2021 USR/SRI Workshop OUTLINE - Seven Ray



2021 USR/SRI Workshop OUTLINESLIDE 1: Today we are going to share a bit about spiritual laws: what they are, some general information, and then focus on some relationships with the number five. From my studies, I have found over 400 law names referenced in the books of Blavatsky, Bailey, and the Roerich’s. But, bear in mind that some laws are known by more than one name. So, the total number of laws is something less. Before getting into the workshop, let’s enter into the consciousness of a group.SLIDE 2: Aloha and welcome everyone! Let us briefly align as a group soul. Enter into that inner silence that is not related to the physical, emotional or mental natures. [Pause for this silence] Then, in our creative imagination, picture all of us linked within and as the One Soul, and as being useful to Hierarchy in whatever way we are called to serve. Let us hold that image in silence. [Pause for this silence] Let us now sound the Mantram of Unification, realizing that the reference to ‘Sons’ is to all Souls, the reference to ‘Men’ is to humanity, and the reference to ‘I’ is to our group.SLIDE 3: The Sons of Men are One, and I am One with Them. I seek to Love not Hate. I seek to serve, and not exact due service. I seek to heal not hurt. Let pain bring due reward of Light and Love. Let the Soul control the outer form and life, and all events, and bring to light the love that underlies the happenings of the time. Let vision come and insight. Let the future stand revealed. Let inner union demonstrate and outer cleavages be gone. Let love prevail. Let all men love. OMAs that group soul, we sense the energies of love, knowledge, and spiritual will flowing through each unit of this group, forming a synthetic whole. Let us expand our consciousness by living and expressing, in our daily service, the LIFE, the lives, and the principles underlying spiritual laws. OM. Thank you!SLIDE 4: Today, we are discussing natural laws. But first, we must build our knowledge base by looking at some definitions. It is important for us to understand certain terms in order to better communicate. We will then look at some relationships with the Number Five in general, and information about the Fifth Ray in particular. This may help us to better understand some ‘hows’ and ‘whys’ of this particular quality of Life or energy. Then we will briefly look at the sources of natural laws. This recognition of the Sources of natural laws may help us to “render unto ‘God’ that which is Gods.” Next, we will briefly consider some interpretive laws that can help us understand the teachings in general. Finally, we will discuss a few of the natural laws that are directly, and/or indirectly expressed or influenced by and through Ray V. As we can learn much from each other, your questions and comments are welcome throughout this workshop.So, are there any questions, or comments, at this time?SLIDE 5: Let us consider some definitions. First, Source: As an Absolute, it is That from which all is manifested for this, our local universe. Whether active in manifestation, or at rest, called pralaya, I suggest that this Causeless Cause exists in another dimension of Reality. In more relative terms, it can be a Greater Life that controls or affects a lesser Life.Principle: As defined in The Theosophical Glossary, pages 262-263: “The elements or original essences, the basic differentiations upon and of which all things are built up. We use the term to denote the seven individual and fundamental aspects of the One Universal Reality in Kosmos and in man. Hence also the seven aspects in their manifestation in the human being – divine, spiritual, psychic, astral, physiological and simply physical.” Regarding ‘physical’, another definition from page 21 of Volume II of Discipleship in the New Age states: “The physical body can be evoked into manifestation and subsequent activity, but it has no power of invocation. Hence it is not a principle (as H.P.B. tells us in The Secret Doctrine) but is basically an automaton.” So, a principle is an essence, or aspect, of some greater Existence which invokes and can be evoked. We look to Principles to discover the sources of Natural Laws.SLIDE 6: Law: The Tibetan gives a great definition on page 25 of The Rays and The Initiations: “The Laws of the universe are simply the modes of expression, the life impulses and the way of existence or activity of the One in Whom we live and move and have our being”. Because laws govern all that occurs in time and space, we cannot deny them, nor can we avoid them. This speaks to the necessity of studying natural laws in order to live more fully and consciously in service to the One Life.Order: Orders or commands are different from laws. They are our interpretations of our understanding of natural laws. It is like an idea becoming an ideal. Due to our limited understanding of any natural law, distortion occurs. The underlying meanings and significances are lost. So, for example, when we think of laws promulgated by any government or religious tradition, from an esoteric perspective, they are actually commands, such as the Mosaic ‘Ten Commandments’. Quoting again from The Rays and The Initiations: “Laws are occult and basic. Orders are indicative of human frailty and limitation”.Rule: Rules are different from laws and commands. They are the result of ages of trial and error by those who have trod the Path before us, and so they are recognized as necessary modes of life expression, and are therefore voluntarily followed by disciples and initiates.SLIDE 7: Natural: I am using the term ‘Natural’ to reflect that these laws we are studying are not those made up by humanity. What we may call ‘Spiritual’ and/or ‘Divine’ laws are natural.Consciousness: This is the ‘Soul’ or quality aspect of divine expression, resulting from Source blending with Matter.Matter: This is the substance from which all forms are made.Are there any questions, or comments, regarding the definitions?SLIDE 8: There are very few natural laws that are specifically stated to express Ray V in some manner. This list of correspondences to the Number Five is from A Treatise on Cosmic Fire, pages 604 – 605. As we study the natural laws of this septenary universe, the lists of correspondences provided for all seven numbers may give us clues regarding potential relationships between numbers and laws. For the number five, it becomes apparent that it primarily concerns aspects of knowledge and mental development. Note that the Fifth Law, that of Fixation, is a systemic law.SLIDE 9: Likewise, if we study the many references to the seven Rays, we may better understand the types of relationships between the Rays and natural laws. This is part of a list I have compiled for Ray V, and much could be said about each item on this list, but we have time constraints. Think about why the highest expression of this Ray is ‘Liberation’. In Methods of Service, those selflessly serving on this Ray seek the hidden idea and its motivating power. In the Key to Ray V, note how the scientific method may be perceived working in directing and blending the three forms of energy, through knowledge and love – head and heart – and a deep realization of the truth of Being.Are there any questions, or comments, for the information about the Number Five or Ray V?SLIDE 10: Let us now consider our ultimate Source of natural laws. The seven stanzas of Dzyan in The Secret Doctrine give a description of the evolution of our local ‘universe’ – from a period of rest, or pralaya, by Source, up to the current round, globe and root-race of our Earth. The Superstring Theory of objective science proposes that the universe has ten dimensions. However, those dimensions are all based on space-time. Perhaps instead, the dimensions of the universe are of a Reality unknown to us. In the diagram, Source, shown on the far right in the Gaseous dimension of Reality, is described as a dull black background with an immaculate white disk. The wholeness symbolizes boundlessness; the circle indicates indescribable Unity; the circumference of the circle is the abstract incognizable Presence, with the plane of the circle being the Universal Soul (although the two are one). The circle contains the extent of limited knowledge that humanity can attain. Whether at rest or in activity, Source does not leave this dimension. The Greater and Lesser Builders are indicated in the Liquid dimension of Reality, with the Laws of the Universe and the Laws of Nature expressed through Their Principles. The Cosmic planes, or states of consciousness, comprises the lowest dimension of Reality, from which are expressed the Cosmic Laws, Systemic Laws, Laws of the Soul, etc.Are there any questions, or comments, about this new way of perceiving Source?SLIDE 11: Now let us look briefly at the Interpretive Laws. These are meant to help us better understand the many realms and Existences that we are studying and striving to comprehend. Note the Key phrases proposed for each of these laws.The Law of Analogy is said to be the most important key to Cosmic physics, and it is also called the second law in nature. It explains that, in reality, there is neither Energy nor Matter (as they are One), but only numberless aspects and expressions of a Causeless Cause proceeding through an evolutionary process. It deals with broad generalities, so that one slowly perceives significances underlying meanings found in revelations, leading to knowledge.The Law of Correspondences is a transcendental method that helps us to see through veils hiding natural truths. Although more precise than analogies, when studying correspondences, one must always keep in mind that it lies in the essence of ‘things’ in relationship, and not in any ‘outer’ detail, or, in other words, it lies in the quality and the principle expressed, rather than in form.The Law of Permutation presents another way to demonstrate the similarities between higher and lower expressions of Life. Through all states of matter (objective and subjective), these modifications can occur in or as life energy, consciousness, and/or physical.The Law of Resemblance is especially related to form or appearance. It is generally, but not always, held to the same state of consciousness, and has only a broad basis and not exact detail. This might be considered as a distorted reflection.The Law of Uniformity applies primarily to the ‘natural’ world and the substances of manifestation. There is a uniformity of law between objective and subjective worlds or states of consciousness: that the essence and fundamentals of laws are immutable. But there is also a uniformity to avoid: one that contracts natural laws into those of personal ownership and sameness, whereby one becomes a slave to deeply held perspectives or ideologies.Are there any questions, or comments, about these Interpretive Laws?SLIDE 12: Cosmic laws, as expressions of the Principles or essences of greater Lives, emanate from sources outside our solar system, such as nearby solar systems or constellations. However, we must remember that the forms that we perceive are only expressions of the Lives informing them. The full complement of these laws primarily governs the processes of evolving cosmic Lives and their modes of work, yet their effects filter into all lesser lives. We are told on page 380 of A Treatise on Cosmic Fire that these laws concern “the place of the solar Logos within His greater sphere, the study of extra-systemic psychology and astronomy, and the consideration of the relation existing between our system and other constellations, and of our path in the vast arc of the heavens.” Although not realized by us, the effects of these extraordinary laws are reflected and reproduced in and through ourselves, only we tend to distort them.In the next slides, I will discuss a hierarchical structure of the Cosmic States of Consciousness from which the Cosmic Laws express.SLIDE 13: In the teachings, we have been given some information, brief descriptions and diagrams for what are called the Cosmic Planes or States of Consciousness. I suggest that these states are not arranged like a stack of pancakes, but express a continuous spectrum of intermingling energy and matter. So, I have reoriented these to reflect that spectrum, or continuity, of energies flowing through our dimension of Reality – the Cosmic States of Consciousness. The Rays, or Life, flow through all seven primary states from the highest to the lowest vibration, meaning livingness. And yet, each of the Rays is expressed primarily through one of the states of consciousness. Types of Matter also occur, from the most subjective to the most objective. Then there is a hierarchy of Cosmic Lives resulting from the interaction of Life with Matter. The essences, or aspects, of these Cosmic Lives express the Cosmic Laws by which lesser Lives manifest and interact.SLIDE 14: Just as there is a hierarchy of Cosmic Lives as seen in the previous slide, Cosmic laws are arranged in a hierarchy which, depending upon the evolutionary status of their Source, we might call ‘greater’, ‘major’, and ‘minor’. This listing is not complete, as I am still researching the laws and their inter-relationships. Also, in my research, I have found few of these laws that directly reference certain rays. Instead, they may refer to one or other of the Divine aspects – the First or Father, the Third or Mother, and the Second or Son. Please remember that these laws are expressions of the principles of these great Lives.The Greater Cosmic Laws are those of Thought, Akasha and Rhythm. These originate from Lives having states of consciousness beyond the Cosmic Gaseous or mental states. On page 567 of A Treatise on Cosmic Fire, we are told that from the study of thought, we can and must, learn the laws of being.What have been described as the fundamental laws of the cosmos, the Major Cosmic Laws for our system, flow from the Laws of Thought. On page 567 of A Treatise on Cosmic Fire, these are clearly indicated as the Laws of Synthesis, Attraction, and Economy.There are also many other laws called cosmic, which for our purposes today, I am calling Minor Cosmic Laws. These are listed in alphabetical order, and not as they may reflect the Divine aspects. Or instance, the Law of Cause and Effect, called Karma in the East, is said to originate, for our system, from Sirius on the third cosmic mental subplane.SLIDE 15: Some other names for this minor Cosmic Law include the Law of Karma, the Law of Action and Reaction, and the Law of Retribution. It is closely linked with the Laws of Evolution and of Rebirth, and it has a mysterious relationship with the Law of Sacrifice. It’s relation to Ray V is through its correspondence to the Cosmic Fifth State of Consciousness. It is described as absolute, impersonal, eternal, immutable and sexless. It is generally defined as ‘action’ or ‘effect-producing cause’. It governs substance, is innate in matter, and controls forms. It neither creates nor designs, but only adjusts effects to restore harmony. There are three types of karma: latent – which has yet to be worked on, active – which we are currently working on, and new – that which we are now creating. To adjust karma, we must work from mental levels with knowledge and love to produce harmonious results that are in line with the Divine Plan. Our motives and methods in this work are very important. When free will is rightly used for ourselves and others, it adjusts and transmutes karma. We are given four tasks through which we learn to conform to this law: strict attention to our speech, using silence wisely in service, constantly studying the underlying causes of events, and striving to see the reality in every form. In pure meditation, one becomes free from producing effects, as there is no relation to form therein. When pure meditation becomes the normal daily attitude, one becomes aware of the effects yet to be adjusted, avoids creating new ones, and dwells in a mental state of consciousness. Key phrase: The ties that bind.Are there any questions, or comments, about the Cosmic Laws?SLIDE 16: The principles, or essences, of the Solar Deity become the source for Systemic Laws. In order for the Central Life of the System to become fully developed and achieve Its incarnational purpose, each law cycles in and out of power, and each state of consciousness likewise cycles through manifestation and obscuration. The effects of these laws differ as Life enters deeper into Matter, as that Life returns to Its Source, and as the laws impact the various threads of evolution. The Lord Agni, the totality of systemic vitality, as stated on page 606 of A Treatise on Cosmic Fire, is the “driving force of evolution, of psychic development and of consciousness”. We may barely sense the workings of these laws in our lives, yet, as our consciousness expands, they become of great importance. In their numerical correspondences, these Systemic Laws are arranged in a hierarchical structure.SLIDE 17: The bits of information we have been given for the Cosmic Planes or states of consciousness have been greatly expanded for the Systemic States. So, I have also reoriented the charts to reflect the spectrum of energies flowing through our dimension of Reality – the Systemic States of Consciousness. As with the Cosmic States, the systemic Rays, or Life, flow through all seven primary states from the highest to the lowest vibration. As with the Cosmic Spectrum, each of the Rays is expressed primarily through one of the states of consciousness. Types of Matter also occur, from the most subjective to the most objective. Although not shown on this chart, there is also a hierarchy of Systemic Lives resulting from the interaction of Life with Matter. The essences, or aspects, of the Systemic Lives create the Systemic Laws by which lesser Lives manifest and interact.SLIDE 18: There are seven laws of our solar Logos governing Its manifested thought-form, which is our solar system. Yet, as stated on page 591 of A Treatise on Cosmic Fire, the basic law of this system is Love, as it is said to be a Ray II system. Systemic laws are intricately linked with various cosmic laws that govern our local universe. These laws are active primarily within one or other of the Systemic States of Consciousness, with numerical correspondences between the laws, the Rays and the states. The dynamic energy of electric fire, expressing on the highest state or Logoic Plane, works through the Law of Vibration and controls the lower six laws. The radiant energy of solar fire, expressing through three etheric levels, works through the Laws of Cohesion, Disintegration, and Magnetic Control, and they eventually control the lowest three laws. The atomic energy of fire by friction, expressing through the gaseous-liquid-dense levels, work through the Laws of Fixation, Love, and Sacrifice and Death, and have their most important effect upon the evolving human hierarchy.In order for the Central Life of the System to become fully developed and achieve Its incarnational purpose, each law cycles in and out of power, and each state of consciousness likewise cycles through manifestation and obscuration. The effects of the laws differ as Life ‘descends’ into Matter, as that Life returns to Its Source, and as they impact the various threads of evolution. The Lord Agni, the totality of systemic vitality, is said to be, on page 606 in A Treatise on Cosmic Fire, to be the “driving force of evolution, of psychic development and of consciousness”.SLIDE 19: The Law of Fixation is the Systemic Law directly related to Ray V. There are only nine direct references to this law in the books published by Bailey. There are no references to this law in the books of Blavatsky and the Roerich’s.Perhaps its source is the Principle of Intelligence. It is also called the Law of Concretion. It is one of the three most important laws driving current human evolution. Manifesting primarily within the mental states of consciousness, it has a close connection with Mind – the fifth human Principle and our sixth sense. By working with this law, the mind becomes controlled and stabilized, resulting in order and consistency in thought. There is said to be a subtle correspondence between the monads of Will working through the mind, this Law of Fixation, and Ray V. It also expresses an interlocking whole consisting of Ray I, the first and fifth states of consciousness, and the Laws of Vibration and Fixation.There is a direct connection of this law with the minor cosmic Law of Cause and Effect, showing that our thoughts have a direct effect on the future. They FIX the result called karma (from which the name ‘Fixation’ comes). The term fixation is used to indicate that one is able to shape her/his own destiny, and it implies that one is able to mentally stabilize the fluctuations of the emotional nature. The causal body is built under the direction of this law. It also governs the timing of incarnation under the Law of Rebirth. It demonstrates a temporary static quality of love. Key phrase: Use the mind correctly.Are there any questions, or comments, about the Systemic Laws?SLIDE 20: In the Ageless Wisdom, we are told of seven Laws of the Soul, and their relation to the Seven Rays and the Eight Means to Yoga, or Union. These seven laws concern group activity, and the forms a group is using on the physical, emotional, and mental states of consciousness – whether the group members are incarnated or not. Laws Six and Seven concern primarily emotional and mental states, and will only be sensed by those disciples who are becoming consciously aware of discarnate group members.In A Treatise on Cosmic Fire, page 1219, we are told that “All these laws, from the point of view of a disciple, need only be considered as operative in the three worlds, though it is needless to point out that parallels will be found on all planes. These seven laws are those which are ascertained and consciously studied in all groups working under the Masters.”SLIDE 21: The Law of the Lower Four is the Soul Law directly related to Ray V. There are only four direct references to this law in the books published by Blavatsky, Bailey, and the Roerich’s.This law might be an expression of the Principle of Illumination. However, there is little specific information provided for this law, as it is said to only be really understood by those preparing for, or having achieved, the third initiation (the Transfiguration). It primarily concerns the substance of the group mental states of consciousness (composed of four types of essence), and so is related to the fifth Ray. The four lower human principles, the four lower energy centers, the four lower substates of the three lower states of consciousness, and the Four Freedoms (from Want, from Fear, of Speech, and of Worship), are all related and must be mastered scientifically, through trial and error. By consciously working with this law, the lower can, and will be, transcended. Through some meditation forms, one uses the mind correctly, strengthening contact and eventually union with the Self.An ancient occult stanza regarding this law is given for us to ponder: “Four sons of God went forth. But only one returned. Four Saviours merged themselves in two, and then the two became the One.” Thus, the personality with its three associated forms, through purification and right use of the mind, becomes one with the Self. Key phrase: Right mental control leading to Soul unity.Are there any questions, or comments, about the Laws of the Soul?SLIDE 22: Thank you to all who have shared and brought their life essence to this workshop. Thank you to the technical crew working behind the scenes to make this all possible. Thank you to all the language interpreters working throughout this conference. And, thank you to the boards of the Seven Ray Institute, the University of the Seven Rays, and its internet affiliate, the Morya Federation Schools of Esoteric Meditation for bringing this conference to the world through the Zoom platform. ................
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