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Esoteric Psychology II - Chapter II - The Ray of Personality - The Appropriation of the Bodies
You will note also that the monad (2nd ray), the astral body (6th ray) and the physical body (2nd ray) are all along the same line of activity, or of divine energy, creating a most interesting psychological problem. The soul (1st ray) and the mental body (5th ray) are along another line entirely, and this combination presents great opportunity and much difficulty. In the lower expression of the man whose psychological chart we are considering, the psychologist will find a person who is intensely sensitive, inclusive and self-willed. Because of the fact that the second ray personality and the physical body are related by similarity of ray, there will also be a clearly pronounced tendency to lay the emphasis upon material inclusiveness and tangible acquisition, and there will, therefore, be found (in this person) an exceedingly selfish and self-centered man. [298] He will not be particularly intelligent, as only his fifth ray mental body relates him definitely and directly to the mind aspect of Deity, whilst his first ray egoic force enables him to use all means to plan for himself, and to use the will aspect to acquire and to attract the material good he desires or thinks he needs. His predominant second ray equipment, however, will eventually bring the higher values into play. In the higher expression of the same man and when the evolutionary cycle has done its work, we will have a sensitive, intuitive, inclusive disciple whose wisdom has flowered forth, and whose vehicles are outstandingly the channel for divine love. Many such charts could be drawn up and studied, and many such hypothetical cases could present the basis for occult investigation, for diagram, and for the study of the Law of Correspondences. Students would find it of interest to study themselves in this way, and, in the light of the information given in this Treatise on the Seven Rays, they could formulate their own charts, study what they think may be their own rays and the consequent ray effect in their lives, and thus draw up most interesting charts of their own nature, qualities and characteristics. It might be of interest to mention the fact that the moment a man becomes an accepted disciple, some such chart is prepared and placed in the hands of his Master. In fact, four such charts are available, for the rays of the personality vary from one cycle of expression to another and necessitate the keeping of the personality chart up to date. The four basic charts are: The chart of a man's expression at the time of his [299] individualization. This is of course a very ancient chart. In it, the rays of the mental body and of the emotional body are most difficult to ascertain as there is so little mental expression or emotional experience. Only the ray of the soul and of the physical body are clearly defined. The other rays are regarded as only suggestive. This is the chart of the man who is asleep. The chart of a man's expression when the personality reaches its highest independent point of development; - that is, before the soul has taken over conscious control and is functioning at all dominantly. This is the chart of the man who dreams. The chart of a man's expression at that peculiar moment of determining crisis when the soul and personality are at war, when the battle for reorientation is at its highest and the aspirant knows it. He knows that upon the issue of that battle much depends. He is Arjuna upon the field of Kurukshetra. This is the chart of the man awakening. The chart of a man's expression during the life wherein the orientation has been altered, the emphasis of the life forces changed, and the man becomes an accepted disciple. These four charts, depicted or drawn in color according to ray, form the dossier of a disciple, for the Master only deals with general tendencies and never with detail. General trends and predispositions and emphasized characteristics concern Him, and the obvious life patterns. I would call to your attention the increasing use by the psychologists and thinkers of the race of the word "pattern". It is a word which has a deep occult significance. One of the exercises given to the disciple upon the inner planes is [300] connected with these psychological charts or these life patterns. He is asked to study them with care, all four of them, and then to draw up the pattern which embodies for him the goal as far as he, at his present point of development, can sense it. When he takes the first initiation, then the Master adds another pattern or chart to the dossier of the disciple, and the latter can then study: The chart of his condition at the time he became an accepted disciple. The hypothetical chart which he himself drew up earlier in his training as an accepted disciple. The chart of his general psychological condition at the time he took the first initiation. By a careful analysis and comparison of the three charts, he can discover the accuracy or the inaccuracy of his own diagnosis, and thus develop a better sense of proportion as to his own mental perception of himself. It would be interesting later, if students could be set some such task as drawing up an analysis of themselves which could be embodied in a chart, giving the rays that they believe govern their equipment, and stating the reasons for assigning these ray qualities. When the psychologist of the future employs all the available sciences at his disposal and, at the same time, lays the emphasis upon those sciences which deal with the subjective man and not so predominantly with the objective man (though that should not be omitted) we shall then have a fundamental change in the handling of the human problem or equation. This is today a problem which is seriously confronting and distressing the psychologist, the psychiatrist, the neurologist, the social worker and the humanitarian. [301]
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