Alice Bailey - Autobiography - Appendix - The Methods in Producing "A Treatise on Cosmic Fire"

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Autobiography of Alice A. Bailey - Appendix - The Methods in Producing "A Treatise on Cosmic Fire"

The Methods in Producing "A Treatise on Cosmic Fire"

There have been four methods employed in transmitting this teaching from the Tibetan to the general public.

1. Clairaudience

In the early stages (for the first two years), the Tibetan dictated the material incorporated in the first two books clairaudiently to Mrs. Bailey. He would, at stated and appointed times, make a contact with her through the setting up of a vibration which she learnt to recognize, and then clearly and distinctly his voice could be heard dictating point by point.

2. Telepathy

When Mrs. Bailey became more accustomed to this work, and when the discipline and diet necessarily began to take effect, the work was gradually changed and now in the writing of A Treatise on Cosmic Fire it has been entirely telepathic. Mrs. Bailey gets in touch with the Tibetan when time is available and, should he be free and able to give the time, he communicates with her telepathically. The information is given with very great rapidity and the detail teaching is impressed upon her consciousness with such clarity that she is enabled to write it down, so that no word is changed. The book is printed as received, except for a very slight change of tense at times, as the English of the Tibetan, when he chooses to use his own, and not allow Mrs. Bailey to express his thoughts (which is his general rule), is slightly archaic and stilted. Before the information can be received and adequately transcribed, a certain meditative process has to have taken place, wherein the particular subjects to be dealt with are the seed thoughts of the meditative effort. This must have been preceded by the acquiring of a synthetic grasp of all that could be found which has previously been written on the subject. The mental faculty or body must therefore be large and highly organized, fully equipped with material, and under adequate control. With this foundation, knowledge may be safely imparted which far transcends the personal experience or previous knowledge of the recipient. If [260] this be true as between the Tibetan and Mrs. Bailey, it will also be apparent that the full value of the Treatise will only appear after due study and meditation and much collateral reading. The language employed, however, is so dear and lucid, the arrangement of the material so sequential, and the reason is led forward with such logical precision, that any intelligent person will find even a first reading an inspiring experience, illuminating unknown reaches of consciousness and impelling the later more particular study, which is so much to be desired.

The Treatise is a very fine instance of the real telepathy. It will be apparent from a perusal of the data in the Treatise that Mrs. Bailey could not herself have formulated this teaching, for it deals with cosmic processes of which she is necessarily ignorant. Her contribution to the work has been a strong initial interest in these subjects, over twenty years of meditation work, many years of study and thought, and a command of clear, forceful English.

3. Clairvoyant vision

The various symbols in the books (and there are many) have been shown to Mrs. Bailey and then described by her. This process is possible only with the aid of a powerful collaborator. The Tibetan would impress the desired symbol or glyph upon one of the subtler differentiations of the ether, and the vibration of the vehicles of the pupil being maintained at the required height, the pictures remain as clear and as perfect for study, as would some exquisite masterpiece in oils hung upon the wall of a private art gallery. The picture cannot be taken away, but the viewer may study and describe, and the artist might copy, although the color effects are utterly beyond any possibility of complete reproduction in dense physical matter.

Mrs. Bailey has also been shown seven great figures of the angels or Devas of the seven globes of the Earth chain, which later may be incorporated in the second edition.

Extracts from the ancient manuscripts, and the reading of certain stanzas and data in the hierarchical archives have been also shown to Mrs. Bailey and roughly translated by her and corrected by the Tibetan. A knowledge of the ancient language is not necessary in this work, as the most ancient manuscripts are ideographic and symbolic, and - when sufficient stimulation is present - the viewer becomes aware of the meaning and can transcribe it. [261]

4. Bringing through after sleep that which has been seen or heard while out of the physical body at night.

This method was employed in connection with the Stanzas at the close of the book, and also with the charts. Certain of the definitions found in the book were procured in this way.

Reprinted from The Beacon Magazine of June 1925. [262]

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