A TREATISE ON SEVEN RAYS,

WRITTEN WORK TO BE COMPLETED

1.
Some esoteric students are inclined to consider only unfavorable aspects of the astral body. They tend to regard their own sentient or emotional reactions to life as a troublesome obstacle to spiritual progress.

Others believe that the manifesting power of desire, the dramatic value of emotion, the warmth of feeling and the pleasurable satisfaction of sensation are very important. These people consider their emotional response to the Teaching and to meditation to be the most precious part of their spiritual life.

A pure and controlled emotional body has constructive uses, and is an essential part of the server’s equipment in the outer world. When under the soul’s control:

1. How does the disciple’s emotional equipment serve his own spiritual progress?
2. How can he use his astral body in service to other’s?

2.
The Tibetan repeatedly urges us to maintain the position of a serene detached observer.

One’ emotional equipment is always in use; it is always functioning. One should not try to turn it off but should use it constructively and purposively.

How can the disciple make full use of his emotional equipment and still remain throughout the day the calm, detached observer?

You are now approaching a fascinating, useful and informative area of the teaching – the sevenfold division of life-energy known as the seven rays. This is material of such a practical nature that you will wonder how you ever managed to interpret life without it. And yet this very practicality has its pitfalls about which we are obliged to caution you. Our earnest warning is this: try not to form a fixed viewpoint on your interpretation of each of the ray energies. Let the teaching on the rays flow through your mind and way small waves on the seashore wash over young children who lie on the wet sand pretending to swim. The children lie on the sand and wait for the waves without any sense of urgency. So we urge you to let the ideas lave your mind for awhile without trying to apply them.

As we said this ray knowledge is practical and as you realize its practicality you will be tempted to apply the information to those close to you. You will want to try to analyze your family and friends in the light of the new teaching.

When reading, one’s mind tends to move from the ray to the certain person whom the ray reminds one of. Then every time one reads about that ray, he remembers the person he connected with it. In this way one begins to personalize the ray teaching and he tends to build an image of the ray that resembles the person he has associated with the ray rather than thinking about the ray itself. Then one’s view of the teaching becomes distorted so that it becomes one’s view of the person and not the ray.

Since most people represent five rays, it is not possible to find a particular person who exemplifies any one ray. The soul, the personality, the mental body, the emotional body and the physical body each channel a ray energy. An individual man is composed of many forces.

Unfortunately, astrology has been popularly used to type people. Too many students of astrology have, too early in their contact with astrology, formed definite opinions about the zodiacal signs. As most people use astrology, it diminishes rather than augments their understanding of human nature. They have come to see their fellowmen of stereotypes of certain signs without ever fully understanding the true meanings which those signs symbolize. We must not let the teaching on the rays become as stereotyped as astrological teaching has become.

One of the difficulties of the Aquarian cycle, into which we are so newly entered, is the tendency of the seventh ray energy to formulate too soon. We must guard the teaching from distortion by permitting our minds ample time to chew upon new ideas, digest them thoroughly and assimilate them slowly. There will be plenty of time to make practical application of the teaching on the rays.

The number of pages assigned to you are not excessive, but because the ideas in the reading material are new, it should be read slowly and thoughtfully. Because of this, we have not included extra study material in this study set.

Continue to be mindful not to formulate your opinions o the rays while you absorb this essential part of the wisdom teaching. That which is brittle breaks easily; so keep your thoughts pliable. We know you will enjoy the greater vistas in consciousness which the teaching on the seven rays open up to you. We rejoice with you as, together, we learn to draw upon Hierarchical teaching and thus train and equip ourselves to aid and hasten humanity’s progress.

Your companions on the way,

The Staff of ARCANA

05/16/2004