Man
is the manifestation in physical matter of the spiritual Monad,
a single spark of the one spirit. The final objective as far as
man, the individual, is concerned, is that his physical life and
activities should be brought under complete and conscious control
of the soul, the reflection of the Monad, or the Christ within.
Through
that control he must dominate circumstances, and make environment
the instrument with which to manipulate matter. In this process
he has to work in, with, and through energy or, as it is also
known, electric force, which has to be applied and directed through
three types of form, manifested as:
a.
The mental body, the first aspect
b.
The astral or emotional body, the second aspect
c.
The physical body, the third aspect
The
mental vibration holds the key to the situation, and by means
of the will seeks to co-ordinate the functions of the physical
body. In some respects it endeavours to link up the consciousness
with the three forms, but it may also repulse and cause separation.
The
astral vibration deals with the quality of the individual, determines
his attractive or repulsive aspects, and also contains the psychic
element. The dense physical level is where consciousness or spirit
is reflected in the material form. The force holding the three
forms together and allowing them to function as a coherent whole,
is contained within the vital or etheric body which is controlled
by the seven centres of energy; these centres are responsible
for the vitalisation and co-ordination of the bodies, and they
correlate these forms with the soul, the main centre of consciousness.
The
correct way of representing the constitution of man would be in
the descending order of Monad, triad, soul, personality. But as
this exposition is primarily intended for the average man who
is still mainly self-centered, it will perhaps be better understood
if the personality is used as the point of reference, and if his
path of unfoldment is indicated in rising order, the path of return
to the Father's home.
The
principal items as set out below, will subsequently be considered
in greater detail:
I.
The Personality:
The
physical plane man or lower self. The personality is a triple
concept, composed of:
1.
The physical body, containing the dual aspects of
(a)
The etheric or vital body.
(b) The dense physical body.
2.
The emotional or astral body.
3.
The mental body, including the lower or concrete mind.
II.
The Soul:
Also
known as the ego, higher Self, inner ruler, the Christ within,
or the son of mind. The soul is not a body. It is the linking
or middle principle, representing the relation between spirit
and matter; the link between God and His form; the Christ principle.
The soul is that which provides consciousness, character and quality
to all manifestations in form, and it is therefore also the inner
guide of the personality.
The
degree of progressive spiritual unfoldment in man is an indication
of the extent to which the soul is asserting its influence, until
eventually the lower self is fully controlled by the soul, and
the doors are opened to the higher spiritual influences to the
energies from the Monad, the Father. The highest aspect of the
soul is represented by the higher or abstract mind, which simultaneously
is the lowest aspect, and therefore the connecting link, between
the soul and the spiritual triad.
III.
The Spiritual Triad:
This
is the triple reflection of the Monad, through which the Father
functions at lower levels. It is expressed as:
1.
Spiritual Will,
2.
Intuition, Love-Wisdom, the Christ principle,
3.
Higher or Abstract Mind.
The
triad stands, on a higher level, in the same relationship to the
Monad as the personality stands to the soul - the lower being
the instrument through which the higher is functioning.
IV.
The Monad:
or
pure spirit, the Father in heaven, reflecting the triplicity of
deity:
1.
Divine Will or Power - The Father.
2.
Love-Wisdom - The Son
3.
Active Intelligence - The Holy Spirit.
Direct
contact between the Monad (the triad) and personality is only
effected when man is nearing the end of his journey of experience
in the three lower worlds, and when the gap in consciousness between
spirit and matter has been bridged by the `lighted way'. The personality
then becomes a direct instrument of service under the direction
of the Monad, by-passing the soul, which then becomes redundant
and is absorbed within the Monad.
Reprinted
with the kind permission of Share International Magazine.
