The seven rays are the sum total of the divine
Consciousness, of the universal Mind; They might be regarded as seven
intelligent entities through Whom the plan is working out……They are therefore
the sum total of all the souls within the solar system, and Their activity
produces all forms; according to the nature of the form so will be the grade of
consciousness. Through the seven rays,
the life or spirit aspect flows, cycling through every kingdom in nature and
producing thus all states of consciousness in all fields of awareness.
Every human being is swept into manifestation on the impulse
of some ray, and is coloured by that particular ray quality, which determines
the form aspect, indicates the way he should go, and enables him (by the time
the third initiation is reached) to have sensed and then to have cooperated
with his ray purpose.
The human soul is a synthesis of material energy, qualified
by intelligent consciousness, plus the spiritual energy which is, in its turn,
qualified by one of the seven ray types.
ANALYSIS OF THE RAYS [and
Their Expression, from an Earlier Manuscript]
There is a vast fund of interesting knowledge as to the
action and results of the ray activity in the lower kingdoms of nature, but on
this point no details can be given; and the following summary of what we have
been told is necessarily imperfect and admits of endless amplification.
FIRST RAY OF WILL OR POWER
Special Virtues:
Strength, courage, steadfastness, truthfulness arising from
absolute fearlessness, power of ruling, capacity to grasp great questions in a
large-minded way, and of handling men and measures.
Vices of Ray:
Pride, ambition, wilfulness, hardness, arrogance, desire to
control others, obstinacy, anger.
Virtues to be acquired:
Tenderness, humility, sympathy, tolerance, patience.
This has been spoken of as the ray of power, and is
correctly so called, but if it were power alone, without wisdom and love, a
destructive and disintegrating force would result. When however the three characteristics are
united, it becomes a creative and governing ray. Those on this ray have strong will power, for
either good or evil, for the former when the will is directed by wisdom and
made selfless by love. The first ray man
will always "come to the front" in his own line. He may be the burglar or the judge who
condemns him, but in either case he will be at the head of his profession. He is the born leader in any and every public
career, one to trust and lean on, one to defend the weak and put down
oppression, fearless of consequences and utterly indifferent to comment. On the other hand, an unmodified first ray
can produce a man of unrelenting cruelty and hardness of nature.
The first ray man often has strong feeling and affection,
but he does not readily express it; he will love strong contrasts and masses of
colour, but will rarely be an artist; he will delight in great orchestral
effects and crashing choruses, and if modified by the fourth, sixth or seventh
rays, may be a great composer, but not otherwise; and there is a type of this
ray which is tone-deaf, and another which is colour-blind to the more delicate
colours. Such a man will distinguish red
and yellow, but will hopelessly confuse blue, green and violet.
The literary work of a first ray man will be strong and
trenchant, but he will care little for style or finish in his writings. Perhaps examples of this type would be
Luther, Carlyle, and Walt Whitman. It is
said that in attempting the cure of disease the best method for the first ray
man would be to draw health and strength from the great fount of universal life
by his will power, and then pour it through the patient. This, of course, presupposes knowledge on his
part of occult methods.
The characteristic method of approaching the great Quest on
this ray would be by sheer force of will.
Such a man would, as it were, take the kingdom of heaven "by
violence." We have seen that the
born leader belongs to this ray, wholly or in part. It makes the able commander-in-chief, such as
Napoleon or Kitchener. Napoleon was
first and fourth rays, and Kitchener was first and seventh, the seventh ray
giving him his remarkable power of organisation.
THE SECOND RAY OF LOVE-WISDOM
Special Virtues:
Calm, strength, patience and endurance, love of truth,
faithfulness, intuition, clear intelligence, and serene temper.
Vices of Ray:
Over-absorption in study, coldness, indifference to others,
contempt of mental limitations in others.
Virtues to be acquired:
Love, compassion, unselfishness, energy.
This is called the ray of wisdom from its characteristic
desire for pure knowledge and for absolute truth—cold and selfish, if without
love, and inactive without power. When
both power and love are present, then you have the ray of the Buddhas and of
all great teachers of humanity,—those who, having attained wisdom for the sake
of others, spend themselves in giving it forth.
The student on this ray is ever unsatisfied with his highest
attainments; no matter how great his knowledge, his mind is still fixed on the
unknown, the beyond, and on the heights as yet unscaled.
The second ray man will have tact and foresight; he will
make an excellent ambassador, and a first-rate teacher or head of a college; as
a man of affairs, he will have clear intelligence and wisdom in dealing with
matters which come before him, and he will have the capacity of impressing true
views of things on others and of making them see things as he does. He will make a good business man, if modified
by the fourth, fifth and seventh rays.
The soldier on this ray would plan wisely and foresee possibilities; he
would have an intuition as to the best course to pursue, and he would never
lead his men into danger through rashness.
He might be deficient in rapidity of action and energy. The artist on this ray would always seek to
teach through his art, and his pictures would have a meaning. His literary work would always be
instructive.
The method of healing, for the second ray man, would be to
learn thoroughly the temperament of the patient as well as to be thoroughly
conversant with the nature of the disease, so as to use his will power on the
case to the best advantage.
The characteristic method of approaching the Path would be
by close and earnest study of the teachings till they become so much a part of
the man's consciousness as no longer to be merely intellectual knowledge, but a
spiritual rule of living, thus bringing in intuition and true wisdom.
A bad type of the second ray would be bent on acquiring
knowledge for himself alone, absolutely indifferent to the human needs of others. The foresight of such a man would degenerate
into suspicion, his calmness into coldness and hardness of nature.
THE THIRD RAY OF HIGHER MIND
Special Virtues:
Wide views on all abstract questions, sincerity of purpose,
clear intellect, capacity for concentration on philosophic studies, patience,
caution, absence of the tendency to worry himself or others over trifles.
Vices of Ray:
Intellectual pride, coldness, isolation, inaccuracy in
details, absent-mindedness, obstinacy, selfishness, overmuch criticism of
others.
Virtues to be acquired:
Sympathy, tolerance, devotion, accuracy, energy and
common-sense.
This is the ray of the abstract thinker, of the philosopher
and the metaphysician, of the man who delights in the higher mathematics but
who, unless modified by some practical ray, would hardly be troubled to keep
his accounts accurately. His imaginative faculty will be highly developed,
i.e., he can by the power of his imagination grasp the essence of a truth; his
idealism will often be strong; he is a dreamer and a theorist, and from his
wide views and great caution he sees every side of a question equally
clearly. This sometimes paralyses his
action. He will make a good business
man; as a soldier he will work out a problem in tactics at his desk, but is
seldom great in the field. As an artist
his technique is not fine, but his subjects will be full of thought and
interest. He will love music, but unless
influenced by the fourth ray he will not produce it. In all walks of life he is full of ideas, but
is too impractical to carry them out.
One type of this ray is unconventional to a degree,
slovenly, unpunctual and idle, and regardless of appearances. If influenced by the fifth ray as the
secondary ray this character is, entirely changed. The third and the fifth rays make the
perfectly balanced historian who grasps his subject in a large way and verifies
every detail with patient accuracy.
Again the third and the fifth rays together make the truly great
mathematician who soars into heights of abstract thought and calculation, and
who can also bring his results down to practical scientific use. The literary style of the third ray man is
too often vague and involved, but if influenced by the first, fourth, fifth or
seventh rays, this is changed, and under the fifth he will be a master of the
pen.
The curing of disease by the third ray man would be by the
use of drugs made of herbs or minerals belonging to the same ray as the patient
whom he desires to relieve.
The method of approaching the great Quest, for this ray
type, is by deep thinking on philosophic or metaphysical lines till he is led
to the realisation of the great Beyond and of the paramount importance of
treading the Path that leads thither.
THE FOURTH RAY OF HARMONY THROUGH CONFLICT
Special Virtues:
Strong affections, sympathy, physical courage, generosity,
devotion, quickness of intellect and perception.
Vices of Ray:
Self-centredness, worrying, inaccuracy, lack of moral
courage, strong passions, indolence, extravagance.
Virtues to be acquired:
Serenity, confidence, self-control, purity, unselfishness,
accuracy, mental and moral balance.
This has been called the "ray of struggle" for on
this ray the qualities of rajas (activity) and tamas (inertia) are so strangely
equal in proportion that the nature of the fourth ray man is torn with their
combat, and the outcome, when satisfactory, is spoken of as the "Birth of
Horus," of the Christ, born from the throes of constant pain and
suffering.
Tamas induces love of ease and pleasure, a hatred of causing
pain amounting to moral cowardice, indolence, procrastination, a desire to let
things be, to rest, and to take no thought of the morrow. Rajas is fiery, impatient, ever urging to
action. These contrasting forces in the
nature make life one perpetual warfare and unrest for the fourth ray man; the
friction and the experience gained thereby may produce very rapid evolution,
but the man may as easily become a ne'er-do-well as a hero.
It is the ray of the dashing cavalry leader, reckless of
risks to himself or his followers. It is
the ray of the man who will lead a forlorn hope, for in moments of excitement
the fourth ray man is entirely dominated by rajas; of the wild speculator and
gambler, full of enthusiasm and plans, easily overwhelmed by sorrow or failure,
but as quickly recovering from all reverses and misfortunes.
It is pre-eminently the ray of colour, of the artist whose
colour is always great, though his drawing will often be defective. (Watts was fourth and second rays.) The fourth ray man always loves colour, and
can generally produce it. If untrained
as an artist, a colour sense is sure to appear in other ways, in choice of
dress or decorations.
In music, fourth ray compositions are always full of melody,
and the fourth ray man loves a tune. As
a writer or poet, his work will often be brilliant and full of picturesque
word-painting, but inaccurate, full of exaggerations, and often
pessimistic. He will generally talk well
and have a sense of humour, but he varies between brilliant conversations and
gloomy silences, according to his mood.
He is a delightful and difficult person to live with.
In healing, the best fourth ray method is massage and
magnetism, used with knowledge.
The method of approaching the Path will be by self-control,
thus gaining equilibrium amongst the warring forces of the nature. The lower and extremely dangerous way is by
Hatha Yoga.
THE FIFTH RAY OF LOWER MIND
Special Virtues:
Strictly accurate statements, justice (without mercy),
perseverance, common-sense, uprightness, independence, keen intellect.
Vices of Ray:
Harsh criticism, narrowness, arrogance, unforgiving temper,
lack of sympathy and reverence, prejudice.
Virtues to be acquired:
Reverence, devotion, sympathy, love, wide-mindedness.
This is the ray of science and of research. The man on this ray will possess keen
intellect, great accuracy in detail, and will make unwearied efforts to trace
the smallest fact to its source, and to verify every theory. He will generally be extremely truthful, full
of lucid explanation of facts, though sometimes pedantic and wearisome from his
insistence on trivial and unnecessary verbal minutiae. He will be orderly, punctual, business-like,
disliking to receive favours or flattery.
It is the ray of the great chemist, the practical
electrician, the first-rate engineer, the great operating surgeon. As a statesman, the fifth ray man would be
narrow in his views, but he would be an excellent head of some special
technical department, though a disagreeable person under whom to work. As a soldier, he would turn most readily to
artillery and engineering. The artist on
this ray is very rare, unless the fourth or seventh be the influencing
secondary rays; even then, his colouring will be dull, his sculptures lifeless,
and his music (if he composes) will be uninteresting, though technically
correct in form. His style in writing or
speaking will be clearness itself, but it will lack fire and point, and he will
often be long-winded, from his desire to say all that can possibly be said on
his subject.
In healing, he is the perfect surgeon, and his best cures
will be through surgery and electricity.
For the fifth ray, the method of approaching the Path is by
scientific research, pushed to ultimate conclusions, and by the acceptance of
the inferences which follow these.
THE SIXTH RAY OF DEVOTION
Special Virtues:
Devotion, single-mindedness, love, tenderness, intuition,
loyalty, reverence.
Vices of Ray:
Selfish and jealous love, over-leaning on others, partiality,
self-deception, sectarianism, superstition, prejudice, over-rapid conclusions,
fiery anger.
Virtues to be acquired:
Strength, self-sacrifice, purity, truth, tolerance,
serenity, balance and common sense.
This is called the ray of devotion. The man who is on this ray is full of
religious instincts and impulses, and of intense personal feeling; nothing is
taken equably. Everything, in his eyes,
is either perfect or intolerable; his friends are angels, his enemies are very
much the reverse; his view, in both cases, is formed not on the intrinsic
merits of either class, but on the way the persons appeal to him, or on the
sympathy or lack of sympathy which they shew to his favourite idols, whether
these be concrete or abstract, for he is full of devotion, it may be to a
person, or it may be to a cause.
He must always have a
"personal God," an incarnation of Deity to adore. The best type of this ray makes the saint,
the worst type, the bigot or fanatic, the typical martyr or the typical
inquisitor. All religious wars or
crusades have originated from sixth ray fanaticism. The man on this ray is often of gentle
nature, but he can always flame into fury and fiery wrath. He will lay down his life for the objects of
his devotion or reverence, but he will not lift a finger to help those outside
of his immediate sympathies. As a
soldier, he hates fighting but often when roused in battle fights like one
possessed. He is never a great statesman
nor a good business man, but he may be a great preacher or orator.
The sixth ray man
will be the poet of the emotions (such as Tennyson) and the writer of religious
books, either in poetry or prose. He is
devoted to beauty and colour and all things lovely, but his productive skill is
not great unless under the influence of one of the practically artistic rays,
the fourth or seventh. His music will
always be of a melodious order, and he will often be the composer of oratories
and of sacred music.
The method of healing for this ray would be by faith and
prayer.
The way of approaching the Path would be by prayer and
meditation, aiming at union with God.
THE SEVENTH RAY OF CEREMONIAL ORDER OR MAGIC
Special Virtues:
Strength, perseverance, courage, courtesy, extreme care in
details, self-reliance.
Vices of Ray:
Formalism, bigotry, pride, narrowness, superficial
judgments, self-opinion over-indulged.
Virtues to be acquired:
Realisation of unity, wide-mindedness, tolerance, humility,
gentleness and love.
This is the ceremonial ray, the ray which makes a man
delight in "all things done decently and in order," and according to
rule and precedent. It is the ray of the
high priest and the court chamberlain, of the soldier who is a born genius in
organisation, of the ideal commissary general who will dress and feed the
troops in the best possible way. It is
the ray of the perfect nurse for the sick, careful in the smallest detail,
though sometimes too much inclined to disregard the patients' idiosyncrasies
and to try and grind them in the iron mill of routine.
It is the ray of form, of the perfect sculptor, who sees and
produces ideal beauty, of the designer of beautiful forms and patterns of any
sort; but such a man would not be successful as a painter unless his
influencing ray were the fourth. The
combination of four with seven would make the very highest type of artist, form
and colour being both in excelsis. The
literary work of the seventh ray man would be remarkable for its ultra-polished
style, and such a writer would think far more of the manner than of the matter
in his work, but would always be fluent both in writing and speech. The seventh ray man will often be
sectarian. He will delight in fixed
ceremonials and observances, in great processions and shows, in reviews of
troops and warships, in genealogical trees, and in rules of precedence.
The bad type of seventh ray man is superstitious, and such a
man will take deep interest in omens, in dreams, in all occult practices, and
in spiritualistic phenomena. The good
type of the ray is absolutely determined to do the right thing and say the
right word at the right moment; hence great social success.
In healing, the seventh ray man would rely on extreme
exactness in carrying out orthodox treatment of disease. On him the practices of yoga would have no
physical bad results.
He will approach the Path through observance of rules of
practice and of ritual, and can easily evoke and control the elemental forces.
From many of the above remarks it may have been inferred
that the characteristics of any given ray find closer correspondence with one
of the other rays than with the rest.
This is a fact. The only one
which stands alone and has no close relationship with any of the others is the
fourth. This brings to mind the unique
position which the number four occupies in the evolutionary process. We have the fourth root race, the fourth
planetary chain, the fourth planet in the chain, the fourth planetary
manvantara, etc.
Between the third and the fifth rays there is a close
relationship. In the search after knowledge, for example, the most laborious
and minute study of detail is the path that will be followed, whether in
philosophy, the higher mathematics or in the pursuit of practical science.
The correspondence between the second and the sixth rays
shews itself in the intuitive grasp of synthesised knowledge, and in the common
bond of faithfulness and loyalty.
Masterfulness, steadfastness, and perseverance are the
corresponding characteristics of the first and the seventh rays. [A TREATISE ON
THE SWEVEN RAYS, VOL I, p2OO/12]
