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I can make no assumptions that you, the reader, have read other articles in my series on the 7 Rays, and consequently there must be some degree of overlap and repetition of some of the concepts, all in the spirit of making each of these more understandable to the average reader who has had minimal exposure to the teachings of the Ancient Mysteries, the Arcane Wisdom of the Ages. Additionally, I have brought the ideas moreso into the arena of comprehensibility by the use of more simplistic language in the hopes of reaching more and more people who have been guided to this website and these teachings.
Before the 7 Rays of the Universe and before The Origination Point of our Universe, there was and there is and there will always be The Unmanifest Infinite Deity behind all of the infinitude of Universes in existence. This Unmanifest Infinite Intelligence is The Infinite Source for all of the uncountable Creator Beings of all the Universes. They would then be The Manifest Expressions of The Unmanifest Source of All. In our particular Universe, we may consider our God as The Logos of the Universe or The Creator of this Universe, The Source for All That Is in this unique Playground of Creation.
Our Logoic Creator (for reasons unknown at any level) emanated forth from Its Being a Triple Expression of Itself, what might be called a Divine Trinity to administer the purpose of Its Universe. This Trinity may be looked at as a Triune Godhead and is called, in the occult literature, The 3 Major Aspects of our God. The First of those Aspects (and the highest) is The Will of God, the most powerful Force in the Universe, called Shiva in Hinduism (refer to "The First Ray"). The Second of those Aspects is The Love of God for all of Its Creation, the attractive, magnetic glue of the Universe, called Vishnu in Hinduism (refer to "The Second Ray"). And The Third Aspect is The Mind of God, the Mental Force of Intelligence that is swept throughout the entirety of Creation, called Brahma in Hinduism.
The Divine Triplicity undergoes a further division to produce our Septenary Universe. The 3 become the 7, and the number 7 is reflected down to and through every level of existence in this Universe (of which there are 7 Major Planes). The Trinity became The Septenate. The 3 Primary Aspects of God gave forth 7 Divine Attributes to comprise The Septenate of God, and these 4 Additional Attributes were projected from The Mind of God, The 3rd Aspect. They are Mind-Born Sons of Brahma. So we have 3 Major and 4 Subsidiary Branches of The Godhead, 7 Rulers of the Universe, so to say (The 7 Prajapati). These Seven are The 7 Sources for the 7 Rays, which are Energetic Projections of each of The Seven. In other words, each of the 7 Rays is a unique and qualified Divine Energy that is radiated throughout the Universe from its Ultimate Source in The Divine Septenate of The Godhead (please see "The Seven Rays Explained").
The First 3 Rays come from The First 3 Aspects of our Creator and are considered the Major Rays (Will, Love, Intelligence). The Last 4 Rays come from The Mind of God (3rd Aspect) and are considered the Minor Rays. The 7 Rays permeate all of Creation and are stepped down by 7 Specialized Beings at every level of existence to the next lower level, all the way down to the dense physical level at which Humankind finds itself on Planet Earth. This is necessarily abbreviated for the sake of concentrating on the subject at hand.
In our current solar system, which is the manifest expression of a Great Being called The Solar Logos, there is only one of the 7 Divine Rays in operation, and that is the 2nd Ray of Love-Wisdom (as it's called). Our God is a God of Love, and our solar system is saturated with The Love of God. Each of the 7 Rays in this system of planets is a subsidiary Ray of the Great Second Ray, and each of them is informed and influenced by God's Love.
The Spiritual Hierarchy of Earth, Who are The Guides and Guardians of all the evolutions of life on this planet, are divided into 7 Divisions or Departments for the purpose of employing and manipulating the forces of the 7 Rays, one Ray to each Department (click on "Who Are The Spiritual Hierarchy?"). In accordance with the reflecting nature of God in all of God's Creations, the first 3 Departments are the Major Departments, reflecting the 3 Major Aspects of The Trinity. The last 4 Departments are more minor and come under the supervision of the 3rd Department. Division number One is headed by The Manu, number Two by Lord Maitreya, and number Three by The Mahachohan, Who is called The Lord of Civilization. These 3 are called The 3 Great Lords of Earth's Spiritual Hierarchy and are 7th Degree Initiates (for more, go to "The Only Path On Earth").
It is the Third Department, under the supervisory oversight of The Mahachohan, that focuses and transmutes and dispenses the energies of the 3rd Ray in support of the Master Plan for this planet, the Plan formulated in the Cosmic Consciousness of Sanat Kumara, The Lord of The World and The Head of all Hierarchical endeavor ("Who Is Sanat Kumara?"). The Mahachohan might be thought of as The Senior Executive for the Department, and The Chohan of the 3rd Ray may be thought of as His Chief Operating Officer, to use more mundane terminology.
The Mahachohan is The Head Honcho of the 5 Departments from the 3rd to the 7th (because the 4 minor Departments come under the 3rd), and The 3rd Ray Chohan is the Second in Command. This Chohan had been Master Paul the Venetian (Ascension taken as Paulo Veronese, the Renaissance painter) until more recent times (The Hierarchy is ever in dynamic evolvement), but The Chohan of the 3rd Ray is now Lord Serapis Bey (called The Egyptian and former Chohan of the 4th Ray).
Before expanding on The Personnel of the 3rd Ray Department (also referred to as an Ashram), we should learn what this 3rd Ray is all about. Remember that, as with all the 7 Rays here in this solar system, the 3rd Ray is a branch and a sub-Ray of the Universal 2nd Ray and, consequently, is ever tempered and driven by Love. Love underlies all the qualities that are generated in Mankind by the 3rd Ray influence.
The words which more readily express this energy of the 3rd Ray are creativity, intelligence, activity, and adaptability. It is the Ray most commonly called the Ray of Active Intelligence or Creative Intelligence, the energy of intelligence in creative action, with the proclivity of adaptability in that intelligent, creative activity. Under the oversight of The Mahachohan, Lord Serapis Bey distributes this 3rd Ray Energy to the Natural Kingdoms of Earth (Mineral, Plant, Animal, Human, and Deva) to advance the furtherance of the Divine Plan for Planet Earth (known in its fullness solely by Sanat Kumara). The energy is passed through The Ascended Masters and Initiates in the Ashram of Serapis Bey and projected to the incarnate disciples and Initiates on the Earth to be mentally worked into a feasible, acceptable, and practical plan that may become manifest in the Evolution known as Humanity.
The 1st Ray of Shiva creates the building blocks of the Universe and infuses all of Creation with the principle of life. The 2nd Ray of Vishnu, The Form-Builder, applies the Love-Glue of the Universe to cohere the building blocks into form of every kind. The 3rd Ray of Brahma offers the principle of mind (manas) to all living forms and stimulates the mind toward the developement of intelligence, that is, consciousness advanced onto the Mental Plane of Existence. It is the qualifier of the life within the form. By active, creational intelligence, the 3rd Ray brings forth all the modifications of the conscious life within the form which permit of evolutionary progress. The 2nd Ray offers and then expands conscious awareness, and then the 3rd Ray and its subsidiary Rays come along and qualify (in an infinite variety of ways) the consciousness by application of the mind in its actively creative potency.
Consciousness and intellect are not the same thing, just as awareness and mindfulness are not the same thing. Shiva sets the creational ball rolling by an act of The Will, and Vishnu provides a body which the Spirit of Shiva may occupy, while at the same time giving that life-infused body something that may be termed awareness, awareness commensurate with the evolutionary level of that life within the form. Brahma uses The Mind of God to impart intelligence (again of many levels) to the aware life within the form and provides the multi-faceted energy for that intelligence to actively create the path for its evolutionary return to The Divine Trinity that sourced all life in the first place.
1. The 3rd, as with all the Rays, is directed to different portions of Humanity from Higher Levels (Mahachohan, Serapis Bey, and the 3rd Ray Ashram) and in varying amounts of intensity and potency depending on the goal within the Mind of The Mahachohan in accordance with the Master Plan of Sanat Kumara. The way that the energy works out in the minds of men and women is dependent upon their level of evolvement and the Ray Energies that their Souls have chosen for them this lifetime. The bulk of Humanity, who have not yet come close to the Path of Probation and who live their lives centered in the 3 chakras below the diaphragm and who are dominated by their emotional bodies, express this 3rd Ray Energy in a self-oriented , self-aggrandizing manner; while the more advanced disciples and Initiates of the world express this energy in group formation and for the benefit of the world (they are called the New Group of World Servers). Put in another way, the less-advanced express the negative side or vices of the Ray, and the more-advanced express the virtues of the Ray (if interested, go to "The Only Path On Earth").
2. Virtues and Vices of the 3rd Ray: The virtues of a Ray are the more ideal manifestation of the energy as intended by The Higher Ups Who are guiding the Race onward to the goal of The Planetary Logos (Higher Self of Sanat Kumara). The virtues of this 3rd Ray of Active Intelligence are: illumination of mind and a clarity of intellect, philosophical viewpoint, a capacity for mental concentration, caution, patience, sincerity, absence of worry over trifling matters, a broad view over abstract ideas, and the capability of intense creative activity in the world of form.
The vices of the 3rd Ray may be listed as follows: pridefulness of the intellect, absent-mindedness (due to excessive thinking), impracticality (with head in the clouds), obstinacy, isolation, coldness (reservedness), innacuracy in details, non-punctuality (lost in thought), criticalness, deviousness accompanied by manipulativeness, propensity for scheming, and intellectual self-importance.
There are virtues which must necessarily be acquired by the 3rd Ray Initiate in the Ashram of Serapis Bey to aid in the collective group effort of bringing the Plan to fruition. The more Soul-infused is the individual, the more that these virtues will be automatically expressed and thus negate the possibility of expressing the vices or adverse effects of the 3rd Ray Energy. These are: common-sense, accuracy and precision, devotion (to the cause and to The Master), toleration (of the flaws and limitations of others), and sympathy.
3. When someone is called a 3rd Ray type, it refers to the individual who has a 3rd Ray personality or mind usually, and if the Soul and the personality are both on the 3rd Ray, then it's the line of least resistance for the Soul to bring its dominant energy through its incarnate expression, and we would call that one an exponent or exemplifier of the 3rd Ray qualities. In slightly back-tracking, one of the 7 Rays governs and conditions each of the 5 periodical vehicles: Soul, personality, mental, astral, and physical bodies. The Soul Ray remains the same for an entire Round of Planet Earth (which has 7 Rounds or Incarnations), and the Ray of influence for all the incarnating aspects of the Soul changes from lifetime to lifetime (as chosen by the Soul or Higher Self).
The 3rd Ray type is seen, symbolically, as the spider in the center of the web. He or she wants to be at the center of all the activity, plotting, scheming, and manipulating everyone in order to orchestrate the outcome. The motive is personal and selfish if of average Humanity and undeveloped. The motive is altruistic and aimed at the betterment of others if on the Path of Discipleship to a Master or an accepted Initiate-Member of The Hierarchy (see "What Initiation Is Really About" ). The 3rd Ray orients the recipient toward the world of form by comparison with an orientation toward Spirit (2nd Ray). Third Ray types are exteriorly-oriented and extroverted toward the happenings of material existence, while the 2nd Ray type is introverted toward the Soul (when evolved enough).
Form and form creation underlie the energy expenditure of someone on the 3rd Ray (the entire line of Rays 1, 3, 5, 7 are form/materiality oriented, while the line of Rays 2, 4, 6 are inwardly-oriented toward the Soul and all that is entailed by "Spirit"). Its creativity and its busyness of activity and its use of the developed mind are bent upon creation in the world of material form, which includes organizations and businesses and institutes and societies and financial institutions. These are the businessmen and economists and financiers of the world, and what they have to create depends upon their evolutionary status and the amount of conscious Soul contact there is in their lives.
A money-lender may have personal motives for their activity and exhibit avariciousness, succumbing to one of the vices of Ray 3, or a money-lender may have more love-infused motives for lending money, such as the desire to help people, tribes, villages, or organizations make a better way of life. The former lives below the diaphragm and is uninfluenced by the Soul. The latter lives above the diaphragm, has Soul contact, and is consciously or unconsciously promoting a tiny portion of the Divine Plan.
The inevitable focus for the 3rd Ray personality, especially with a 3rd Ray mind, is on the outer forms of life to the exclusion of the inner life within the forms. The sequential and endless pursuits of creating some type of form, be it a bridge or a highway or a sculpture or a secret society or a social order is essential to the satisfaction of life. The 3rd Rayer has to be busy and outgoing, has to be mentally active, has to scheme and lie and withhold truth and manipulate and create intrigue -- whatever deception is necessary -- to achieve the creative agenda in physicality (if unevolved spiritually). If evolved, no deception or lying is utilized, but all tools and talents at one's disposal are used in bringing the idea/concept into physicality. And the adaptability granted by the qualities of the 3rd Ray becomes a valuable characteristic for overcoming any resistances and obstacles to the form that is being created with a flurry of activity (physical and mental).
Politicians may be quite successful using the energy of the 3rd Ray (especially with lack of conscience from Soul Level and no inhibitions in using the vices of the Ray). It could be considered the perfect Ray for the politician centered in the self and the chakras below the diaphragm (1st, 2nd, and 3rd) and far-removed from the Soul's loving inspiration. The inventor with a 3rd Ray mind or personality could also be considered as another good example of this Ray type, motivated by money or selfish ambition if unevolved or motivated to help other people if an aspirant on the Golden Path.
All the creative potential of the 3rd Ray individual is focused on the creation of some thing in the realm of materiality. It is instinctive with this type to always give the answer which best serves the interest of completing the form that is the goal, hence the accusations of deviousness and dyshonesty against 3rd Rayers of unevolved nature. Their objective is to win and to succeed in producing the material form (whatever that may be) without being encumbered by ethics, moral guidance, or influence of conscience. It is pure instinct, as the personality or mind is conditioned by this Ray, to look after number one and to make the opportunities happen rather than passively awaiting and then seizing the opportunity. Of course, by the time the 3rd Ray disciple is accepted into the Ashram of Serapis Bey, all of the wide range of talents enabled by this Ray are being exerted on behalf of others rather than the self.
To enable a more facile understanding of this Ray Energy and its impact at the human level, some degree of repetition is being employed because the breadth of influence, as manifested by the individual sensitized to the 3rd Ray by the Soul, can be a little hard to understand. Let us again look at the use of this energy for personal reasons and personality objectives.
Intellectual achievement (in the awakened mind) is sought for purely selfish ends, and relations with others in the world may be characterized as manipulative. Propositions will be devious and arguments subtle and elusive. The spider is centered in its web of intrigue. This is the busy body, trying to manage other peoples' lives for them, trying to run the world, grasping the reins of rule or government or corporate management so tightly out of self-interest that everything and everybody will be sacrificed in the furtherance of the very busy ends. This is a description of the 3rd Ray type who has not yet reached the Stage and Path of Discipleship in the thousands of lives on the Wheel of Rebirth (which happens about two-thirds of the way along). The disciple and the Initiate will use all that activity and busyness to creatively build the forms that bring us closer to the purposes and plans of Sanat Kumara and The Planetary Logos (if need be, check out "Who Is Sanat Kumara?").
4. As has been mentioned, the accomplished businessmen (and women), economists, and financiers of the world are impacted by and impulsed by this 3rd Ray at differing levels of their being (for reasons chosen by the Soul), and the one material thing that they all have in common in their career upon Earth is that medium of exchange called money. In one way or another, money plays a major role in their lives. What is the coorelation? What does money have to do with the Ray Energy of Active, Creative Intelligence?
In its essence, money is a concretization of pranic energy, crystallized vitality. It is a distillation and a condensation and compacted packaging of the life energies of the Universe. Of course, we just see it as metallic coin or paper currency (or precious metal) at this dense physical level and accept its value as dictated by the world markets, but the concept and the highly-organized thought-form that finally precipitated out amongst the societies of the world as "money" was a transmutation of pranic energy (existent throughout the Universe) into a concrete, material form that could be used in creating everything from the necessities of life to the highest material achievements of the society. You could say that The Mahachohan and His use of the 3rd Ray are responsible for money.
Money is an externalization upon the dense physical plane of vital energy and is under the direction and control of the financiers and bankers of the world (large or small), who, in turn, are conditioned by the energetic impulses of this 3rd Ray Energy (be it at the mind, personality, or Soul levels). It is really the Activity Ray that controls the distribution of vitalizing energy in the modern modality of exchange that we call money by influencing the financial intermediaries who serve as channels for the distribution of that pranic medium. The financiers are the gate-keepers for the flow of life force in crystallized form which facilitates commerce and provides all the form-objects that modern man considers essential to modern life. The Mahachohan, Who is responsible for modern civilization, gave us money to expedite its progress (through mental impression of 3rd Ray disciples in incarnation).
Again, we see this Ray Energy and its exponents in relationship to the form side of life and, from a practical point of view, the means of bringing creative projects and imaginings into realization. Then, as should be apparent by now, the financial backing of the financiers is for selfish purposes if average and unevolved (loan interest, usury, and personal gain) and for the greater good of all if evolved to the point of Soul and Master contact. The spider spins the webwork out of greed and acquisitiveness or out of generosity and the concern for others.
5. Allow me to take another tack and to draw out the qualities and influences of this 3rd Ray in a slightly different manner. The higher aspects of this Ray are its virtues, and the lower aspects are its vices, basically misapplication of the Ray Energy by the lesser-evolved of the Human Race because of the self-centeredness of their approach to life.
The people who have a response apparatus to this Ray (having been selected at Soul Level) have a practicality about them and never get into abstraction. They are the practical solvers of the world's problems (within their societies). Their approach is always practical and down-to-earth (form-oriented) and very focused. The 3rd Ray gets the preliminary work of the first two Rays done in a very practical way. These people are good at organizing and have a perseverance in completing the project or endeavor, staying on track forever if necessary. They get the job done come hell or high water.
These people are quite often perfectionists regarding the focus of their creation, ignoring everyone and everything else because of their belief in it and must do it with precision. There is a certain stubborness about them. They have the ability to become single-minded in purpose (like the 1st Ray) and one-pointed in focus to see their creation through to its completion. You can see how useful this energy might be to Earth's Spiritual Hierarchy as It drives forward in bringing into physical manifestation God's Plan for Earth through the 3rd Ray aspirants incarnate on the planet. This is the energy that is going to get it done in collaboration with the 7th Ray, which is one of 4 subsidiary Rays of the Major Third (the 7th Ray rules the Aquarian Age; refer to" The Seventh Ray" ).
The lower or negative use of this energy is the propensity or compulsion to try to convince/force others to become enamored of the idea or project by deception or slipperiness or manipulative maneuvering if need be. The spiritual aspirant will expend great energy and activity in organizing and drawing others into a program which is beneficial to the society as a whole. In both cases, there is always a strong adherence to an idea.
The 3rd Ray mind is organized, clear-headed, logical, focused, and persevering but not always aware of consequences, because it doesn't drive to the depths of the thought-form being created. It doesn't plumb to the depths of a situation or idea and investigate all the ramifications of the idea being formulated. The thinking process is almost like tunnel-vision due to the intense focusing on the consummation of the idea. The thinking is more concrete, concise, and productive of practical solutions to making the form manifest (whatever form that form may take). It can be and usually is a good Ray for the mind to be operating on because it grants clarity and rationality and level-headedness to thinking, but it can be carried too far when the material world is seen as the limits of existence and when the self-serving politician or evangelist (for example) wants to force his ideas upon everyone else. In fact, the mental bodies of all who haven't progressed to the Stage of Discipleship (roughly 95%) are either 3rd Ray or 7th Ray. From that stage onward, the Ray influence on the mind will vary (see "The Only Path On Earth").
6. The Mahachohan is The Great One Who heads the entire 3rd Ray Department and its 4 subsidiary Branches, the 4th, 5th, 6th, and 7th Ray Departments. All come under the divine supervision of this 7th Degree Initiate Who is one of The 3 Great Lords of The Hierarchy, the other two being The Manu (1st Ray) and The Bodhisattva (2nd Ray). It is The Office which carries the appelation of Mahachohan (Great Chohan), and no name has ever been given for this One Who took Office during the 2nd sub-race of the Atlantean Root Race, the 4th Root Race (during one Round of Earth there are 7 Root Races of Man, each of them having 7 sub-races). As hard as it is to believe, this One has maintained a Light-permeated physical body for all this time (millions of years, but keep in mind that there is no passage of "time" in Higher Consciousness), overseeing the developement of 6 sub-races of the Atlanteans and the first 5 sub-races of the current 5th Root Race, the Aryan (which is not limited to the Caucasian).
The term of Office of The Mahachohan is the longest of any in Earth's Hierarchy and may cover several Root Races in their entirety. This Grand Being is the sum total and the epitome of the Intelligence Aspect for this planet. The Original Mahachohan was one of The 6 Kumaras Who came to Planet Earth with Sanat Kumara (The First Kumara) from Venus 18 million years ago when The Hierarchy was first founded (at the time of the Motherland of Mu or Lemuria in the Pacific Ocean). The Sacrificial Ones Who came to Earth with our Lord of the World have been called The Lords of The Flame.
The Mahachohan is called The Lord of Civilization because each civilization of Humanity, as it builds on the foundations of the previous one, represents the evolutionary unfoldment of the work of this High Being in advancing the plan and agenda for the 4th Kingdom in Nature (Humankind). Every civilization and all their cultural achievements has been the created manifestation of This One by means of manipulation of the forces of Nature, the exquisitely precise distribution of the 7 Ray Forces, and the telepathic impression of incarnate disciples from the 3rd Ray Ashram; although it should be mentioned that for much of the Atlantean Root Race, the Initiates of The Hierarchy physically walked the Earth as the Mystical Leaders and Divine Kings of Atlantean lore (showing the way).
In more recent times (the first half of the 20th Century), The One Who had been Mahachohan for most of the 4th and 5th Root Races was drawn closer to Sanat Kumara to become a Member of The Great Council of Shamballa, and The One Who took His Place as the current reigning Mahachohan is none other than Lord Rakoczi, The One Who is referred to as Saint Germain, the previous Chohan of the 7th Ray for Planet Earth. Though few seem to know it, Lord Saint Germain is our Mahachohan now, as was revealed multiple times by Master Djwhal Khul in His books during the 1940's through Alice A. Bailey (His amanuensis). He now has responsibility for Departments 3 through 7, and the most recent Mahachohan will be in line to become The 3rd Ray Buddha (or Kumara) when the 8th Initiation is taken and that current Kumara moves on to grander schemes.
Lord Rakoczi is more cosmically evolved than most realize. The Saint Germain Aspect is only that Aspect which visited the royal houses of Europe for a couple hundred years in trying to draw the separative and warring kingdoms into a synthetic , cooperative unification. During that period, Master Rakoczi was already an Ascended Master, having created the mayavirupa body which was known as Le Comte de Saint Germain (The Wonderman of Europe). His endeavor at that time period was undertaken in His capacity as Regent for Europe.
Among the myriad of duties, The Mahachohan works to stimulate the mental developement of the Human Race, the fifth principle of mind. The tremendous advancement of the human intellect is a major feature in the plan for the Race. The Human Race is to become more intellectually powerful than the imaginings of futuristic writers, and it is The Mahachohan Who will being this about by the timely focusing and distribution of the Ray of Active Intelligence and secret mantrams that control the devas and elementals of the Mental Plane. Nothing more specific can be said about these secrets of Higher Initiation.
Lord Rakoczi (Saint Germain, if you prefer) makes the work of the other Great Lords possible and brings the plans for progressive civilizations down into a concrete, manifest realization by working through Serapis Bey and all the intelligent, creatively-active, practically-minded Initiates in His Ashram (incarnate and discarnate). The Chohan of the 3rd Ray, Serapis Bey, now works under Lord Saint Germain. It was because of the approaching New Age and the vastly increased responsibilities that Sanat Kumara realigned the 3rd Department (all Hierarchical Assignments are made by The 1st Kumara).
The Mahachohan not only receives input (regarding the Divine Plan) from Sanat Kumara and The 3 Buddhas of Activity but also has a direct link with The 3rd Ray Representative in The Solar Hierarchy in order to make adjustments to keep the changes and progress of Earth's Humanity coordinated with the fluctuations and changes throughout the solar system (sentient life evolves on all the planets but not at levels perceived by astronomers' telescopes). All plans on Earth are overseen by The Solar Hierarchy. Serapis Bey, then, receives the energy from The Mahachohan and acts as an Administrator in distributing it to the 5 Departments in His charge. As well, He has a long-standing and extensive involvement with the Deva Kingdom of Earth, the Devas being the Form-Builders and a necessary component of the creative process in bringing thought-forms into physical manifestation (check out "Angels, Elementals, and Creation").
7. The Ascension Temple of Serapis Bey: There are Retreats of The White Brotherhood in various high energy spots all over the planet, the location having been chosen by The Ascended Master of the Retreat Who has had a physical association with the area and region through repeated lifetimes, imparting His energies to the land at multiple levels (the aetheric levels are the 4 highest sub-planes of the Major Physical Plane). These Retreats used to be physical for many thousands of years until the darker inclinations of Man forced them to become aetheric and beyond the reach (and knowledge) of the average incarnate human. They remained in the same general location but had been transmuted into a higher level of beingness upon the higher aetheric levels by methods known to The Higher Initiates of Earth (White Magic in collaboration with the Deva Builders).
The Ascension Temple at Luxor, Egypt was established by Serapis Bey at the time that the final remaining portion of Atlantis, the Island of Poseidonis, was submerged beneath the ocean waters of the Atlantic approximately 12,000 years ago (previous cataclysms had submerged most of the Atlantean Landmass). High Priests of the most important temples on Atlantis had been telepathically warned by The Hierarchy of the imminent destruction of Atlantis in time for them to make preparations, secure the priceless treasures, gather 40 worthy disciples, and make ready their sailing vessels. The time for departure was signalled by The White Brotherhood and was an advance notice to allow time for getting to their assigned destinations (in all directions from Poseidonis).
Over the ages of the Atlantean Root Race, the black magicians (the sons of Belial) and those who served their own selfish interests had come to greatly outnumber the white magicians (everyone on Atlantis knew the mantrams and words of power for calling and commanding the elementals and their lesser devas). The balance of the Nature Kingdoms was being severely threatened; the plan for the Atlantean Race had been significantly disrupted; the fire elementals were being employed to destroy the properties of perceived enemies; the desirousness of the astral natures was becoming uncontrollable in a frenzy of stealing, greed, lust, and acquisitiveness; and Sanat Kumara made a decision.
It was time to give dominance over the Earth to the 5th Root Race and send off the 4th Root Race in a symbolic way which would never be forgotten by the civilizations to come: a watery deluge and total inundation representative of the total submergence of the Atlanteans in their emotional and desire natures. They had perfected the developement of the astral/emotional body and then had taken it to unintended extremes that were threatening the order in the Divine Plan for Earth.
Under instruction, The Manu of the 1st Ray (by use of secret mantrams, visualized thought-forms, and the power of His Will) commanded the earth elementals to shift the tectonic plate on which was riding Atlantis and the water elementals to flood over the remaining portion that was called Poseidonis. Vaivasvata Manu brought the civilization to its end, and The Spiritual Hierarchy removed Themselves from direct contact with Humanity since that time and made secret, once again, the mantrams and words of power (given only to Initiates). A remnant of the 4th Root Race remained as the Oriental in what has come to be China, Korea, and Japan.
There were 100 sailing vessels that left Poseidonis about 2 weeks before the cataclysm, each with a High Priest, 40 crew members who were disciples of the temple, precious relics, irreplaceable manuscripts, cultural icons, and the sacred flame of the temple that had burned in a golden brazier suspended over the altar, a flame which carried the energies of that particular priesthood. Only 10 of the boats made it to their destination unscathed by the turbulent waters from the world-shaking event. Serapis Bey and His group reached the mouth of the Nile River in time and rowed and sailed 480 miles up the great river to what is now Luxor, Egypt, arriving just at the time that the final Isle of Atlantis went down. As they carried their sacred flame, conducted ceremony, and consecrated the land, they could feel the earth shaking and see the river rise in consequence of their homeland submerging.
In time, they attracted many followers and much help in constructing the Temple of Ascension, but it couldn't be completed in one lifetime, so Serapis or one of His designates reincarnated into the land over and over to see the Temple to its completion. Serapis spent so many lives in what came to be called Egypt that He is to this day called The Egyptian in The Hierarchy. His love for Egypt is as great as El Morya's love for India. The Hierophant of the Ascension Temple has always been Serapis Bey, embodied or otherwise.
The purely white Temple is enormous and built as a perfect 4-sided square with very high walls and huge doors at the entrance. At the 4 corners are very large towers that dominate the aetheric landscape. The numbers 7 and 12 are built into the architectural scheme of the Temple in reflection of The Septenate and Dodecahedron of the Universe. The Ascension Temple was designed according to the principle of columns and the architecture of Atlantis (in a later life Serapis came into Greece as Phidius and designed the Parthenon in Athens in memory of Atlantis).
There are 7 levels of instruction which may be thought of as 7 temples within the Greater Temple. The temples proceed in concentric squares, each set inside the others from outermost (temple 1) to innermost (temple 7) and each of the 7 temples being bordered with 12 massive columns on 4 sides (48 columns per temple). The color scheme of the 48 columns from the 1st temple to the 7th temple is as follows: blue, golden, pink, white, green, ruby, and violet. The innermost Sanctum is designed for The Hierophant and contains the Golden-White Ascension Flame ascending to the heavens from the 12-pieced circular altar made of crystalline materials. The Sanctum is bordered with crystalline pillars, and the force from the Sacred Flame is so intense only Ascended Masters can withstand it (click on "What Is An Ascended Master, Anyway?").
The entire Temple can accommodate thousands, but the disciplines are so rigorous and uncompromising that few make it to the 7th temple. Each level of training is shielded by a Light-barrier from the next level on either side of it. There is no possibility of penetration by an Initiate-Disciple from a lower level to a higher one, nor can anything be seen past the curtain of Light surrounding the 48 Atlantean columns of each inner temple (similar to the forcefield erected at Initiation Ceremonies to keep the lower Initiates from the secrets of The Higher Initiates). The aspirants come back lifetime after lifetime to advance themselves on the Path of Initiation (go to "What Initiation Is Really About") toward the glorious culmination of the 5th Initiation when the Ascension occurs, however their participation in the training must take place in astral form while sleeping or in meditation. A tourist visitor to the great temple ruins of Luxor could never physically find the Ascension Temple.
At the courtyard entrance area of the temple before coming to the 7 inner temples, there is a large expanse of luxuriant gardens which stand in marked contrast to the surrounding desert and which contains musical fountains of sparkling waters, plant species from all over the world, songbirds in great numbers, and the aromatic fragrance of countless flowers, all nurtured and tended by Devas committed to the cause of the 3rd Ray Master. The accommodations for the aspirants are spartan as might be expected from The One Who incarnated as King Leonidas of Sparta. Personal cubicles have but a sleeping pallet, a simple table, a small rug on the floor, and a high window out of reach, all designed to eliminate any distractions from the rigours and disciplines of the training program. Ascending the Pathway of Initiation to the Revelation Initiation (the 5th), when Ascension occurs, is the only agenda (refer to "The Only Path On Earth").
Joshua (a lifetime of Jesus), son of Jacob and Regent for the Pharoah, undertook training at this Temple. Moses, Aaron, and Miriam all received training here which greatly affected their future role with the Hebrew Tribes. In fact, the Lawgiver received his greatest inspirations from his time in the Ascension Temple and the fire of needed courage from the Ascension Flame, and Aaron's role in the priesthood was most heavily influenced by this experience. Mother Mary, Joseph, and Jesus spend time in training at this Temple while away from Judea and Galilee, having fled from the wrath of Herod. They were all advanced Initiates for their time (as were the others mentioned).
Saint Joseph was an incarnate expression of Saint Germain. Jesus, though but a little boy of 5, mastered a training level few others could accomplish, a level called "The Consecration of The Priesthood" within the 5th inner temple. Even Helena P. Blavatsky (founder of Theosophy) received important astral training here but chose not to finish the course of the 3rd inner temple because it proved too demanding (and she was known for her iron will and steely determination). Many of Earth's Initiates choose to train here, but few are able to master the challenges deemed essential by The Hierophant.
8. Examples: Shall we examine some examples of 3rd Ray exponents in the historical record? There are 5 Rays that influence the incarnate personality, all chosen by the Soul prior to incarnation: one each for the Soul, personality, mental, astral, and physical bodies, which I'll designate as S, P, M, A, and Ph. in the list below. The Soul's Ray remains the same for an entire Round or Incarnation of Earth (a period of 7 Root Races). All the Rays of the incarnate aspect of the Soul change from lifetime to lifetime so that the Soul may have the broadest and most complete experience on the Wheel of Rebirth and balance all its excesses and meet its karma.
To say that someone is ON a particular Ray is a mis-apprehension because, as mentioned, there are 5 Rays to be considered. If someone is Initiate, the Soul Ray comes shining through the life, moreso the higher the degree of Initiation. For people who are less Soul-influenced, the personality and mental Rays usually indicate the Ray type of the individual. These Ray Energies in the personality structure give impetus toward certain fields of activity and lines of service in the world, the knowledge of which will be essential to the future disciplines of psychology, medicine, and education, and the future recording of history will gain an entirely new perspective. Here are a few Initiates from human history whose lives were conditioned by the 3rd Ray, which is especially true when 2 or more of the periodical vehicles are on this Ray and even moreso when the Soul and personality are 3rd Ray:
Louis Braille: S, M, Ph. (French teacher of the blind)
Albert Camus: S, M, Ph. (French writer)
Marcus Tullius Cicero: S, P (Roman statesman & orator)
Marie Curie: S, P (Polish chemist & physicist)
Euclid: S, M (Grecian mathematician)
Heraclitus: S, Ph. (Grecian philosopher)
Herbert C. Hoover: P, M (American president)
Victor Hugo: S, Ph. (French writer)
Pierre Simon Laplace: S, P, Ph. (French astronomer & mathematician)
Niccolo Machiavelli: S, P, Ph. (Italian statesman)
Isaac Newton: S, P (English scientist)
Michele de Nostredame (Nostradamus): S, P, Ph. (French astrologer)
Boris Pasternak: S, M (Russian writer)
Marco Polo: S, P, Ph. (Italian explorer)
Cardinal Richelieu: S, P (French statesman & cardinal)
Bertrand Russell: S, P, Ph. (British philosopher)
Jean Paul Sartre: S, M, Ph. (French writer & philosopher)
Baruch Spinoza: P, M, Ph. (Dutch philosopher)
Charles de Talleyrand: S, M, Ph. (French statesman)
Henry Thoreau: P, M, Ph. (American writer)
Antonio Vivaldi: S, M (Italian composer)
Laurence Olivier: S, M (British actor)
Andrew Carnegie: S, P, Ph. (Scottish philanthropist & industrialist)
Jacque Cousteau: S, M, Ph. (French oceanographer)
Richard M. Nixon: S, M (American president)
We can see the active and creative intelligence imparted by the 3rd Ray in these historical personages and the virtues and vices of the Ray being played out in the battle between the Soul and personality for dominant expresssion.
Nation-states also have a Soul Ray and a Personality Ray as chosen by Sanat Kumara and His Lofty Staff with the view in mind of the progressive unfoldment of the Divine Plan for Planet Earth. The Soul Ray remains the same throughout the life of the nation, but the Personality Ray may infrequently change in consequence of migration patterns and major historical events. No current nation expresses the Soul qualities of its Ray all the time, but rather some occasionally express it when inspired by leaders who are Initiate and who intuitively sense the Soul Ray Energies. The Personality Ray expresses through the undeveloped masses and reflects the separative, nationalistic self-interests of the state.
Of the major nations with influence in the world, there are 3 with a 3rd Ray Personality: China, Switzerland, and France. Europe as a whole and, consequently, the European Union has likewise this Personality Ray. Let us take France as an example. The brilliant intellectuality of the French throughout its history comes as a result of this 3rd Ray dominating the mass consciousness of the country, but France has even more of a mental stimulus because its Soul Ray is the 5th Ray of Concrete Knowledge. There is a double, synergistic impetus toward intellectualization in the French mind and their contribution toward the knowledge, science, and thought of the world. There is also a strong materialistic influence because the 3rd Ray is oriented toward the form/material side of life, and this accounts for the hedonistic preoccupation and the focus on the material well-being of France.
The mind under 3rd Ray impact produces cleavages and divisions, and the separative, self-centeredness of this nation may be accounted for by its mass expression of the vices of its Personality Ray. The international political intrigue, the acquisition of colonies to materially benefit the empire, and the exclusionary orientation toward all things non-French are evidential that its 3rd Ray Personality has been the dominant force over this grouping of peoples. Soul Ray will be expressed when its thoughts rise from the mundane to the Spirit, and all its mental gifts are donated to the betterment of the world and are not confined to the perimeters of the country.
As an aside and out of interest in ever exposing occult symbolism, the 3-fold Fleur de Lys symbol for France was adopted centuries ago out of divine inspiration from The Hierarchy of Masters. It esoterically represents The 3 Major Aspects of The Godhead in manifestation (Will of God, Love of God, Mind of God), just as the symbol for Great Britain, found in the Coat of Arms of the Prince of Wales, is the 3 Feathers representing same.
China is 3rd Ray Personality and selfish in interest. The energy accounts for the virtual massive explosion in wealth, that crystallized pranic energy called money, that has transformed the nation within mere decades. The extreme materialism, the intensely busy activity in the commercial marketplace, and the frenetically creative activity in building infrastructure and structure (and superstructure) may be seen as effects of the 3rd Ray. Adaptability to Capitalism on the grandest of scales while making a pretense of Communism is a quality of this Ray.
Switzerland is a world-class center for banking and financial activity, and all this wheeling and dealing with money (in such large amounts for such a small country) is a result of the materially-oriented Personality Ray being expressed in this country's own unique way (rather than its 2nd Ray Soul). The intended goal for a nation is the manifestation of its Soul qualities when Initiates are at the helm and inclusivity and sharing prevail over exclusivity and selfishness.
9. Miscellaneous Comments:
a. Each of the 7 Rays for Earth has a cyclic activity, a period of active expression and a period of withdrawal. Sanat Kumara, in His Cosmic Wisdom and knowing the Purpose of The Planetary Logos, chooses the sequence of Ray Expression, which is one of the secrets of Initiation. However, we have been given to know the dominant Ray influence of the Piscean Age (6th Ray of Devotion) and that of the coming Aquarian Age (7th Ray of Ceremonial Order). The 6th Ray began to wane in intensity in 1625 A.D., and the 7th Ray began its gradual expression in 1675 A.D. Other Rays have had a less major impact on the planet in the current era: Rays 1, 2, and 3 (for more, see "The Seventh Ray").
The 3rd Ray of Active Intelligence has been objectively manifesting since 1425 A.D. and will remain so for the entirety of the Aquarian Age, roughly a 3,000-year period, because the Plan includes a marked advance in the intellectual faculty of the Race and a tremendous increase in its creative work, not only in all the arts but particularly in the art of living (as co-creators with The Hierarchy). The 3rd Ray will facilitate the planned mental developement of Mankind. There will then ensue a 3,000-year period of withdrawal (which doesn't at all mean that racial intelligence will diminish), and the cycling will continue.
The widespread creative activity during the New Age will also be due to the astrological influence of Saturn, the planet of testing, discipleship, and opportunity, a planet governed by the 3rd Ray. This coming creative living of the Race will be expressed through a new world of beauty and externalized divinity not heretofore seen on the planet.
b. The most effective type of meditation for the 3rd Ray individual who is polarized in the mental body is not the usual stilling of the mind and maintenance of a passive mental silence (as I used to think all meditation should be). All meditation is designed as a discipline of the mind for making contact with the Soul (or Master), but the 3rd Ray exponent has a different approach than the others, one that may not even be considered as meditation by meditators on other Rays, however its discipline is just as rigorous and method just as exacting.
The lower-concrete mind is used as a tool for breaking through to the higher-abstract mind of the Soul by pin-pointed and unwavering concentration upon the ideal, the goal, the objective. Eliminating every other thought and every other consideration and any input from the 5 senses of the body, the 3rd Ray aspirant intensely focuses and broods and ruminates and concentrates, in a single-pointedness of purpose and to the exclusion of everything else, on an ideal plan, an artistic expression, a racial problem, a scientific enigma, a philanthropic enterprise, and even a business venture. Every detail is considered; every question is answered; all contingencies are included; all obstacles are anticipated. The one-pointed focus on the matter at hand is held without compromise until a breakthrough occurs to the source of illumination in the higher mind of the Soul, which, in turn, is illuminated by the downpouring of Light from The Spiritual Triad of The Monad (Higher Self of the Soul).
It is a technique of "thinking through" to a higher state of consciousness wherein intuitional discoveries (provided by the Soul) can produce the seed of a new creation or a new field of awareness. Soul contact has been made by bridging with the mind instead of elimination of all activity from the mind. Intuition and inspiration are the spontaneous downflow from the Soul, but this form of meditative contact is initiated by the personality. The gates of the lower mind are forcefully opened to the archetypes and abstractions of the higher mind (if interested, click on "The Soul").
This would have been the form used by Nikola Tesla in working out every minutest detail for his electrical innovations "in his head". Albert Einstein would have meditated this way to derive the mathematics which supported his intuitively-received Relativity Theory. Isaac Newton (3rd Ray Soul and personality) probably used this method unknowingly in formulating his gravitational theories. The inventions of Thomas Edison were likely arrived at by the use of this active form of meditation and mental breakthrough to higher mind.
c. Each of the 7 major chakras is governed by one of the 7 Rays, though each is influenced to some lesser extent by all the Rays. The sacral chakra (svadishthana) of the average, integrated personality on Earth is energized by the 3rd Ray, and this is why that center is seen as the creative center of the less-advanced of the Race. The throat chakra (visshuddha) of beginning aspirants and disciples is stimulated by the 3rd Ray to be the catalytic agent for creative work. As the Initiate Path is traversed, the creative activity of the 3rd Ray is shifted upward to the ajna (brow) chakra, and the throat center is no longer used by the 3rd Degree Initiate (and higher) for the creational work of White Magic (for more, see "A Basic Primer On The Chakras").
Humanity collectively is the "Throat Center" of Earth's Planetary Logos and is predominantly governed by the 3rd Ray, though the incoming 7th Ray is gaining in influence. The Human Kingdom was brought into being 18 million years ago in a highly esoteric and occult manner by means of the 3rd Ray being applied to the primitive anthropoids of the planet by The Earth Logos. You could say that The Mind of God (Brahma) created Humanity, who's major function and goal in the Master Plan is intelligent creation (appearances to the contrary notwithstanding).
d. The physical bodies of humans are invariably on either the 3rd or the 7th Ray with a small proportion of large and powerful 1st Ray bodies. The 3rd Ray physical type tends to have the average features of the ordinary (except when large), coming in all sizes and shapes. A large number of athletes have 3rd Ray bodies, which require the adaptability and coordination provided by these energies as they shape and condition the developing form. This is the best Ray to have for sports that don't require endurance and stamina. Once an aspirant has been accepted into discipleship to an Ascended Master (two-thirds of the way along thousands of lifetimes), the body type has more variance than 3rd or 7th Ray to meet greater demands of the Path of Service.
e. The organ or center which is responsible for the distribution of the creative energies of the 3rd Aspect varies according to one's stage of developement. For the average, undeveloped person, that center is the sacral or second chakra; for the probationary aspirant it is the throat chakra (5th chakra); and for disciples and Initiates the ajna chakra (6th chakra) is the center of creative activity, though it fully comes into functioning activity only after the 3rd Initiation (Transfiguration or Soul Merge), so the throat chakra is still used much of the time by disciples and neophyte Initiates (the more advanced Initiates use the ajna center).
These centers or chakras are the agents through which the creativity impulses of humans flow after the mind has given its due consideration. For the bulk of Humanity, the sacral chakra creates by way of urgings toward the procreational act of sexual congress, leading to physical generation. The throat center mediates creative activity of every kind, not just speech and song. The ajna center receives creational input from the Soul, a higher form conditioned by love. Through each of these centers the creational energy (3rd Ray) is projected to bring into manifestation the desired creation (if need be, refer to "A Basic Primer On The Chakras").
f. The Ray of Active Intelligence first began to make its impact felt amongst Humanity during the Middle Atlantean Period millions of years ago. It was solely the "Flower of the Race" or the "Crest Wave" (the first group of Initiates after Sanat Kumara established the Path of Initiation) who could sense and utilize its influence, because the masses had poorly-developed minds and were astrally/emotionally polarized. The Initiates of the 4th Race had to demonstrate mental focus, intelligence, and creativity. The advanced ones were of the mind while all others were of the desires and emotions. The symbol for the Atlanteans became the vertical line of aspiration and mental unfoldment (slow as it was to rise at that stage of the Human Race).
The Aryan or 5th Root Race came next and began another stage of the evolution of Humanity (through its sequential sub-races). Of course, the mind of the masses was still in its infancy and would need repeated stimuli over the eons, but the Initiates of the Aryan Race would now have to demonstrate the higher qualities of the 2nd Ray (love, inclusiveness, and caring for others) in addition to the intelligence of the 3rd Ray. This became known as the vertical and the horizontal life and was symbolized by the cross, the symbol for the unfoldment of the Aryan Initiate (and eventually the Race). This was the original meaning of the cross (vertical growth of mind meeting horizontal growth of love nature), though numerous other meanings have since become attached to it.
The 6th Root Race will, in conformity with the Master Plan, begin to develope and express the Will Aspect of Divinity, the 1st Ray, far into the distant future, and the Initiates will, as always, lead the way and be the exemplifiers (please see "The Initiates Of Earth").
10. Closing Comments:
It is axiomatic in the Ancient Wisdoms of the Ages that "As above, so below!". Higher principles and higher realities are reflected onto lower levels. The Aspects and Attributes of God are reflected all the way down the 7 Cosmic Planes to the lowest and most dense physical levels and throughout the extent of the Universe. So, the 3-fold nature of The Godhead (Will of God, Love of God, Mind of God) will be found at every level of being. Taking our microcosm as an example, the trinity of the Soul is Atma, Buddhi, and Manas, and in the incarnate personality it is the physical, astral, and mental aspects of being. In the progressive evolvement of sentient life, first comes the Intelligence Aspect, next the Love Aspect, and lastly the Will Aspect.
Let me put it another way. Our Solar Logos is to have 3 incarnations of what we call the solar system. The first system has come and gone. In it the Intelligence Aspect (3rd) was perfected by all the incarnating Souls or Solar Angels involved. Our current solar system is the second in the series, and in it at the end of the great manvantara the Love Aspect (2nd) will have been perfected. This is why the 2nd Ray of Love-Wisdom is the sole source of energy in the system and the contributor of our 7 Rays. The third solar system will involve the mastering and perfection of the Will Aspect of God (1st) for all the Solar Angels involved. Third, Second, and then First is the sequence: Brahma, Vishnu, and then Shiva.
So, on Planet Earth this sequence of the macrocosm is reflected into the microcosm. We may be in the 4th Round of the 7 Rounds of Earth, but the sequence will be the same in all of them as well as their Root Races in each Round. The general masses will always lag far behind the Crest of the Wave, therefore the Initiates have a responsibility to show the way and do show the way. The 3rd Aspect of Creative Intelligence will be the first to be perfected, although in untold millennia hence on this evolutionary scheme. The 2nd Aspect of Love/Wisdom will be next on the agenda for Mankind to perfect in future Root Races of this Round. The crowning glory of the Human Evolution on Planet Earth will be the slow and gradual perfecting of the 1st Divine Aspect of Will, probably in a future Round or Incarnation of The Planetary Logos.
In the last Round (7th) there will be a fusion of the 3 perfected Aspects in the High Initiates that remain with the planet, having transcended the Human Evolution forever. All planets in the solar system will follow the same sequence, and when the Master Plan of The Solar Logos has been fulfilled, That One will take a Cosmic Initiation, leaving behind a so-called Black Hole in Space until the 3rd Incarnation begins on a higher turn of the spiral.
Humbly offered with utmost respect and honor to Lord Serapis Bey
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