Study set 5 - THE COMING ONE

Contents of Study Set
Seed Thought
Reading Assignment
Written Work to be Completed
Letter from Teaching Staff
Various Major Yogas
Individualization and Initiation

SEED THOUGHT

Let not the lesser voices crowd out the voice of the soul, either the voice of your soul or of your brother's soul.

1. If the Coming One comes during our lifetime, how do you suppose we might recognize Him? Please use your imagination and make your answer as realistic and practical as you can.

2. By now you have accrued some experience in establishing the daily group disciplines as a regular part of your daily life. As a result of patiently and persistently building these group practices (morning meditation, daily study, noon recollection, five o'clock alignment, and evening review) into your everyday living, you have learned important lessons concerning the soul and its (obedient or willful) triple instrument. For it is by choosing to impose these practices upon your pattern of living, that you verily place the soul upon the throne.

Won't you share this valuable experience with others by writing a list of practical hints on how to keep the disciplines regular despite outer hindrances and inner resistances. Your suggestions on how to adhere to the daily spiritual work will be most helpful to the rest of us. And you will have the satisfaction of adding to the richness of group experience.

"To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven… a time to keep silence, and a time to speak…"

When the seed of aspiration is planted deep in the heart of the aspirant he enters into a silent communion with his soul. The seedling hope for spiritual growth must take refuge in the soft dark silence of the heart, for it is tender and fragile and its powers are yet undeveloped. Germinating aspiration must ever be kept obscure, quiet, and protected so that the tiny seed may have the necessary time to root and sprout.

An absolute requirement of this bursting-forth period is the preservation of a sacred silence. While the alchemical alignment of soul, mind, and heart works its magic upon the personality of the individual he must keep the silence. To speak is to allow the flow of soul energy to be dissipated wantonly. To examine verbally each new sprout of soul knowledge is as unwise for the aspirant as it would be for the gardener to dig up his rootlet every two or three days to see how it was coming along.

And while it would be unwise enough for the gardener to do this to satisfy his own curiosity, it would be even more unwise for him to take the rootlet around to his family, friends, and neighbors for their constant approval. They would soon grow weary of both him and his seemingly-fanatical interest in gardening. And so, too, it is with the aspirant. His interest in soul growth is his interest. There is no reason to suppose that anyone else cares the least bit about how his enlightenment is coming along. It is strictly a matter between him and his soul.

The student who burdens family and friends with endless dialogue about his study work, who leaves his study papers strewn all over the coffee table (where someone just might see them and possibly turn to their proprietor for a few brilliant remarks), or who demands that the entire household either vacate the premises or tiptoe around, speaking only in hushed whispers, while he meditates, is sowing the seeds of resistance to the life of the soul in all those who are in his proximity. He may think that it is essential to the solving of his problems of growth that everyone should at least attempt to understand the seriousness and depth of his new undertaking. However, the student would handle daily problems more effectively if he were to make a greater effort to understand the family -- rather than expecting the family to understand him. As a meditator he is bringing in powers of the soul; therefore, he has access to a higher understanding and is responsible for going three-fourths of the way. Part of this responsibility is learning to exercise some restraint on his growing enthusiasm.

In the endeavor to go three-fourths of the way the student would be well rewarded if he would give daily consideration to the power of speech and the power of silence. Until he understands the living force of the spoken word, and until he learns to utilize the silence of the soul for the bringing about of desired effects on one plane or another, he can never enter into that sphere of work wherein every sound and every spoken word produces powerful results in matter of some kind. He must understand the meaning of purposefully and deliberately using speech and silence if he is to become a creator in mental matter effecting results in the emotional and physical planes.

The student learns to understand the subtle energy of speech and silence as he faithfully continues the practice of meditation. Daily raising his attention into the realm of the soul, he gradually learns the methods of correct speech; that is, the speech which conveys clear meanings and is motivated by an unselfish concern for the inner welfare and inner growth of others. If his words are loving, they will be harmless. Harmless words reflect harmless thoughts, which, in turn, reflect harmless motives. There is never any excuse for cruelty on any level.

As the Student comprehends more and more the dynamic properties of speech, he discovers a simultaneous comprehension of the nature of that silence which is at the core of every human being, regardless of the appearance of his outer life. It is not a silence which is cold or calculating or indifferent. It is simply a silence which enables him to think and feel and say those things which are essentially true and valuable and right. He avoids those words which tend to divide or isolate individuals. He refuses to initiate or take part in criticism -- just or unjust. He does not interfere with the lives of others, and he keeps as sacred that which is revealed to him in confidence. His life is motivated by understanding and by love, and he is animated by a spirit of protection. His mind has acquired a sense of discrimination; that which he has gained from his studies and meditation is used in an intelligent way.

There is not one among us who has not desired, almost to the bursting point, to share each new insight, each spiritual discovery, with those nearest and dearest in our personal life. But, by the light and strength of group effort let us somehow together learn spiritual discretion.

It might be of value here if we dealt with the various "yogas" so as to give to the student a clear concept as to their distinctions and thus cultivate his discrimination. The principal yogas are three in number, the various other so-called "yogas" finding their place in one of these three groups:

Raja Yoga stands by itself and is the king science of them all; it is the summation of all the others, it is the climax and that which completes the work of development in the human kingdom. It is the science of the mind and of the purposeful will, and brings the higher of man’s sheaths in the three worlds under the subjection of the Inner Ruler. This science coordinates the entire lower three fold man, forcing him into a position where he is nothing but the vehicle for the soul, or God within. It includes the other yogas and profits by their achievements. It synthesizes the work of evolution and crowns man as king.

Bhakti Yoga is the yoga of the heart; it is the bringing into submission of all the feelings, desires and emotions, to the one beloved, seen and known in the heart. It is the sublimation of all the lower loves and the bringing captive of all longings and desire, to the one longing to know the God of love and the love of God.

It was the "kingly" or crowning science of the last rootrace, the Atlantean, just as the science of Raja Yoga is the great science of our Aryan civilization. Bhakti Yoga made its exponent an arhat and led him to the fourth initiation, Raja Yoga makes him an adept and leads him to the portal of the fifth initiation. Both lead to liberation, for the arhat is released from the cycle of rebirth but Raja Yoga liberates him to complete service and freedom to work as a White Magician. Bhakti Yoga is the yoga of the heart, of the astral body.

Karma Yoga has a specific relation to physical plane activity, and to the working out into objective manifestation of all the inner impulses. In its ancient and simplest form it was the yoga of the third or Lemurian root race and its two best known expressions are:

The former has specifically to do with the physical body, its conscious (not subconscious and automatic) functioning and all the various practices which give man control over the different organs and the entire mechanical apparatus of the physical body. The latter has to do with the etheric body, with the force centers or chakras found in that body and with the distribution of force currents and the awakening of the serpent fire.

It might be pointed out that if we divide the human torso into three departments it might be stated that:

Raja Yoga, which Patanjali primarily deals with, includes the effects of all the others. It is only possible when the others have been worked with, but not in the sense of working with them in this life. Evolution has brought all the sons of men (who are ready to be chelas or disciples), through the various races, and whilst in the Lemurian race (or else on the preceding chain or greater cycle) they were all hatha and laya yogins. This resulted in the development and control of the dual physical body, dense and etheric.

Whilst in the Atlantean race the desire or astral body was developed, and the flower of that race were true sons of bhakti yoga and true devotees. Now the highest of the three bodies must be brought to its fullest development and this Raja Yoga is intended to do and this is the object of Patanjali's work. The Aryan race will contribute this fuller development to the general economy, and the entire human family (with the exception of a percentage which entered the race too late to permit of the full flowering of the soul) will manifest as Sons of God with all the powers of the God unfolded and consciously used on the physical plane and in the physical body.

All the various yogas have had their place in the unfoldment of the human being. In the first purely physical race, which is called the Lemurian, the yoga at that time imposed upon infant humanity was Hatha Yoga, the yoga of the physical body, that yoga which brings into conscious use and manipulation the various organs, muscles and parts of the physical frame. The problem before the adepts of that time was to teach human beings, who were then little more than animals, the purpose, significance and use of their various organs, so that they could consciously control them, and the meaning of the symbol of the human figure. Therefore, in those early days, through the practice of Hatha Yoga, the human being reached the portal of initiation. At that time the attainment of the third initiation, resulting in the transfiguration of the personality, was the highest initiation that man was cap-able of achieving.

In Atlantean days, the progress of the sons of men was pro-cured through the imposition of the two yogas. First, the yoga which is called by the name of Laya Yoga, the yoga of the centers which produced a stabilizing of the etheric body and of the centers in man and the development of the astral and psychic nature. Later on, Bhakti Yoga, growing out of the development of the emotional or astral body, was incorporated with Laya Yoga and the foundation of that mysticism and devotion, which has been the underlying incentive during our particular Aryan root race, was laid. The fourth initiation was at that time the objective. The subject of these great initiations has been discussed more at length in INITIATION, HUMAN AND SOLAR.

Now, in the Aryan race, the subjugation of the mental body and the control of the mind is brought about through the practice of Raja Yoga, and the fifth initiation is the goal for evolving humanity. Thus, all the yogas have had their place and served a useful purpose and it will become apparent that any return to Hatha Yoga practices or those practices which deal specifically with the development of the centers, brought about through various types of meditation practices and breathing exercises, is, from a certain aspect, a retrogression. It will be found that through the practice of Raja Yoga, and through assuming that point of directional control which is to be found by the man who centers his consciousness in the soul, the other forms of yoga are unnecessary, for the greater yoga automatically includes all the lesser in its results, though not in its practices.

The Science of Raja Yoga, or the "Kingly Science of the Soul," as laid down by its main exponent, Patanjali, will eventually find its greatest demonstration in the West. This is owing to the fact that --under cyclic law -- the fifth root race (in its fifth subrace) must inevitably touch its highest point. That point, in the economy of the races, is seen exemplified in the right use of the mind and its utilization by the soul for the achievement of group objectives and the development of group consciousness upon the physical plane.

Hitherto the mind has either been prostituted to material ends or has been deified. Through the science of Raja Yoga, the mind will be known as the instrument of the soul and the means whereby the brain of the aspirant becomes illuminated and knowledge gained of those matters which concern the realm of the soul.

Under the law of evolution, the mind being the fifth principle, the fifth root race must be intimately concerned with it, and its corresponding fifth subrace more intimately than any other. Students would do well to bear in mind the following correspondences:

1. The fifth root race Aryan.
2. The fifth subrace Anglo-Saxon.
3. The fifth principle manas, or mind.
4. The fifth plane the mental.
5. The fifth ray concrete knowledge.
from THE LIGHT OF THE SOUL pages 120-3, VII-IX.

In the early history of humanity there was a great crisis which we call individualization. At that time the solar Angels, in response to a demand or a pull from the race of animal-men (as a whole, note that), sent a portion of their energy, embodying the quality of mentalization, to these animal-men. They fecundated, if I might so express it, the brain. Thus was humanity brought into being. This germ, however, carried within it two other potentialities, that of spiritual love and spiritual life. These must in due time make their appearance.

The flowering forth of the mind in men, which so distinguishes the present age, indicates to the solar Angel a second crisis, of which the first was but the symbol. That for which the solar Angel exists is making its presence felt within humanity, and another strong pull is being exerted upon the solar Angel which this time will produce a second fecundation. This will give to man those qualities which will enable him to transcend human limitation, and become a part of the fifth or spiritual kingdom in nature. The first effort of the solar Angel turned animal-men into human beings; the second will turn human beings into spiritual entities, plus the gains of experience in the human family...

It is perhaps a new thought to some that the soul is organizing itself for new effort, re-orienting its forces, and preparing for a fresh and powerful impulse, but so it is. All forms of life under the force of evolution pass from initiation to initiation and the soul is not exempt from the process. Just as the soul of animal-man became united with another divine principle, and so brought into being the fourth kingdom in nature, so the soul in humanity is seeking contact with another divine aspect. When that contact is made the Kingdom of God will come on earth; the physical plane will thereby be transformed and that peculiar period, presented symbolically under the term millennium, will come.

The Knowers of God in that era will preponderate over those who are simply aspiring to that knowledge, and their contact and the results of the force they transmit will be felt in all the kingdoms of nature. Dominion over all forms, and the power to act as transmitters of that spiritual energy we call love, is the promised reward of the triumphant solar Angels, and the prized goal of their meditation work... This is the "life more abundant" of which the Christ speaks. This is the achievement of the true Nirvanees who, living in unbroken meditation in the spiritual realm yet can work on earth. The work of initiation is to enable a man to live ever at the center, but to act as a distributor of divine energy in any direction and -- after the later initiations -- in all directions.