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Esoteric Psychology II - Chapter II - The Ray of Personality - The Appropriation of the Bodies
It is interesting to remember that the etheric body is uniquely constituted; it is the instrument of life, predominantly, more so than the instrument of quality. It is the factor which produces and sustains the instrument of appearance, the physical body. It will be recalled that in Volume One of this Treatise, the human being was differentiated into the [294] three divine aspects: Life, Quality, and Appearance. Through the seven centers in the etheric body, the seven ray energies make their appearance and produce their effects, but at the very heart of each chakra or lotus, there is a vortex of force to be found which is composed of pure manasic energy, and, therefore, is purely energy of the first three rays. This energy is quiescent until an advanced stage of discipleship is reached. It only sweeps into its divine rhythm and activity when the three tiers of petals, found in the egoic lotus (the higher correspondence), are beginning to unfold, and the center of the egoic lotus is becoming vibrant. Though the etheric body of man is an expression of the seven ray qualities in varying degrees of force, the etheric body of a Master is an expression of monadic energy, and comes into full activity after the third initiation. It will be obvious, therefore, that when the psychologist takes into consideration the various types of energy which go to the constitution of a human being and can distinguish (from study and investigation, plus an understanding of the rays) what the energies are which are conditioning a patient, then great strides will be made in handling people. The nature of the human equipment and its internal relationship, as well as the external effects, will be better comprehended. Speaking technically, the extreme psychological position (as it is expressed in the Behavioristic School, which is essentially sound where the dense material mechanism of man is concerned) will fall into its rightful place. Materialistic psychologists have been dealing with the substance energies and with the instinctual life of the organism. These constitute the sum total of the available energies, organized into the form of the automatic physical body, colored as its atoms are by the tendencies and qualities developed in a previous solar system. In our solar system, we are arriving at an understanding and a [295] development of the consciousness aspect of divinity, its quality and characteristic, just as instinctual intelligence or automatic activity was the contribution of the earlier manifestation of God, in which the third aspect was dominant. The problem can be posited and its extent made clear by the following tabulation which gives the rays that may be supposed or imagined to govern or control a problematical or hypothetical man in a particular incarnation. The Ray of the Monad (the life aspect) - Second Ray of Love-Wisdom. The Ray of The Soul (the consciousness aspect) - First Ray of Will or Power. The Ray of the Personality (the matter aspect) - Second Ray of Love-Wisdom. Ray of the mental body - Fifth Ray of Concrete Science. Ray of the astral body - Sixth Ray of Devotion. Ray of the physical body - Second Ray of Love-Wisdom. Certain ideas should here be considered. They are here given in the form of statements, but we will not elaborate them, simply leaving them to the student for his pondering and careful thinking. Only initiates are in a position to sense, determine, or discover the nature of their monadic ray or that of their disciples. The monadic ray is that life element in man with which They have definitely to deal as They seek to prepare him for initiation. It is the "unknown quantity" in a man's nature. It does not, however, greatly complicate his problem in the three worlds of ordinary human endeavor, as it remains relatively quiescent until after the third initiation, though it basically conditions the etheric body itself. The three rays (termed, in The Secret Doctrine, "the [296] three periodical vehicles") are therefore the rays of the monad, the ego and the personality, and are essentially three streams of energy, forming one great life stream. These relate a human being to the three aspects or expressions of divinity in manifestation: The monadic ray is the energy which, when consciously employed, relates the initiate to the Father or Spirit aspect and gives Him "the freedom of the solar system". The egoic ray, when consciously utilized, relates the disciple to the second aspect of divinity and gives him the "freedom of the planetary sphere". The personality ray, again when consciously governed and employed, relates a man to the matter or substance aspect of divinity and gives him the "freedom of the three worlds" and of the subhuman kingdoms in nature. Taking the hypothetical chart given above, students should notice how the rays of the personality relate them, within the sphere or periphery of their own manifestation, to the major rays of the monad, ego or personality. This is a correspondence (within the microcosmic manifestation) to the macrocosmic situation, touched upon in the previous paragraph. In the case cited (which is one of quite usual occurrence) we find that The fifth ray of the mental body relates the man to his egoic ray, thereby facilitating soul contact. Had it related him to his monadic ray a very different situation would have eventuated. - The line of 1.3.5.7. must ever be remembered. The sixth ray of the astral body relates the man to his [297] monadic ray, and it will finally constitute his astral-buddhic approach to life, and will be employed when he takes the fourth initiation. This ray relates him also to his personality and intensifies his natural problem. - The line of 2.4.6. must also be carefully borne in mind. The second ray quality of his physical body relates him both to the personality and finally to the monad. It is, therefore, for him a great problem, a great opportunity, and a great "linking" energy. It makes the life of the personality exceedingly dominant and attractive, and at the same time facilitates the future contact (whilst in a physical body) with the monad. His problem of soul consciousness will not, however, be so easily solved.
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