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Esoteric Psychology I - Section Two - I. The Seven Creative Builders, the Seven Rays
The Sixth Ray of Devotion Special Virtues: Devotion, single-mindedness, love, tenderness, intuition, loyalty, reverence. Vices of Ray: Selfish and jealous love, over-leaning on others, partiality, [209] self-deception, sectarianism, superstition, prejudice, over-rapid conclusions, fiery anger. Virtues to be acquired: Strength, self-sacrifice, purity, truth, tolerance, serenity, balance and common sense. This is called the ray of devotion. The man who is on this ray is full of religious instincts and impulses, and of intense personal feeling; nothing is taken equably. Everything, in his eyes, is either perfect or intolerable; his friends are angels, his enemies are very much the reverse; his view, in both cases, is formed not on the intrinsic merits of either class, but on the way the persons appeal to him, or on the sympathy or lack of sympathy which they shew to his favorite idols, whether these be concrete or abstract, for he is full of devotion, it may be to a person, or it may be to a cause. He must always have a "personal God," an incarnation of Deity to adore. The best type of this ray makes the saint, the worst type, the bigot or fanatic, the typical martyr or the typical inquisitor. All religious wars or crusades have originated from sixth ray fanaticism. The man on this ray is often of gentle nature, but he can always flame into fury and fiery wrath. He will lay down his life for the objects of his devotion or reverence, but he will not lift a finger to help those outside of his immediate sympathies. As a soldier, he hates fighting but often when roused in battle fights like one possessed. He is never a great statesman nor a good business man, but he may be a great preacher or orator. The sixth ray man will be the poet of the emotions (such as Tennyson) and the writer of religious books, either in poetry or prose. He is devoted to beauty and color and all things lovely, but his productive skill is not great unless under the [210] influence of one of the practically artistic rays, the fourth or seventh. His music will always be of a melodious order, and he will often be the composer of oratories and of sacred music. The method of healing for this ray would be by faith and prayer. The way of approaching the Path would be by prayer and meditation, aiming at union with God.
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