probationary Path, and is definitely the activity of a Heavenly Man being realised and responded to by the cells in His Body. Only when His Body has reached a certain vibratory movement can He truly influence the individual cells. This work of transmuting cell activity was begun on this planet during the last root-race, and the divine alchemy proceeds. The progress made is as yet but small, but each transmuted [307] conscious cell increases the speed and the accuracy of the work. Time alone is needed for the completion of the work. In connection with this matter of transmutation comes the legend of the Philosopher’s Stone, which is literally the application of the Rod of Initiation, in one sense.

  DIVISION A - THE NATURE MANAS OR MIND

  [308] I. Three manifestations of manas.

  II. Some definitions of manas:

  1. Manas is the fifth principle.

  2. Manas is electricity.

  3. Manas is that which produces cohesion.

  4. Manas is the key opening the door into the fifth kingdom.

  5. Manas is the synthetic vibration of five rays.

  6. Manas is the intelligent will or ordered purpose of an existence.

  We enter now upon a very important division of our subject, and take up for consideration the Fire of Mind, cosmically, systemically, and humanly considered. We have dealt with the fire of matter, and studied for a while its purpose, origin and work. We considered somewhat the factor of Consciousness, and saw that the great work of a solar Logos, with all included manifesting lives, was the development of a conscious control, and a psychic awareness within certain set limits. Having laid down these preliminary foundation thoughts, we need now to block out, for the sake of clarity, the mass of material that is available on the subject of the manasic fire, which is the animating principle of consciousness itself. Let us first of all get one broad general outline and then proceed to fill in the details.

  I. THREE MANIFESTATIONS OF MANAS
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  1. The fire of mind, cosmically considered. [309]

  2. The fire of mind viewed systemically.

  3. The fire of mind in connection with a human being.

  In other words, what we are endeavoring to do is to study Mind in a solar Logos, a planetary Logos and in the Microcosm. Each of these three main divisions may be dealt with under four lesser heads which may be expressed as follows:

  a. The origin of cosmic, systemic and microcosmic mind.

  b. The place of mind in evolution in all three cases.

  c. The present stage of development of mind in each of the three groups.

  d. The future of mind, or of manasic unfoldment.

  When we have taken up these points, we should have a clearer idea as to the purpose and place of the fire of the intelligence, and should be able accurately to comprehend its correlating synthetic work.

  Before, however, following up these ideas it might prove of value to us if we sought to define this principle of manas and see what is already understood by it.

  II. DEFINITIONS OF MANAS OR MIND

  1. Manas, as we already know, is the fifth principle.

  Here enter in certain factors and analogies that it would be of profit to us to mention at this juncture.

  This fifth principle embodies the basic vibration of the fifth plane, either cosmically or systemically considered. A certain sound of the logoic Word, when it [310] reaches the mental plane, causes a vibration in the matter of that plane, arrests its tendency to dissipate, causes it to take spheroidal form, and builds it literally into a body which is held in coherent shape by a mighty deva Entity, the Raja Lord of the mental plane. Exactly the same procedure ensued on cosmic levels, when a still mightier sound was uttered by the ONE ABOUT WHOM NAUGHT MAY BE SAID, and the utterance of this caused a vibration on the fifth cosmic plane. Certain great Entities became active, including such relatively unimportant Beings as our solar Logos and His group.

  This fifth principle is the distinctive coloring of a particular group of solar Logoi on the causal level of the cosmic mental, and is the animating factor of Their Existence, the reason of Their manifesting through various solar systems, and the great Will-to-be that brings Them forth into objectivity.

  Manas has been defined as mind, or that faculty of logical deduction and reasoning, and of rational activity that distinguishes man from the animals. Yet it is something much more than that for it underlies all manifestation, and the very shape of an amoeba, and the discriminative faculty of the lowest atom or cell, is actuated by mind of some kind or another. It is only as the place of that discriminating cell or atom within its greater sphere is apprehended, and recognised, that any clear conception will be gained of what that coherent rational inclusive mentality may be.

  2. Manas is electricity. (121)

  The fire of Mind is fundamentally electricity, shown in its higher workings, and not considered so much as [311] force in matter. Electricity in the solar system shows itself in seven major forms, which might be expressed as follows:

  Electricity on the first plane, the logoic or divine, demonstrates as the Will-to-be, the primary aspect of that force which eventually results in objectivity. Cosmically considered, it is that initial impulse or vibration, which emanates from the logoic causal body on the cosmic mental plane, and makes contact with the first cosmic etheric, or the solar plane of adi.

  Electricity on the monadic plane demonstrates as the first manifestation of form, as that which causes forms to cohere. Matter (electrified by “fire by friction”) and the electric fire of spirit meet and blend, and form appears. Form is the result of the desire for existence, hence the dynamic fire of Will is transmuted into the burning fire of Desire. I would call attention to the choice of those two phrases, which might also be expressed under the terms:

  Dynamic electrical manifestation.

  Burning electrical manifestation.

  Here on the second plane, the sea of electrical fire, which distinguished the first plane, is transformed into the akasha, or burning etheric matter. It is the plane of the flaming Sun, just as the first plane is that of the fire mist [312] or the nebulae. This idea will be easier to comprehend if it is borne in mind that we are dealing with the cosmic physical plane.

  Certain things take place on the second plane which need realisation, even if already theoretically conceded:

  Heat or flaming radiation is first seen.

  Form is taken, and the spheroidal shape of all existence originates.

  The first interplay between the polar opposites is felt.

  Differentiation is first seen, not only in the recognised duality of all things, but in differentiation in motion; two vibrations are recognised.

  Certain vibratory factors begin to work such as attraction, repulsion, discriminative rejection, coherent assimilation, and the allied manifestation of revolving forms, orbital paths and the beginning of that curious downward pull into matter that results in evolution itself.

  The primary seven manifestations of logoic existence find expression and the three, with the four, commence their work.

  The seven wheels, or etheric centres in the body etheric of that great cosmic Entity, of Whom our solar Logos is a reflection, begin to vibrate and His life activity can be seen.

  We are at this juncture considering the manifestations of electricity on the different planes of the cosmic physical plane, or on our solar systemic planes. Hence, all that can be seen in manifestation is fundamentally physical electricity. We have seen that the primary manifestation is that which vitalised, tinctured, and pervaded the matter of space, thus embodying—in connection with logoic manifestation—that which is analogous to the vital heat, activity and radiation of a human being, [313] manifesting on the solar physical plane. Certain electrical phenomena distinguish a human being, only (as they have not been expressed or considered in terms of electricity) the analogy has been lost sight of. These demonstrations might be considered as:

  First, that coherent VITALITY which holds the entire body revolving around the central unit of force. It must here be remembered that the entire manifestation of a solar system consists of the etheric body, and the dense body of a Logos.

  Second, that radiatory MAGNETISM which distinguishes man, and makes him active in two ways:

  In relation to the matter of which his vehicles are composed.

  In relation to the units which form his group.

  Third, that ACTIVITY on the physical plane which results in due performance of the will and desire of the indwelling entity, and which in man is the correspondence of the Brahma aspect.

  These three electrical manifestations—vitality, magnetism, and fohatic impulse—are to be seen at work in a solar Logos, a Heavenly Man and a human being. They are the objective manifestations of the psychic nature, which (in a solar Logos, for instance) we speak of in terms of quality, and call will, wisdom, activity. Therefore, it should be noted here that the first three planes of the cosmic physical plane—the logoic, monadic, and atmic planes—are of prime importance and are the basic planes from whence emanate the secondary four; in other words, the first three cosmic ethers embody in a literal sense those three Entities whom we know as Mahadeva, Vishnu, and Brahma. In a similar sense these Three find Their densest objectivity in the three physical ethers. The lower four manifest during evolution, but are eventually synthesised into the higher [314] three. It should be also remembered that on all the seven subplanes of a solar plane a process, in connection with electrical phenomena in etheric matter, will parallel all the processes on the major planes. This is easily to be seen on the mental plane, for instance, in connection with Man. Theoretically, the absorption of all faculty by the causal body, and the discontinuance of all enforced objectivity in the three worlds at the close of the synthesising period is conceded. On the other planes it is not so obvious. On the buddhic plane, the Builders on the evolutionary arc, or a large part of the deva evolution, undergo a paralleling synt
hesis. On the physical plane a mysterious synthesis in connection with the “spirit of the Earth” is undergone, and the first three ethers are related to him in a way as yet little understood.

  We might sum it up thus:

  First, the balancing of electrical phenomena, or the achievement of synthesis in connection with Man, transpires on the three higher levels of the mental plane.

  Second, a similar process in connection with a Heavenly Man transpires on the three higher subplanes of the monadic plane. Viewed in a larger sense it takes place on the three major planes—the atmic, buddhic, and manasic—just as in the three worlds of human evolution—the physical, astral, and mental—the synthesising process proceeds on the higher of the three involved.

  Third, in connection with a solar Logos (within the system and not considering His cosmic synthesis) the three higher subplanes of the logoic plane see His final absorption or abstraction, and the three planes of the three Logoi are similarly concerned.

  It should here be carefully borne in mind that we are dealing with electrical matter, and are therefore concerned with cosmic etheric substance; all matter in the system is necessarily etheric. We are consequently dealing literally with physical phenomena on all planes of [315] the system. In time and space we are concerned with units of different polarity which—during the evolutionary process—seek union, balance, equilibrium or synthesis, and eventually find it. This electrical interplay between two units causes that which we call light, and thereby objectivity. During evolution this demonstrates as heat and magnetic interaction and is the source of all vital growth; at the achievement of the desired goal, at union, or at-one-ment, two things occur:

  First, the approximation of the two poles, or their blending, causes a blazing forth, or radiant light.

  Second, obscuration, or the final disintegration of matter owing to intense heat.