The whole of the Infinite Universe, the visible and the invisible,
the known and the unknown, the objective and subjective,
the physical, astral, mental and spiritual, all constitute
part of the ONE, the Supreme Being. All these points of
life, whether manifested as single atoms or as countless
atoms combined into heavenly constellations, have their
own sphere of radiation and therefore their own specific
field of influence. Nevertheless they all remain interrelated,
being synthesized by divine Rays of Energy which constitute
the Etheric Universe, integrating all of creation into
the One Whole.
The sphere of influence exerted by these individual lives, whether
considered as single or complex forms, will be determined
primarily by the nature and stage of development of their
indwelling Consciousness. It is the degree of such consciousness
evinced which will render these forms sensitive, responsive,
receptive, radiating or repudiating.
The state of consciousness displayed will depend on the development
achieved by the manifested vehicles, and their ability
of recognising, registering and identifying themselves
with the energies and impulses to which they are being
subjected, and which have been emanating from the environment
or are arising from other external sources.
Spiritual evolution may be regarded as a process of progressive
awakening of the realms of consciousness, of a fusing
and coordinating of the higher and lower, the spiritual
and material. It is for this purpose that the Soul avails
itself of a human form, which serves as a vehicle by means
of which the consciousness is step by step raised to its
ultimate objective.
Each human soul, whether incarnated or temporarily abiding in the
etheric worlds, forms part of the Divine Consciousness,
the One Soul. This individual spark of consciousness while
manifested in form, at some stage of its early development
becomes aware of something beyond the form, of something
that distinguishes itself from the material. The ultimate
aim of all development is that man should achieve full
Self consciousness, not only on the physical plane but
progressively also on the emotional, mental and subsequently
also on the successive spiritual planes, until finally
the as yet totally incomprehensible stage of cosmic consciousness
is attained.
Consciousness is the relation between spirit and matter, and results
in the faculty of apprehension. It therefore concerns
the relation between the Soul and the personality, of
the innate Self and its instrument of manifestation, and
therefore involves the principle of duality, representing
the product of fusion between these opposite poles of
energy. Awareness, knowledge, intelligence, lower mind
and Higher Mind are all merely facets of consciousness,
reflecting various spheres of development of that inner
force manifesting itself as the thinking, discriminating
and Self realising principle infusing the human being
with Life. Sentient response and consciousness are therefore
closely related and both attributes of the Soul.
Although consciousness is as a rule associated with the Self-consciousness
which distinguishes man from the units of creation in
the lower kingdoms of nature, it should nevertheless be
realised that all forms of creation whether an atom occurring
in the mineral kingdom, a plant in the vegetable kingdom,
or a planetary Being in the subjective spheres, are characterised
by Life, and therefore also dispose of some degree of
consciousness.
Etheric body
Each atom or body formed by a multiple association of atoms, whether
considered small or large, simple or complicated, is surrounded
by an electro-magnetic field or etheric body, which is
the product of the energies which are constantly being
radiated from the relative atom or compounded organism.
This etheric surround at the same time constitutes the
medium for conducting external influences, and therefore
simultaneously serves the dual function of radiation and
reception of both the forces emanating from the form,
and those external energies which are acting upon it,
thus determining the degree of vitality, sensitivity and
consciousness reflected by the enclosed life.
The classification into various kingdoms of nature is largely artificial
and based on the degree of consciousness displayed. Thus
although minerals may not reflect any signs of active
life to the casual observer, they do radiate energy and
show signs of elementary consciousness by reacting to
variations in the environment, such as temperature and
moisture. Such response to environmental conditions is
usually even more pronounced in the vegetable kingdom,
but as a rule is regarded to be purely instinctive and
unconscious.
This state of consciousness is, however, of a most relative nature
- by means of modern electronic equipment (galvanometers
etc.) it has been clearly proved that certain plants will
for instance react positively to etheric forces emanating
from plant lovers, but will show a negative reaction to
those exhibiting no interest in plant life. The consciousness
of plants is also reflected by the influence exerted by
the environment on the growth, fruiting, colouring and
general quality of the plants concerned.
As is the case in all biological populations, a very wide range
in measure of consciousness occurs not only amongst different
species, but also within a species. Such consciousness
must however still mainly be regarded as instinctive.
Consciousness being the product of the interplay between Spirit
and matter, is manifested in its broader sense as the
soul or life which qualifies every form of creation. It
therefore represents the source of awareness and responsiveness
to the forces which constitute the surrounding, resulting
in attraction and repulsion and the many attributes qualifying
each specific form, and determining its position, functions
and vibratory activity in the complexity of nature. It
represents that factor which reacts to the forces constituting
the environment.
Different stages
This consciousness, to some extent present in all forms, will therefore
vary considerably in accordance with the state of development
attained by the form concerned. These different stages
of awareness might be broadly classified into:
(a) Sentient consciousness, as manifested in the mineral and
vegetable kingdoms.
(b) Animal consciousness, still closely related to the sentient
aspects, but functioning on a somewhat higher level,
and already being increasingly influenced by emotional
aspects. In the case of more advanced animals, the first
traces of mental unfoldment may already be discerned.
(c) Self-consciousness - this is the state of awareness achieved
by human beings. As in the previous instances, the extent
to which this form of consciousness is evinced, will
vary between wide extremes depending on the degree to
which the Soul has succeeded in gaining dominance over
the animal nature of the body.
(d) There is, however, no end to spiritual development, and as
the individual progresses along his evolutionary path,
the stage will be reached where self-concern and self
consciousness will no longer remain of primary interest,
because the needs of fellow men and of the community
as a whole will become of more decisive importance.
This phase might be referred to as that of group or
race consciousness, and this will in turn and with the
course of time be superseded by spiritual - and eventually
by what is known as cosmic consciousness. These latter
phases are, however, still relatively meaningless to
the average person, as these concepts actually range
beyond normal human understanding.
In man's early stage of development it is the divine Energy of
Love which at first is brought to expression as Self consciousness
or love of the Self, and which with the course of time
and after many incarnations and the gaining of endless
experience, evolves into group consciousness or love of
the fellow man. With further progress along the Path of
Life, and with the eventual bridging of the gap between
the Soul and its more exalted counterpart, the Higher
Self, there is a growing awareness of the links of Love
uniting every form of creation into the One Whole. This
culminating stage may be called God consciousness.
Thread of Consciousness
All human existence is dependent on two vital channels of energy.
The first is the Thread of Life which ensures immortality,
and which conveys the Energy of Life from its source,
the Monad, via the Soul to its temporary vehicle of expression,
the individual personality. The Life Thread, anchored
in the heart and carried by the bloodstream, is the direct
flow of Life uniting the phenomenal aspect with its Source.
It therefore serves to vivify the form and to link it
with the surrounding Whole.
The second is the Thread of Consciousness, seated in the brain
and utilising the nervous system as the medium for providing
continuity of existence, embodying the principle of consciousness
within the form by reacting to the many stimulants from
the environment and the surrounding etheric realm. This
thread, also referred to as the "Bridge of Light" performs
three main functions:
(a) It brings the lower mind and brain into alignment, thereby
eventually leading to the integration of the physical,
emotional and mental aspects of the personality.
(b) It serves to bridge the gap between the physical brain, the
lower mind and the Soul, thus producing the Soul infused
personality.
(c) Eventually it will provide the final "Bridge of Light" between
the personality, the Soul and the Higher Mind, thereby
furnishing the longed for illumination.
Symbolically speaking divine energy is directed downwards through
the Life Thread to its vehicle of manifestation, whereas
the Thread of Consciousness, which has its origin in the
lower bodies through the interaction between matter and
the primary Energy of Life, works upwards constructing
the Path of Return from the phenomenal to the subjective.
During the early stages of unfoldment the thread of consciousness
is used in the first instance for satisfying selfish interests.
With the gaining of experience a steady expansion of consciousness
will, however, take place, resulting finally in producing
the higher forms of consciousness, which will mainly be
enlisted for altruistic purposes while man gradually comes
to the realisation that the individual merely forms a
minute part of the larger corporate whole. The persistent
aspirant will eventually reach the stage where he can
at will focus his consciousness either in the Soul or
in some aspect of the form, depending on the objective
to be realised and the act of service to be rendered.
Aart Jurriaanse wrote a number of compilations from
the books of Alice A. Bailey. Among these are: Of Life
and other worlds; Prophecies; Ponder on this; Serving
Humanity; The Soul; The Quality of Life; and he is also
the author of Bridges which is a Commentary on these teachings.
(This article appears on www.lightinfo.org)
