(A.A. Bailey, A Treatise on Cosmic Fire, pp. 417-424, 1925. — SECTION TWO, DIVISION B. MANAS AS A COSMIC, SYSTEMIC, AND HUMAN FACTOR, IV. THE FUTURE OF MANAS, <1>.)

"IV. THE FUTURE OF MANAS

It is only intended to handle this immense subject primarily in its relation to MAN, leaving the student to work out for himself much of what might be said, and to expand the concept from the unit to the group, and from the group to the totality of groups within the solar system. We will only touch upon the development of the mind in man and hint at some probable developments; we shall endeavour to show that manas, as it evolves, leads to certain distinct characteristics, which distinguish it from other developments which may be seen. The subject therefore will be discussed under the following subheadings:

1. The characteristics of manas.
2. Probable developments of the human mind.
3. Manas in the final rounds.

In studying all these points the emphasis is, of course, to be laid upon the future, and I enlarge not upon that which is already developed.

1. Characteristics of manas.

The main characteristics of manas might be summed up under three heads:

a. Discrimination.
b. Ordered activity.
c. Adaptability.

Let us study these a little and note wherein in days and cycles to come they will be seen working out.

a. Discrimination. This is necessarily almost the statement of a platitude. All students recognise thediscriminative quality of manas and its selective capacity; all recognise the faculty in man which enables him to distinguish intelligently between the Self and the Not-Self. What we are apt to forget is that this faculty persists on all planes, and is threefold in manifestation:

First. Discrimination between the I-consciousness, and that which is cognised in the external world. This is the ability to distinguish between oneself and all other forms extant. It is universally developed and has reached a fairly high stage of evolution.

Second. Discrimination between the Ego and the Personality. This narrows the concept down to the sphere of a man's own consciousness, and enables him to differentiate between his subjective self or soul, and the bodies which hold that soul enshrined. This is not by any means so universally developed. Most men do not as yet distinguish with accuracy between themselves as the THINKER, persistent in time and space, and the vehicle through which they think, which is ephemeral and transient. The real recognition of this essential duality, and the scientific appreciation of it is to be seen in the mystics, the advanced thinkers of the race, the conscious aspirants, and those nearing the Portal of Initiation.

Third. Discrimination between soul and Spirit, or the realisation by the man that not only can he say, "I am"; not only can he realise that "I am That"; but that he can advance to a still further realisation, and say, "I am That I am."

In all these expansions and appreciations the discriminative faculty of manas is utilised.

Therefore, we can see for ourselves the future development, and whereto it will lead mankind. Man now knows himself as a separated unit of consciousness; he NOW distinguishes between himself and all other materialised selves; he now realises himself as distinct from every other functioning sphere of matter from the materialised Logos to the cell in his own physical body, and the cell in all bodies on the physical plane. This separative instinct, this distinguishing self-centredness has been the nursery wherein the infant, man, has segregated himself until he is of full strength, and able to take his share in the work of his group. Only the voluntary merging of interest and of aim is of value, and only that is seen in man as he nears the final part of the path of evolution. It is incident upon an earlier stage of intense self-assertion and intense self-realisation. This stage is with us now; it marks all manifestation, and is the basis of the preservation of identity. It distinguishes:

The Logos and all forms within His body.
The planetary Logoi and all forms within Their bodies.
Man and all forms within his body.

That which must be emphasised is the little realised concept that this assertion of "I am" distinguishes not only man, but is the mantric word which preserves the integrity of all groups likewise. When man can say "I am That" he is beginning to sense his oneness with his group. When groups make a similar assertion they are beginning to realise their identity with all other groups. When a planetary Logos echoes the words "I am That" He is approaching the hour of synthesis, or of absorption. When a solar Logos utters the words, a year of Brahma will be drawing to a close, and the hour of conscious merging with His greater group will be approaching. Broadly (in relation to man) it might be stated that:

"I am" refers to the personality consciousness on three lower planes, or to all that is considered as inferior to the causal body. It concerns a man's realisation of his place upon the globe within a chain.

"I am That" refers to his egoic consciousness, and to the planes of the Triad. It concerns a man's realisation of his place within the chain, and his relationship to the group of which he forms a part.

"I am That I am" refers to a man's monadic consciousness, and his relationship to the planes of abstraction. It concerns his realisation of his position in the scheme.

When the initiate can say "I am That I am," then he has merged himself with his divine essence, and is freed from form. The first occult assertion marks his emancipation from the three lower kingdoms, and his conscious functioning in the three worlds. This occurred at individualisation through the instrumentality of manas. The second occult assertion marks the gradual emancipation of man from the lower three kingdoms, and his complete freeing from lower form domination at the fifth initiation. At the final assertion, the initiate not only distinguishes between the Self, and all other forms of manifestation; he not only distinguishes between his own identity and the soul, as well as matter in form, but he can discriminate between the three—Spirit, Soul, and Matter—and with this realisation he is entirely liberated from manifestation for this greater cycle. This inherent discriminative faculty of manas, displayed on ever higher spirals leads a man

Into matter and form,
Through all forms of matter on all planes and
Finally brings about his eventual abstraction from all forms and matter, plus the aggregate of transmuted knowledge which the evolutionary process has procured for him.

b. Ordered activity. Here comes in the concept of intelligent purpose, pursuing a fixed and settledplan, and working out a preconceived ideal in time and space. The Microcosm comes into incarnation through impulse based on intelligent purpose originating in his case on the mental plane—the plane of the manasic principle. An interesting point might here be indicated. The fifth plane, the mental, may be considered on a large scale as holding, in the case of a Heavenly Man, a position symbolically analogous to that held by the causal bodies of the units on His Ray. Some causal bodies are on the third and some on the second subplanes, and the intricacy is excessive and various, producing geometrical forms allied somewhat to those portrayed upon the charts. All is ordered activity of the units (each pursuing his own self-centred purpose and following the inclination of the lower self, whose slogan is "I am"). This will gradually give place to the ordered activity of the groups in which the units recognise the oneness of their self-interest, and therefore intelligently, actively, and with conscious purpose work for the good of the body corporate. The vibration which occultly accompanies the sounding of the words "I am That" by the units on the physical plane is only very faintly beginning to make itself felt. Units here and there are sounding it forth by their lives, and are thus passing on the vibration, and setting it in motion against the cruder, coarser one of "I am."

The time for the sounding of the final mantric phrase by ordered active groups lies ahead in the sixth and seventh rounds, and will not reach its full vibration in this solar system at all. "I am That" will peal forth fully consummated in this system of duality, for the third initiation sees the initiate comprehending its mantric force. Nevertheless, initiates of the sixth and seventh Initiations will not preponderate in this system. After the fifth round and the passing into temporary obscuration of two fifths of the human family, the remaining units will achieve an approximate standing as follows:

One fifth will mantrically sound the words "I am That I am."

Two fifths will achieve the fifth Initiation and will know themselves as "I am That." They will also be cultivating response to the higher note.

One fifth and a half will attain the third Initiation, and will know themselves as "I am That" in full consciousness.

The remaining units will be those who are treading the Path, and beginning to know themselves as the group.

In reference to what has been said anent the second characteristic of manas, a very interesting development may be looked for during the coming century. This is the intensification of business organisation, and the bringing (under law and order), of the entire life of:

Families and groups of families,
Cities and groups of cities,
Nations and groups of nations,

until the human race in every department of its exoteric life will conform to rule,—this voluntarily, and with manasic realisation of group need. The whole trend of mental effort during the next subraces will be towards the synthesis of endeavour, thus ensuring the good of the corporate body involved. Many interesting events will occur and many experiments will necessarily be made (some to prove successful and some failures), before manas, or purposeful, ordered, intelligent activity, will control in the life of the peoples of this world. It is not possible to enter into this in greater detail, as the subject is too vast.

Let us now take the third attribute of manas and its future demonstration.

c. Adaptability. This is, as we know, the prime attribute ascribed to the third Ray, or the Brahmaaspect. Therefore, fundamentally it may be considered as the attribute of intelligence which adapts the matter aspect to the Spirit aspect, and is a characteristic inherent in matter itself. It works under the two laws of Economy, and of Attraction and Repulsion; the work of the Mahachohan being primarily along this line. Consequently the four lesser Rays of Attribute which are synthesised into the third Ray of Aspect, Adaptability, or Active Intelligence, are fundamentally concerned, and the future of manas is therefore involved in the growing influence of these four Rays:

1. Harmony, Beauty, Art or Unity.
2. Concrete Science or Knowledge.
3. Abstract Idealism.
4. Ceremonial Magic. ..." [424]

♦

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