Alice Bailey & Djwhal Khul - The Rays and the Initiations - Part II - Section I - The Seven Ray Methods used in the Construction Process

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The Rays and the Initiations - Part Two - Section One - The Aspirant and the Mysteries of Initiation

With this vision and suggested preamble let us now ascertain the seven techniques to be employed at the projection stage of the building process.

Ray One - Will or Power

To understand the first ray technique, the basic quality of the ray must be grasped. It is dynamic. The point at the center is the First Ray of Power, and its technique is never to move from the center but from that point to work dynamically. Perhaps the word that would best express its mode of work is Inspiration. The Father inspires response from the material aspect, or from the Mother if you like that symbolism, but it accomplishes this by remaining immovably itself. From the point where he is, the Builder (human or divine) works, not by the Law of Attraction, as does the second ray, but by the Law of Synthesis, by a fiat of the will, based on a clearly formulated purpose and program. You will see, therefore, that the first ray personality has to ascertain (as in fact do all disciples) which aspect he himself is of a particular ray. It is not possible for any disciple who has not taken the third initiation to ascertain his monadic ray, but any disciple building the antahkarana, and who has reached the stage of projection, should know his soul ray and his personality ray, and should remember that their fused or blended potency must perform the act of projection. The energy of the Monad can be evoked, but it results in a downpouring towards its [509] working agent and it is not an act of projection per se. The act of projection is the work of the "shadow and the reflection." The Old Commentary says in this connection, when dealing with the Word of Power for each ray:

"When there is no shadow, for the Sun is clear, and no reflection for the water is no more, then naught remains but the one who stands with eyes directing life and form. The threefold shadow now is one. The three of self exists no more. The higher three descends and all the nine are one. Await the time."

When, therefore, the ray of the soul dominates the ray of the personality, then the self becomes the acting agent, aided by the ray of the lower self. The rays of the three vehicles are no longer active, but only the basic duality of soul and personality remains, and there is no lesser differentiation.

In considering all these seven rays, I seek to do three things in every case:

Give the technique of projection. This technique falls into four stages:
1. The preparatory stage in which the consciousness becomes focused in the soul ray.
2. An interlude in which the projecting agent realizes with intensity the existence of the "point of tension" and the finished product of the visualization process.
3. A focused activity of the will, according to the ray, in which a line of light or of living substance is imaginatively and creatively sent out or projected from the mental unit, as far as possible towards the Spiritual Triad, using constantly the creative imagination.
4. This line of light (this strand or bridge) is then pictured as colored by the two ray qualities, and it is held stably aligned in the light of the Spiritual Triad - not the light of the soul. This corresponds to the much earlier stage of development in which the mind was held steady in the light. The mind still is held in this manner, but the mind (as the agent of the soul and the [510] personality) is no longer quiescent, but itself becomes an active holding agent.
Indicate briefly the effect of the Word of Power. When adequate stability has been acquired, the disciple utters a Word of Power which serves to carry the light still further on and up. When correctly uttered, this Word produces three effects:
1. It keeps the channel for the descending light of the Spiritual Triad clear of all impediments.
2. It reaches (by means of its vibratory activity) the center of power which we call the Spiritual Triad, focused temporarily in the manasic permanent atom, and evokes a response in the form of a thread of descending triadal light.
3. It causes a vibration throughout the antahkarana which in its turn evokes response from the "rainbow bridge" as built by all other disciples. Thus the work of constructing the racial antahkarana is furthered.

I am here doing two things - speaking to you in symbols. There is, literally speaking, no up or down or higher and lower, as you know, nor do any of the separative actions as outlined by the occult sciences exist. Yet the truth has to be thus presented owing to the mind consciousness of the disciple. I have also been giving in human terms the outline of a process which, if adequately followed, will enable you to make real progress in the preparatory understanding required by all who hope some day to take initiation.

This brings us to the third point, the nature of initiation. Initiation falls really into three major expansions of consciousness.
1. The expansion of consciousness of the dedicated personality into that of the soul; this is completely consummated at the third initiation.
2. The expansion of this fused and blended consciousness [511] into that of the Spiritual Triad, completely consummated at the fifth initiation.
3. The expansion of consciousness toward which the Masters are working, which is consummated at the seventh initiation.

Students today have made much progress towards the control of the personality, and the disciples in the world are now so numerous that the hierarchical emphasis is today upon the states of consciousness which follow the third initiation. Hence the giving out to the public of the teaching upon the antahkarana.

You will find below, in tabulated form, the teaching anent the six stages so that you may have a visual picture of the intended process. The following of the process is, of course, another matter and its success is dependent upon more than a theoretical grasp of process. It is dependent upon your ability to live more definitely in the world of meaning than hitherto, upon your knowledge of your soul and personality rays and upon your capacity to focus in your blended consciousness, and from that point - holding the mind steady in the light - utter the Word of Power which will carry your created thread of light forward towards the Spiritual Triad.

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