[cover: 24 Books of Esoteric Philosophy by Alice Bailey.]
[The content of this article was extracted from Alice Bailey's books after atomatically searching the text: “Kumaras".]
<11> (A Treatise on Cosmic Fire, pp. 269-271.)
"... The final part of question six is: Who are the Manasaputras?
This will be dealt with in greater detail in connection with our planet when taking up the subject of the coming of the Lords of Flame. It is desirable now to make certain facts clear which must form the basis of any thought upon this subject.
The Divine Manasaputras,{13 14} Who are known in the Secret Doctrine by diverse names, are the Mind-born Sons of Brahma, the third aspect logoic.
They are the seven planetary Logoi, and are the Lords of the Rays, the seven Heavenly Men. They developed the mind aspect in the first solar system, that in which Brahma was paramount, and in Himself embodied objective existence. This He did in the same sense as that in which the second aspect (the Vishnu or Dragon of Wisdom aspect) is the sumtotal of existence in this the second system.
The cells in Their bodies are made up of the units of the human and deva evolutions in the same manner (only on a higher turn of the spiral) as the bodies of human beings are made up of living organisms, the various animated cells, or the lesser lives. This is a basic fact in occultism, and the relationship between the cells in the human vehicles, and the cells in the bodies of a Heavenly Man, will be productive of illumination if carefully studied.
Just as a human being has an originating source, the Monad, and a semi-permanent vehicle, the causal body, but manifests through his lower principles (of which the dense physical is not one) so a Heavenly Man has an originating source, His Monad, a semi-permanent body on the monadic levels of the solar system, but manifests through three lower sheaths, our atmic, buddhic, and manasic levels. He is extraneous to the astral and physical planes just as a human being is to the physical. Man vitalises the physical vehicle with his force or heat but he does not occultly count it as a principle. So the Heavenly Man is extraneous to the two lower planes of manifestation though He vitalises them with His force. The human being realises his relationship (as a cell in the body) to a Heavenly Man only when he is developing the consciousness of the Ego on its own plane. If it might be so expressed, the groups of causal bodies are the lowest forms through which a Heavenly Man manifests, just as the physical body is the lowest through which a human being manifests, and this in its etheric connotation. ..."
{13} In the Secret Doctrine the Heavenly Men are spoken of as:
1. Agents of creation. They are the totality of manifestation.—S. D., I, 470.
2. They are pre-cosmic.—S. D., I, 470.
3. They are the sumtotal of solar and lunar entities.—S. D., I, 152, 470. Compare II, 374.
4. They are the seven Biblical Archangels.
They are the seven Forces or creative Powers.
They are the seven Spirits before the Throne.
They are the seven Spirits of the Planets.—S. D., I, 472, 153.
5. In Their totality They are the Secret Unpronounceable Name.—S. D., I, 473.
6. They are the collective Dhyan Chohans.—S. D., I, 477.
7. They are the seven Kumaras. The seven Rishis.—S. D., I, 493. III, 196, 327.
8. They are the Sons of Light.—S. D., I, 521, 522.
9. They are the Hierarchy of creative Powers.—S. D., I, 233.
10. They are the veiled synthesis.—S. D., I, 362.
11. They are our own planetary deities.—S. D., I, 153.
12. They are all men, the product of other worlds.—S. D., I, 132.
13. They are closely connected with the seven stars of the Great Bear.—S. D., I, 488. S. D., II 332. II, 579, 668. S.D., III, 195.
14. They are symbolised by circles.—S. D., II, 582.
15. They are collectively the fallen Angels.—S. D., II, 284, 541.
{14} The Sons of Mind: are known by various terms, such as:—"The Manasaputras, the Prajapatis, the Kumaras, the Primordial Seven, the Rudras, the Heavenly Men, the Rishis, the Spirits before the Throne.
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<12> (A Treatise on Cosmic Fire, pp. 336-337.)
"... Manas is the united faculty of four of the Heavenly Men, synthesised through a fifth Heavenly Man on the third plane of the system. These five Heavenly Men were the logoic embodiment in an earlier system and achieved the fullness of manasic life. Their synthetic life is that which is primarily understood when we speak of Brahma, that cosmic Entity Who is the sum-total of logoic active intelligence. For lack of better terms we call Them the Lords of the four minor Rays, Who find Their synthesis through the third Ray of Activity. They have been called in an endeavour to express the
principles which They embody:
1. The Lord of Ceremonial Magic.
2. The Lord of Abstract Idealism, or Devotion.
3. The Lord of Concrete Science.
4. The Lord of Harmony and Art.
These four function through the fourth cosmic ether, and have vehicles of buddhic matter. They merge into the greater life of the Lord of the third Ray of Aspect on atmic levels, and these four (with the one synthetic Ray), are the totality of manasic energy. They are the life of the five lower planes. They are the five Kumaras, and two remain, making the seven Kumaras or Builders of the universe; these five have been called the five Mind-born Sons of Brahma.{27} Manas, therefore, is the psychic effect of Their united group work, and shows forth in different ways according to the units involved, the forms animated, and the planes concerned. They demonstrate predominantly on the five lower subplanes of each plane, and this factor should be remembered in connection with the major initiations of manas. Nevertheless—as They are the sumtotal of the third or Brahma aspect—Their main sphere of influence is on the lowest or third division of the manifested universe or on the mental, astral, and physical planes. ..."
{27} S. D., I, 119, 493; II, 111, 112.
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<13> (A Treatise on Cosmic Fire, p. 361.)
"... The planetary Logos of this scheme is one of the four minor Logoi, or Lords of the Rays, and is specially concerned therefore with the development of one attribute of manas. Each of the four minor Rays is, as we know, eventually synthesised, or absorbed into that Ray which is represented on our earth by the Mahachohan. He is the Lord of the third major Ray or Aspect, and synthesises the four. These four Rays with their synthesising Ray make the five rays of Manas or Mind. We can consider them as:
a. The fivefold Brahma Aspect.
b. They were the five Rays of prime importance in the first solar system, and were the fiveindividualised Heavenly Men, called the Mind-born Sons of Brahma. Through the individualisation of the four in that system the individualisation of the great cosmic Entity we call Brahma was brought about. He individualised and the four go to the content of His body.
c. They are represented on our earth by the five Kumaras Who obeyed the Law, and took human form,as H. P. B.{33} hints in several passages in the Secret Doctrine. ..."
{33} S. D., I, 493.
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<14> (A Treatise on Cosmic Fire, pp. 363-364.)
"... The fourth Creative Hierarchy is essentially the Hierarchy of manas. This is no play on words, but a statement of deep occult significance. The statement has been made with entire accuracy that five Hierarchies out of the twelve have passed out and that seven remain. Of these seven, our human
Hierarchy is the fourth, making it literally the ninth when counting the entire twelve. In this connection it would be well to link up the statements that have been made to the effect that the five Kumaras or Heavenly Men Who definitely embody the manasic principle (or the five Rays over which the systemic correspondence to the Mahachohan presides) developed manas in an earlier system; They passed out of the wave of manasic influence as far as their own Nature is concerned. ..."
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<15> (A Treatise on Cosmic Fire, p. 377.)
"... An interesting correspondence of a very occult nature can be worked out by the advanced student in connection also with the seven schemes. There are two which may be considered primarily archetypal, causal, or involving abstraction; three in which manas is manifested, and two in which already buddhi is manasically demonstrating. Of these two, Venus is one and thus we have the three and the two which make the five schemes of the five Kumaras, Who are Brahma.{36} ..."
{36} Students must carefully differentiate between the five Mind born Sons of Brahma, the five true Kumaras and their representatives on our earth planet, Those Who stand around Sanat Kumara Who may be stated (esoterically understood) to represent Himself.
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<16> (A Treatise on Cosmic Fire, pp. 387-388.)
"... It has been stated that one hundred and four Kumaras came from Venus to the Earth; literally the figure is one hundred and five, when the synthesising Unit, the Lord of the World Himself, is counted as one. There remain still with Him the three Buddhas of Activity. I would call attention to the dual significance of that name, "Buddha of Activity," bearing out, as it does, the reality of the fact that Entities at Their stage of evolution are active love-wisdom and embody in Themselves the two aspects. The three Buddhas of activity have a correspondence to the three persons of the Trinity.
These Entities are divided into three groups of thirty-five each, and in Themselves embody the three major centres of the planetary Logos, those three groups which we know as the "three departments," for it should be emphasised that each department forms a centre:
a. The Head centre..............The Ruling Department
b. The Heart centre.............The Teaching Department
c. The Throat centre............The Mahachohan's Department. This centre synthesises the lesser four,just as the third Ray synthesises the minor four.
These Kumaras (or Their present substitutes) can also be divided into the seven groups which correspond to the seven Rays, and are in Themselves the life of the centre for which They stand. Fifteen, therefore, of these Entities (again the ten and the five) form a centre in the body of the planetary Logos, and the three Kumaras about Whom we are told (Who in Themselves are fivefold, making the fifteen) are the entifying Lives of the particular centre which is involved in the coming Initiation of the Heavenly Man, and to which the human units at this time, and during this greater cycle, belong. ..."
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<17> (A Treatise on Cosmic Fire, pp. 401-403.)
"... III.THE PRESENT STAGE OF MANASIC DEVELOPMENT
IN THE THREE GROUPS
Literally, should we paraphrase this sentence, we might express it in the form of an enquiry as to the point attained in the active working out of the purposes of the great Entities involved in cosmic and systemic manifestation; we might also enquire if the intelligent will of the cosmic Logos and of the solar Logos and equally (within the system) of the different planetary Logoi, proceeded satisfactorily to a stage where it can be both appreciated and somewhat comprehended. These thoughts are involved in the consideration of this point, and open up for us much of very real interest. It should here be pointed out that the manasic principle (whether cosmic, systemic, or human) manifests in five ways, is transmuted into wisdom after its fivefold manifestation, and eventually is resolved into pure will or power. Herein lies the clue; all the objective display we see around us in connection with the Heavenly Men, and with the cells of Their bodies, lies hidden in this. Herein may be found the mystery of the five Kumaras, Who are awaiting the final resolution, and herein is secreted the knowledge of divine alchemy, which is based on the five elements, and is concerned with their transformation into a primal element through the medium of an intermediate stage.
1. In the Planets.
Occult students need, in considering these points, to remember very clearly the distinction between transmutation and the final resolution; between the process of transforming the five elements, esoterically understood, and the final resolution of the transmuted essences into their synthesis. This has a vital bearing upon our subject, for resolution is as yet by no means possible, and the process of transmutation is only just beginning in the majority of cases. In studying these subjects we have necessarily to confine ourselves to the Heavenly Men, for the human units—as cells in Their body—are of course included in all that is posited about Them, and until it is known which cosmic Logos recognises our solar Logos as a centre in His body, and which six other systems are affiliated with ours, it will not be possible to touch upon the systemic stage of manasic development. But in connection with the Heavenly Men certain facts are possible of theoretical comprehension, even though not as yet demonstrable to the scientific mind. We will, as usual, tabulate our premises, and thus keep clearly in mind, and visualised, the points under investigation:
First. It might first be said that the third aspect, combined with the second, or Brahma and Vishnu allied, go to the totality of the Divine Manasaputras. They are Will utilising matter, or active intelligent substance, in order to demonstrate Love-Wisdom; all this is based on purpose, and has causation as a fundamental. This Brahma aspect is fivefold and, with the Vishnu aspect, makes the six, or the pentagon, having Mahadeva or Will in the centre of all manifestation.
Second. This fivefold Brahma aspect or the five Kumaras, are in full manifestation, and, with the reflection of the other two aspects, make the seven of our manifested system.
Third. Mercury and Venus are in process of transmutation, and the manasic principle in both these schemes, having reached a high stage of development, is being transmuted into Love-Wisdom. When three fifths of the units (deva and human) that go to the composition of the vehicles of any planetary Logos are entering upon the Path, then the process of transmutation is entered upon. The faculty of MIND is then an instrument for creative use, and not the "slayer of the real," and a barrier to the free life of the Spirit. ..."
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<18> (A Treatise on Cosmic Fire, pp. 412-413.)
"... 3. On the Earth.
a. The five Kumaras. We might now consider briefly the subject of the five Kumaras, Who are the sumtotal of manas on the Earth. I have stated that the Lord of the World, the first Kumara, is the planetary Logos of our scheme in physical incarnation, but nowhere has the impression been conveyed that the three Kumaras, associated with Him, are three other planetary Logoi. This is in no way the case. These three, called the "Buddhas of Activity," are but the vicegerents upon our planet of those three planetary Logoi, Who, with our planetary Logos, make the sum total of the logoic Quaternary. Associated with them are the three esoteric Kumaras, mentioned in the Secret Doctrine,{46} Who represent the three other Logoi, and so make focal points for all the logoic forces within our chain. In each chain such representatives are found, six focal points embraced by the seventh, the planetary Logos of the scheme, Who holds them all within His aura.
Their work is threefold:
First. They are the centres in the body of the planetary Logos. Each chain corresponds to one centre, and the globes are but the lesser wheels within any particular centre. The life of the Logos in this incarnation on the Earth is flowing through three centres and beginning to stimulate a fourth, hence four globes are involved and the three Kumaras (so called for lack of a better term) are vitally intelligently active; three are in abeyance and one is beginning to function. The globes correspond to the chains. This fourth Kumara is as yet practically unrealised, but as hinted at earlier His day is about to dawn.
Second. They act as transmitters of a particular type of force to those units who go to the content of any particular centre. They are, in fact, the agents for the Lords of the Rays to the Monads of any ray in incarnation in any particular chain and on any particular globe.
Third. They are the agents for:
a. The Lord of a Ray as stated above.
b. The four Maharajahs.
c. The planetary Logos of Their own scheme.
d. The great Deva of the Earth planet.
They work with the law; They are the cognizers of the intelligent purpose of the planetary Logos, and know His plans; They are the vital activity of the planet, and in a subtle sense they are not only the Ray representatives but likewise the link between the chain and the scheme.
It might here be stated that the relative failure that was the fate of the Moon chain in our scheme has greatly handicapped Their work, and made it imperative for Them to employ drastic measures in order to offset that failure. Herein lies another clue to the world turmoil. ..."
{46} S. D., I, 493.
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<19> (A Treatise on Cosmic Fire, pp. 433-434.)
"... Let us now pass on to the brief consideration of the future influence of the third manasic ray of "Concrete Knowledge or Science." As I have elsewhere pointed out this ray concerns itself with the building of form, with the utilisation of matter, with the embodying of ideas, or of entities, whether cosmic, systemic, lunar, or subhuman. The planetary Logos of this fifth systemic Ray holds a peculiar position in the scheme of things. He is the embodiment of the fifth logoic principle of manas. His is the synthesising scheme for the five schemes of the five Kumaras Who are Brahma, when viewed as the sum total of the third logoic aspect, though He is not the synthesising factor for the seven schemes which are the sum total of logoic manifestation considered as the union of the second and third aspects. This is a point of prime importance to bear in mind. His is the influence that leads to the scientific adaptation of matter to form, and His is the life that unifies ever the three and the five. Let us see if, by illustration, we can make this idea more simple. He is, as we know, the embodiment of the fifth principle. His influence, therefore, may ever be felt in His numerical correspondences, for He is the Lord of the fifth Ray in the system, and Ruler of the third Manasic Ray when considering only the third aspect. At individualisation, or at the coming into incarnation of the self-conscious units, the fifth principle linked the higher three and the lower four. This took place in the third rootrace and produced a form wherein dwelt Spirit on the third subplane of the fifth plane. All these analogies will bear pondering upon and the numerical relationship is not by chance. His was the power that acted via certain schemes, chains, and globes, and produced results in the cells and groups of cells in the body of our particular planetary Logos. This is given by way of elucidation, and by way of indicating the relative importance of the influence of a planetary Logos upon another planetary Logos during different stages of evolution. ..."
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<20> (A Treatise on Cosmic Fire, p. 440.)
"... It will consequently be apparent how the knowledge of these cycles, and of the force manifestation or obscuration of a Ray will eventually lead to a working with the Law, and to an intelligent co-operation with the plan of evolution. It might here be stated that the seven Kumaras (the four exoteric and the three esoteric) cooperate with this Law, and work exoterically, or esoterically according to the Ray in power, with the exception of the first Kumara, the Logos of our scheme, Who—being the synthesizing point for all—remains ever in objective activity. ..."
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<21> (A Treatise on Cosmic Fire, pp. 450-452.)
"... They cannot bring about results outside the periphery of the group whose consciousness is theirs. For instance, an adept can work with forms and force within the ring-pass-not of his own planetary Logos within the three worlds, within the ring-pass-not of the polar opposite of his Logos, or within the ring-pass-not of three planetary Logoi who form a systemic triangle. He cannot exhibit this power in the higher planes nor within the spheres of the synthesising and neutral schemes. After the sixth Initiation his power extends to the two planes beyond the three worlds, the buddhic and the atmic, and within the spheres of the entire Brahma aspect as we visualise it as the totality of the schemes of the five Kumaras who are Brahma. At the seventh Initiation he has power on all the seven planes and within the entire number of schemes; all the Sacred Words are then his and he can work in matter of all grades, sound all notes, and control all types of force. He stands ready then to guide the life to regions outside the solar sphere of influence. But on the physical plane he works primarily with the Words of the seventh Logos, which fall naturally into five groups:
1. Mantrams which deal with etheric matter, and control the devas of the ethers.
2. Mantrams which deal with dense physical matter and control the sub-human evolution throughcertain groups of devas.
3. Words specifically connected with the human Hierarchy, and which are very carefully guarded fromthe knowledge of man himself.
4. Words concerning the deva evolution which control, and bring different groups of devas into the lineof the will of the utterer. These are in many ways the most dangerous and all knowledge of them is withheld from men below the rank of initiates of the third order.
5. Words which affect the life side of manifestation and which drive it into, or out of, form.
There is a sixth group intimately connected with electrical manifestation, which is beginning to work out in the formula of scientists, and students of radio-activity and electrical phenomena, but fortunately for themselves they remain formulas on paper and are not as yet embodied in sound. ..."
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<22> (A Treatise on Cosmic Fire, pp. 496-498.)
"... Third. By the discovery of the note of the vegetable kingdom, by its conjunction with other of nature's notes, and by its due sounding forth in different keys and combinations will come the possibility to produce marvellous results within that kingdom, and to stimulate the activities of those devas who work with flowers, fruits, trees and herbs.
Every root race has its own particular style of vegetation, or certain basic forms and designs which can be traced in all countries where the race locates. These results are brought about by the interaction between the basic note of the vegetable kingdom itself, and the note of the race of men who are evolving simultaneously. The union of these two notes is that which produces distinctive vegetation, though it should be remembered that when the human note dominates too strongly it is apt to drive out the life of the forms of this second kingdom. The devas who work in this kingdom are a special group, and have a closer and more peculiar relation to it than have the builders or devas in any other kingdom. The transmutative process is effected more easily in the vegetable kingdom than in any other owing to this very factor, and also to the incentive given to this second kingdom and its evolutionary process by the coming of the Lords of the Flame from the second or Venus globe—pre-eminently the globe with which this kingdom has a mysterious connection. If I might express it in other words: the cosmic Entity, Who is the life of the second globe and its informing principle, has a close connection with the solar Entity Who is the informing life of the entire vegetable kingdom. This analogy can be worked out in connection with the other kingdoms, globes and other forms and accounts somewhat for the fact that this fourth{63 64} globe is above everything else the globe of human evolution in this scheme; it gives also the clue to the mystery of the Presence of the great Kumara Himself upon earth. These thoughts merit close attention. The note of the human kingdom, sounded in quadruple intensity on this globe, has produced portentous happenings, and I would suggest to all occult investigators the close study and scrutiny of the following manifestations in time and space:
1. The fourth Creative Hierarchy--The human.
2. The fourth scheme-------------------Our earth scheme.
3. The fourth chain-----------------------The earth chain.
4. The fourth globe--------------------- Our planet.
5. The fourth kingdom-----------------The human.
6. The fourth round---------------------The first strictly human round.
7. The four Kumaras-------------------Embodiers of humanity.
8. The fourth plane----------------------The buddhic, the human goal.
9. The fourth ether----------------------The physical correspondence of the buddhic plane.
One fundamental sound is responded to by all these varied factors; it is the note that is the cause of their existence and the basis of their being. This note, if sought for and found, will bring into close alliance all of these factors till they are blended into a great occult unity; it will bring likewise into co-operation the band of devas who are the essences of the fourth human principle. ..."
{63} The Fourth Round. The present (our) Round being the middle Round (between the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd, and the 5th, 6th and 7th) is one of adjustment and final equipoise between Spirit and matter. It is that point, in short, wherein the reign of true matter, its grossest state (which is as unknown to Science as its opposite pole—homogeneous matter or substance) stops and comes to an end. From that point physical man begins to throw off "coat after coat," of his material molecules for the benefit and subsequent formation or clothing of the animal kingdom, which in its turn is passing it on to the vegetable, and the latter to the mineral kingdoms. Man having evoluted in the first Round from the animal via the two other kingdoms, it stands to reason that in the present Round he should appear before the animal world of this manvantaric period. But see the Secret Doctrine for particulars.—Lucifer, Vol. III, p. 253.
{64} S. D., I, 107.
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<23> (A Treatise on Cosmic Fire, pp. 524-525.)
"... Only when the soul aspect is studied by the psychologist in its threefold essential nature will the mystery of consciousness become apparent, and the nature of the three magnetic groups, in their various subdivisions with their consequent effectual radiation become a factor in the public life. This concerns itself with the definite development of the psyche under law, with the scientific expansion of the consciousness, and will eventually bring about conditions wherein the work, preliminary to the first initiation, will be purely exoteric, and no longer part of an esoteric process. In due course of time, it will be found that the self-induced efforts whereby a man consciously prepares his centres for the application of the Rod of Initiation at the first Initiation, will be the subject of books, and of lectures, and form part of the ordinary thought of the masses. This again will eventuate in a cleavage between the two groups in the middle of the fifth round. It must be remembered that this cleavage will be part of a natural process, and not a drastic ruling, imposed upon an unwilling people. The KNOWERS and the students of the Knowledge—actuated by group consciousness, and working consciously—will separate themselves in group formation from those who know not, and from those who care not. This cleavage will be self-induced, and a natural outgrowth of the group life; it will in itself be of a temporary nature for the fundamental aim in view will be the bringing about of an eventual closer merging; it will mark primarily the line of demarcation between the lower four Rays of consciousness, and the higher three. It is also a mystery hid in the relationship between the four exoteric Kumaras,{71} and the esoteric three, and from the point of view of man separates those who are developing the consciousness of the Triad from those who as yet are living the life of the Quaternary. It concerns those who respond to the solar Lords, distinguishing them from those who recognise as yet only the control of the lunar Lords. In terms of Fire: those who warm themselves by means of fire by friction and respond not to the heat of solar fire remain within the cavern, thus living in the dark; whilst those whose being is irradiated by the Sun of Wisdom, and who bask in the rays of solar heat dwell in the light, and enjoy an ever increasing freedom, and vital existence. ..."
{71} S. D., I, 116, 493; II, 112, 149.
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<24> (A Treatise on Cosmic Fire, p. 539.)
"... It should here be noted that this ninefold development is hinted at in the Secret Doctrine in the various places where H. P. B. deals with the Kumaras{77} or the Heavenly Men, of Whom the microcosm is a reflection. She calls Them the Lords of Knowledge, the Lords of Love and the Lords of Sacrifice. Each of Them is a nine-petalled Lotus in the logoic body. They are the flaming Wheels, and in Their various names, as found in the Secret Doctrine, may be discovered the clue to the mystery. Let us realise this clearly, nevertheless, as regards the microcosm, and later extend the idea to the Heavenly Men. Let us picture the nine-petalled egoic lotus, the heart centre in the monadic consciousness, unfolding each of its petals in groups of three upon the three subplanes of the higher mental. Their unfoldment is worked out through the evolutionary process, undergone on the three planes in the three worlds, or within the three Halls of Ignorance, of Learning, and of Wisdom. ..."
{77} S. D., II, 257.
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<25> (A Treatise on Cosmic Fire, pp. 691-692.)
"... What we understand by the fifth principle is but the expression on the causal plane of that force or energy which emanates from the logoic causal body on the fifth cosmic plane, via the logoic correspondence to the mental unit. (These correspondences involve a concept far in advance of what is possible even to an initiate at this time). In the fifth round, the inner significance may become more apparent to the disciple. As the logoic will is gradually transmuted into desire and thus the physical incarnation is produced, a tremendous downflow of vitalising force from the fifth cosmic plane takes place, until it arrives at our fifth plane, the mental. This force it is which—at the correct cyclic moment—causes certain eventualities in time and space and in the three worlds, His dense physical body. The first of these events is the appropriation by the Logos of that dense physical vehicle, and the flashing into manifestation of the physical Sun and the physical planets. Though this, from our standpoint, covers an inconceivably vast period of time, to the Logos it is but the brief period of gestation which all bodies undergo. A second momentous occurrence is the appropriation by the various Prajapatis,{30} or Heavenly Men of their physical bodies—again at varying times and according to their evolutionary stage. This is of later date for the seven than for the three. An idea of the meaning of this distinction can be gleaned by the student, as he studies the process of the incarnating ego. ..."
{30} Prajapatis. The Progenitors; the givers of life to all on this earth. They are seven and then ten corresponding to the seven and ten Sephiroth. Cosmically, they are the seven Rishis of the Great Bear; systemically they are the seven planetary Logoi, and from the standpoint of our planet they are the seven Kumaras.
See S. D., I, 109, 122, 459, 661; II, 33, 36; footnote 80.
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<26> (A Treatise on Cosmic Fire, pp. 702-704.)
"... A final point here needs emphasising. Occultly understood, the five Kumaras or the five Mind-born Sons of Brahma are the embodiers of this manasic force on our planet; but They only reflect (in the Hierarchy of our planet) the function of the five Kumaras or Rishis who are the Lords of the five Rays manifesting through the four lesser planets and the synthesising planet.
These five Kumaras are the channels for this force and one of Them, the Lord of the planet Venus, embodies in Himself the function of the fifth Hierarchy. This accounts for the activity of Venus at the moment of individualisation in this round. In the next round, this fifth Hierarchy will be utilising our Earth scheme in this way, and we shall then see manas in full fruition working out in the human family. This fifth Hierarchy of Agnishvattas in their many grades embody the "I principle" and are the producers of self-consciousness, and the builders of man's body of realisation. In time and space, and on the mental plane, they are Man himself in essential essence; they enable him to build his own body of causes, to unfold his own egoic lotus, and gradually to free himself from the limitations of the form which he has constructed, and thus to put himself—in due course of time—into the line of another type of energy, that of buddhi. To word it otherwise, through Their work man can become conscious without the manasic vehicle, for manas is but the form through which a higher principle is making itself known. The life of God comes cyclically under the influence of the different Hierarchies or forces, all of which temporarily build for it a vehicle, pass it through their substance, give to it in this way a certain quality or colouring, and increase thereby its vibratory capacity until eventually the life is set free from hierarchical limitation. It then returns to its eternal Source plus the gain of its experiences and with the increased energy which is the result of its various transitions.
Let us bear carefully in mind, that the Rays are the positive aspect in manifestation and pass down into negative matter, deva or hierarchical substance, thus causing certain evidences of activity. The Hierarchies are the negative aspect as far as the Rays are concerned and are responsive to Ray impulse. But within each Ray and each Hierarchy in this system a dual force again will be found. The Sons of God are bisexual. The deva substance is also dual, for the evolutionary devas are the positive energy of the atom, cell or subhuman form, for instance, while the electrons or lesser lives within the form are negative.
The mystery of the Manasaputras is hidden in this, and in the function of the fifth Hierarchy, and it is not possible to reveal more of it. The secret of Buddhi, the sixth or Christ principle, which concerns these Sons of God, and the secret of the fifth Hierarchy which is the vehicle or recipient of buddhi, cannot be mentioned outside initiated circles. It holds hid the possibility of egoic unfoldment, and keeps secret the karma of the Heavenly Men, the five Kumaras.
The fifth principle of manas is embodied in the five Kumaras, and if the student studies the significance of the first five petals which are unfolded in the egoic lotus, he may touch upon the fringe of the mystery. The fifth Ray, which is the Ray of the fifth Kumara, is potently responsive to the energy flowing through the fifth Hierarchy. As the student of occultism knows, the Lord of the fifth Ray holds that place in the Septenary enumeration, but under the fivefold classification, he holds the third or middle place.
1. The cosmic Lord of Will or Power.
2 .The cosmic Lord of Love-Wisdom.
3. The cosmic Lord of Active Intelligence.........1.
4. The cosmic Lord of Harmony..........................2.
5. The cosmic Lord of Concrete Knowledge....3.
6. The cosmic Lord of Abstract Idealism...........4.
7. The cosmic Lord of Ceremonial Magic..........5. ..."
♦
<27> (A Treatise on Cosmic Fire, pp. 723-724.)
"... 1 .Cosmic Avatars: They represent embodied force from the following cosmic centres among others:
a. Sirius.
b. That one of the seven stars of the Great Bear which is ensouled by the prototype of the Lord of ourthird major Ray.
c. Our cosmic centre.
They represent entities as far removed from the consciousness of Man, as man is from the consciousness of the atom of substance. Thousands of those great cycles which we call "a hundred years of Brahma" have passed since They approximated the human stage, and They embody force and consciousness which is concerned with the intelligent co-ordination of the starry Heavens.
They have achieved all that man can conceive of as the transcendence of will, of love and of intelligence, and in the synthesis of those three have added qualities and vibrations for which we have no terms, and which cannot be visioned by even our highest adepts. Their appearance in a solar system is very unusual, and is only recognised on the highest two planes. Yet, owing to the material nature of our solar system, Their advent is literally the appearance in a physical form of a spiritual Being Who is fully conscious.
Such entities from Sirius appear at the occasion of the initiation of the solar Logos, and They have a peculiar connection with the five Kumaras and through Them (using Them as focal points for force) with the Mahachohan's department in all the occult Hierarchies of the system. Only once has such a Being visited our system, in connection with the appearance in time and space of the five mind-born Sons of Brahma. The effect of such a visit as that of the Avatar from Sirius is seen as the sumtotal of civilisation and culture, viewing these from the standpoint of the entire system and in one flash of time.
An avatar from the cosmic centre will appear as pralaya is nearing and will produce in the body of the Logos that which we call "Death." He is the cosmic Reaper, and (to reduce the above to words of an understandable nature) He belongs to a group which represents the abstracting energy of the cosmos, of which we find faint correspondences in the work of the "destroyer" aspect of the Logos, and in the forces which produce physical death, and the disintegration of the physical body of man. It is not possible to say more on these fundamentally esoteric matters, and the value of what is said lies largely in the bringing to the mind of the student the reality of our cosmic interrelation. ..."
