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A Treatise on Cosmic Fire - Section Two - Div. B - Manas as a Cosmic, Systemic and Human Factor
2. In the System

We have now for consideration some further points on the subject of manasic development within the system and then we can proceed to discuss the future of manas, our final subheading.

It will be apparent to all of us that the vastness of the subject and the enormous cycles of time involved tend to obscurity and lack of definiteness. Only the high lights stand out, and only broad general concepts, and the impartation of fundamental facts (to the exclusion of detail) are in any way possible in this treatise. Certain ideas stand out clearly against the background of intricate plans, against the apparent confusion caused by the overlapping of cycles, both great and lesser, and against accumulation of chaotic detail. This apparent chaos, and even seeming contradiction, is the result of our imperfect evolution, the result of our entire lack of perspective incident upon our place in the planetary scheme, and the result of the shortness of our vision. Broad outstanding generalizations are all that we can appreciate at our present stage, and they might be summed up as three in number:

Position or the place of the system within its greater whole, and the corporate nature of all manifestation. This involves the concept of:

  • A cosmic system, involving lesser systems and holding them together by the power of a unified life. 44
  • A solar system, a portion of that greater system of [409] manifestation, equally involving lesser forms of objectivity, and holding them likewise unified by the power of its own life.
  • A planetary scheme, or subdivision of that solar system. This likewise persists as a unit by itself, yet has no existence apart from other units.
  • Groups or unified bodies within the scheme. These are again individualized, yet at the same time are a part of the greater whole.
  • Congeries or aggregations of cells, the subdivisions of groups. These must be similarly interpreted.
  • The cells, or the individualized units, within the groups. Each of these is a conscious entity, yet each has no existence apart from its groups.

Each of these divisions is characterized by:

An ensouling life, which - as far as we are concerned, emanates from the ONE ABOUT WHOM NAUGHT MAY BE SAID, Who ensouls the seven solar systems, down through the Lord of a solar system, through the cosmic Entities we call the Heavenly Men, and the solar Entities ensouling groups and through that peculiar central manifestation we call a human being to the little cell within the body of that human being, and the atom which is the basic material whereof all forms in all the kingdoms of nature are made.

Intelligent activity, or the display of purpose or manas, the fifth principle in every type of manifestation. This, as earlier pointed out, is the intelligent plan of the Entity concerned working out in time and space.

Power to evolve or progress. This is literally the distinctive ability of the ensouling life within the form to progress intelligently from lower to higher forms of manifestation. This is above all the peculiar and perfected attribute of the fifth principle.

Capacity to cohere. This is the ability of all intelligent, active Lives during evolution to conform to the Law of Attraction and Repulsion, and thus form a conscious, intelligent part of a greater life. It is literally [410] the transmutation of manas into wisdom. Though all that IS exists in form yet little is as yet brought under the intelligent control of the entity within the form. Only the Heavenly Men and Their superior embracing lives are consciously and intelligently working through and dominating the form, for only They, as yet, are perfected manas. Beneath them come many grades of consciousness. Man is gradually achieving that conscious control over matter in the three worlds which his divine Prototypes, the Heavenly Men, have already achieved. They are attaining a similar control on higher levels. Below man come many lives who are blind and unconscious of the congery or subdivision of which they form part. Thus can be seen, in general outline, the place of manas at the present stage.

44 Diversity from Unity. "Now, according to the Adepts of ancient Aryavarta, seven principles are evolved out of these three primary entities. Algebra teaches us that the number of combinations of things, taken one at a time, two at a time, three at a time, and so forth = 2n - 1. Applying this formula to the present case, the number of entities evolved from different combinations of these three primary causes amount to 23 - 1 = 8 - 1 = 7. As a general rule whenever seven entities are mentioned in the ancient occult sciences of India in any connection whatsoever, you must suppose that these seven entities come into existence from three primary entities; and that these three entities, again, are evolved out of a single entity or Monad."
- The Theosophist, Vol. VIII, p. 449.
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