| 7. The Ray of the Ego In starting
our study of the ray of the Ego or Soul, certain major premises might be briefly stated
and incorporated into a series of propositions, fourteen in number. They are as follows:
- The egos of all human beings are to be found upon one or another of the seven rays.
[402]
All egos
found upon the fourth, the fifth, the sixth and the seventh rays must eventually, after
the third initiation, blend with the three major rays, or monadic rays.
The monadic
ray of every ego is one of the three rays of aspect, and the sons of men are either monads
of power, monads of love, or monads of intelligence.
For our
specific purposes, we shall confine our attention to the seven groups of souls found upon
one or other of the seven rays or streams of divine energy.
For the
major part of our racial and life experience we are governed sequentially, and later
simultaneously by:
- The physical body, which is dominated by the ray governing the sum total of the atoms of
that body.
- The emotional desire nature, which is to be found influenced and controlled by the ray
which colors the totality of astral atoms.
- The mind body or mental nature, and the caliber and quality of the ray determining its
atomic value.
- Later, on the physical plane, the soul ray begins to work in and with the sum total of
the three bodies, which constitute - when aligned and functioning in unison - the
personality. The effect of that general integration is actively to produce an incarnation
and incarnations wherein the personality ray emerges clearly, and the three bodies or
selves constitute the three aspects or rays of the lower personal self.
When the
personality ray becomes pronounced and dominant, and the three body rays are subordinated
to it, then the great fight takes place between the egoic ray or soul and the personality
ray. The differentiation becomes clearly marked, and the sense of duality becomes more
definitely established. The experiences detailed in the Bhagavad Gita become the
experiences [403] of the path of discipleship; Arjuna stands "at the midway
point" on the field of Kurukshetra, between the two opposing forces, and, owing to
the smoke of the battle, finds himself unable to see clearly.
Eventually,
the soul ray or influence becomes the dominating factor, and the rays of the lower bodies
become the subrays of this controlling ray. This last sentence is of basic importance,
for it indicates the true relation of the personality to the ego or soul. The disciple who
understands this relation and conforms to it is ready to tread the path of initiation.
Each of the
seven groups of souls is responsive to one of the seven types of force, and all of them
are responsive to the ray of the planetary Logos of our planet, which is the third Ray of
Active Intelligence. All are therefore upon a subray of this ray, but it must never be
forgotten that the planetary Logos is also upon a ray, which is a subray of the second
Ray of Love-Wisdom. Therefore we have: [404]
It should
be remembered that our planetary Logos functioning through the planet Earth is not
considered as producing one of the seven sacred planets.
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