| div> | | | | Monad to every cell and atom composing Man's being. |
| The Dweller on the Threshold, "I AM" & the Flame | | | | Practitioners of soul-cultivation should acknowledge its |
| Within. The Rays Governing Man & the Stream of | | | | existence daily. It should be stirred into activity by |
| Consciousness. The Dweller on the Threshold, "I AM" | | | | one's focused thoughts, attention, and devotions. |
| & the Flame Within | | | | The Rays Governing Man & the Stream of |
| To know Man's Reality, his True Self, the seeker | | | | Consciousness |
| after Truth would first have to know the false | | | | We have previously described how the Great Central |
| self--or that which he calls "self"--for this false ego is | | | | Sun is the source of divine energy in our solar |
| the cloud, the veil that hinders true perception of | | | | system. According to occult wisdom, the Cosmic |
| that which is truly the SELF of Man, that which is | | | | Energy--the divine Shakti, has twelve qualities in its |
| called "I AM." Before the Master Jesus began his | | | | nature, five of which are considered "secret." This |
| ministry, he engaged upon a period of introspection, | | | | spectrum of energies, the exoteric seven, and the |
| fasting, meditation, and prayer upon a "mountain top" | | | | esoteric five, are called "Rays." These Rays are the |
| where he was tempted by "Satan." In a parallel event | | | | expression, the very life force of the Deity, and are |
| in the East, hundreds of years before, Gautama | | | | sometimes called aeons or emanations. The first |
| Buddha, before attaining the lofty state of | | | | three Rays of the seven are called "Rays of Aspect"; |
| enlightenment underneath the Bodhi tree, was | | | | they are: the First Ray of Will/Power, the Second |
| tempted by "Mara." Mara and Satan, or in | | | | Ray of Love/Wisdom, and the Third Ray of |
| psychology--the alter ego, are the "adversaries" of | | | | Intelligence/Activity. The second class of Rays are |
| liberation, of soul-development. In modern occult | | | | called "Rays of Attribute." These are: the Ray of |
| terminology, they are the Dweller on the Threshold. | | | | Creativity/Harmony--the Fourth Ray; the Fifth Ray of |
| The Dweller personifies and represents the carnal | | | | Science/Concrete Knowledge; the Sixth Ray of |
| mind and desires, the false ego and its manifold vices | | | | Idealism/Devotion; and the Seventh Ray of |
| that constantly tempt Man to stray from the path of | | | | Ceremony/Order. Each of the various realms in our |
| Truth, from the Path of Righteousness; it also is the | | | | Cosmic Physical Plane is influenced by one or more of |
| subconscious content of the psychosis, phobias, | | | | the Rays. At this time we know almost nothing |
| neurosis, and the morbid sense of sin and guilt that | | | | about the Secret Rays, and although we know very |
| attacks the integrity of the psyche. The Dweller, this | | | | little of the exoteric Rays, they are sufficient enough |
| pseudo-being, is the non-self considered to be the | | | | to provide us food for thought. It is the Law of |
| Self by the lower mind. Most of us are familiar with | | | | Correspondence in particular that gives us a greater |
| the term, "the Voice of Silence"; the promptings of | | | | view of how the Rays relate to our lives and |
| the Dweller is the "Voice of Noise" that disrupts the | | | | evolution. |
| tranquility of the soul. The Dweller is an illusory being | | | | All of the Rays, although having a predominant quality |
| that every spiritual aspirant has to overcome; | | | | of its own, do possess to a lesser degree the |
| although the strategy for overcoming this seemingly | | | | qualities of all of the others. These are called |
| powerful opponent is not by direct attack but by | | | | "subrays." The science of rays gets more complex |
| using the spiritualized intellect in understanding the | | | | because each of these subrays in turn has its own |
| falseness of its assertions, wants, and desires. It is | | | | subrays, ad infinitum. Each life-unit from atom to sun |
| by seeing through the deceptive nature and illusory | | | | is influenced by a certain Ray-quality. Rays mould and |
| existence of this false ego, this Dweller, that we | | | | qualify the consciousness of a life-unit along certain |
| triumph over its subtle attack in the form of | | | | lines of activity and mode of expression. Within Man |
| suggestions. We should appreciate its presence, | | | | it bestows upon him his temperament, his inclinations, |
| though, for it has a role to play in our lives; it is, in | | | | and his idiosyncrasies. |
| fact, a fragment of energy of all that we truly are. | | | | Our sun evolves along the Second Ray of Aspect, |
| Man, when stripped down of all his vestures, down | | | | the Ray of Love, which reveals in a way why Love |
| to his essential being, is that Silent Watcher, that | | | | is such a powerful force in our lives and in our solar |
| great "I AM." Its very nature is Sat-Chit-Ananda, or | | | | system. The subrays of the primary ray of the sun |
| Existence-Consciousness-Bliss. It is the SELF called by | | | | are embodied by the planets in our solar system; |
| some Hindu philosophers "Brahman." It is Man's true | | | | these planets are the chakras in the body of the |
| reality. This SELF is that which spoke to Moses, the | | | | Solar Logos. In certain ancient writings they are called |
| "I Am that I AM" from the burning bush; it is also | | | | "Elohim"--the "Spirits before the Throne." Our beloved |
| that which was referred to by the Nazarene Master | | | | planet is under the influence of the Third Ray of |
| when he said: | | | | Aspect--the Ray of Intelligence/Activity, which is a |
| "Before Abraham was, "I AM." (John 8:58) | | | | subray of the Solar Ray. Now this Ray of Intelligence |
| It is the Divine Presence within Man mentioned in | | | | has its subrays too, and it is these that directly |
| Psalms: | | | | influence the evolution of mankind, individually and |
| "Be still and know that I AM God." (Psalms 46:10) | | | | collectively. The rays, however, are not all in the |
| In the Qabalah, I AM is referred to as "Yekidah." | | | | active mode at any given time. Only five |
| Kashmiri Shaivism calls the I AM, "Ahamta." Initiates | | | | predominate, and this produces the interesting |
| of ancient Egypt represented Ahamta--which in | | | | changes and turn of direction in the progress of |
| Theosophy is the Monad--by "Ptah," the father of | | | | civilization and the psychological and natural bend of |
| the gods. Ptah is often depicted as creating the | | | | mind of humanity. |
| lower gods or principles by the light of his Eye. Ptah | | | | The microcosm of Man, as we have seen, is triune in |
| within the microcosm is the nature of be-ness, or | | | | aspect and septenary in nature. Each principle of Man |
| be-ing. It is, was, and ever will be. Its qualities are | | | | embodies a Ray. Sometimes these Rays conflict |
| is-ness, now-ness, and here-ness. It is the true image | | | | within Man; they pull him in several directions; it is, |
| of deity emanated as a spark from the thought of | | | | therefore, his task to manifest harmony out of their |
| God, from the Divine Consciousness of Parabrahm. | | | | discord, alignment out of their disorder. Once |
| The Ego is the entity within the microcosm growing | | | | alignment occurs in the Rays of the lower three |
| into that I AM image. I AM is the God immanent | | | | principles--the Rays of the physical body, the astral |
| within the microcosm. A wise sage once declared: | | | | form, and the mental sheath, then the Personality |
| "Greater is He [I AM] that is in you, then he [the | | | | Ray emerges and begins to hold sway. Man |
| Dweller] that is in this world." (I John 4:4) | | | | progresses even further when he allows the Egoic |
| The Monad is the SELF that every candidate of the | | | | Ray to influence his consciousness by subduing the |
| Mystery Schools of the past sought to realize. | | | | activity of the predominating Personality Ray. When |
| According to Theosophy, the Monadic core of Man, | | | | this is accomplished, the Monadic Ray will make itself |
| the I AM, resides in the Paranirvanic, or Anupadaka | | | | felt with a repetition of the subduing process on a |
| plane. This is the second highest realm in the Physical | | | | higher spiral in the being of Man. The Personality Ray |
| Cosmic Plane. Monadic essence is to be found within | | | | when active, has a strong effect upon the physical |
| the Ego in the lower realms, and a minuscule spark of | | | | body and its Permanent Seed-Atom; it has an affinity |
| the Spark lies in the depth of Man's physical heart as | | | | with this particular principle more than the others. This |
| a channel and conveyor of Life. | | | | means that as the Personality Ray exerts itself, its |
| The spark in the heart is threefold in aspect: it is will | | | | nature can be perceived clearly in the physical body. |
| power, love/wisdom, and intelligence/activity | | | | What is true for the Personality Ray and the Physical |
| represented in the flame by the fiery colors of blue, | | | | body with its Permanent Seed-Atom is likewise true |
| pink and yellow, respectively. It is about a quarter of | | | | for the Egoic Ray and the astral body with its |
| an inch in height and is said to increase in size in | | | | Emotional Permanent Seed-Atom, and also on a |
| proportion to Man's spiritual development. This flame | | | | higher level for the Monadic Ray and the mental |
| carries the image of deity in its essence. It is the God | | | | sheath with its Permanent Seed-Atom. For some |
| within the heart. This is probably why some sages | | | | particular reason the Monads of Man are only to be |
| declare that the seat of Self, the "I" is in the heart. | | | | found on the Rays of Aspect, and thus as a divine |
| Followers of Zoroaster honour the flame within their | | | | being, Man expresses either the quality of Power, |
| temple three times a day; esoterically speaking, this | | | | Love, or Intelligence. |
| flame is the luminous essence within the heart. Within | | | | As Man evolves, he responds more frequently to the |
| this spiritual fire, symbolically, the flame of | | | | Rays emanating from higher sources, such as the |
| Vesta--goddess of the hearth, is the Permanent | | | | Rays of the Spiritual Hierarchy, the Planetary Ray, |
| Seed-Atom. Most sages of the past of both East | | | | and the Solar Ray, etc. All of the Rays correspond |
| and West, like Paracelsus and Sankaracharya, | | | | with one of the chakras and glands. The |
| acknowledged the existence of this inner flame, this | | | | predominating Ray within Man affects the glands |
| inner man. Even the Upanishads speak about it. For | | | | which in turn secretes substances that manifest a |
| instance, in the Brihad-Aranyaka Upanishad, the inner | | | | certain personality and body type. Thus generally |
| flame is called "Akasha," which literally means radiance. | | | | speaking, there are types of Man with seven basic |
| In Yogic philosophy it is called "Dahara." In Christian | | | | temperaments and appearances. For instance, we |
| scriptures, Peter also mentions this inner being: | | | | have the man of a commanding nature--this typifies |
| "But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that | | | | the First Ray. Another man may express a strong |
| which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a | | | | devotion to an ideal--this is a man of the Sixth Ray. |
| meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of | | | | Individuals with such natures often choose the type |
| great price." (I Peter 3:4) | | | | of vocation or occupation most suited to their |
| In the well-known Buddhist mantra of | | | | natures. In the above example, the man of the First |
| Avalokiteshvara, "Om Mani Padme Hum," meaning "I | | | | Ray may choose to be a soldier; the man of the |
| am the Jewel in the Lotus," the flame is represented | | | | Sixth Ray may choose to be a priest. We evolve |
| by the Jewel and its fiery brilliance. In symbolical | | | | more quickly and fully by knowing the Rays |
| form, the flame within is represented by the "fleur de | | | | governing us and unfolding their qualities within our |
| lys." | | | | soul. Humanity as a whole, however, are not solely |
| The inner flame is Man's direct connection with his | | | | influenced by their individual Rays--Rays from various |
| divinity. Its size is increased by the living of spiritual | | | | sources affect Mankind; these are the Racial Rays; |
| principles. As it grows it raises the vibrations within | | | | the Ray of the Human kingdom; National Rays; Rays |
| the microcosm and conveys the abundant life of the | | | | of Cycles; the Planetary Ray; the Solar Ray, etc. |