NooSchool Blog – Charles Winborne

Appropriation and Detachment, continued:

Two sets of principles are to be found controlling human life:

• the selfish and the unselfish,
• the individual good and the group good,
• the objective goal and the subjective goal,
• the material incentive and the spiritual impulse,
• national patriotism and the world ideal,
• separative religious belief and the federation of religions,
• and all the many massed dualities which simply indicate the realism of people who are personalities (integrated and separative) or of souls (aligned and group-conscious).

Stages of Detachment:

• dispassion
• discrimination
• detachment

Mature Stages of Detachment:

• The more-mature individual learns to relinquish the fruits or gains of service and learns to serve without attachment to results, to means, to persons or to praise.
• All that has been acquired through age-long struggle and strife, through pain and pleasure, through disaster and satisfied desire, and all that the wheel of life, which has turned ceaselessly, has brought into the possession of the soul – All has to be relinquished. (Here, one becomes increasingly disinterested in the means and life of one’s historic Persona).
• Capacity to relinquish not only its tie and its gain through contact with the personal self, but it has most definitely to relinquish its tie with other personal selves. Capacity to know and to meet other people only on the plane of the soul–or, if you will–on the plane of the universal, on vision, beauty, goodness, and truth. This is especially difficult for husbands and wives, devotees, co-workers, and parent relationships with respect to their children as “other personal selves.”
  • Capacity to relinquish or sacrifice the age-old tendency to criticize and adjust another’s work, and thus preserve the inner group integrity.
  • Capacity to relinquish or sacrifice the sense of responsibility for the actions of others, and particularly of co-workers. See that your own activity measures up to theirs, and in the joy of struggle and on the way of service the differences will disappear and the general good will be achieved.
  • Capacity to relinquish the pride of mind which sees its way and its interpretations to be correct and true, and others’ false and wrong. This is the way of separation.

(NOTE: Attempt to read this without those prejudices induced by immature religious indoctrination and reaction to such indoctrination. For your own purposes, revise (if needed) the terms ”soul” and “God” to represent the truths that beckon within your own field of vocational endeavor. Try to occupy the perspective of Assessment, as distinct from Evaluation.–CW)

Stages of Appropriation:

In considering the processes of appropriation, the following phrases should be studied, as they throw a light upon the various stages from different angles:

1. The stage of concretization and materialization. The soul takes to itself what it needs and desires for form building.
2. The stage of incarnation, taken at this time blindly.
3. The period wherein satisfaction of the desires is the major goal. These range all the way from physical desire and its satisfaction to a general and undefined desire for release.
4. The processes, in detail, of appropriating
   • A body or bodies. (Physical birth, emotional birth, mental birth–CW), A sheath or sheaths, A vehicle or vehicles, A form or forms.
5. Immersion in darkness. This was the result of desire. The darkness of ignorance was chosen and man started, through desire, to work his way from darkness to light, from ignorance to knowledge, from the unreal to the Real… It is an elucidation of the Way of Relinquishment.
6. The Path of outgoing in order to possess.
7. Selfishness, the major characteristic of the self in relation to, and identified with, the not-self.
8. Love of possession, the prostitution of spiritual love.
9. Acquisitiveness, the illusion of material need.
10. The period called in the Bible, that of “riotous living” on the part of the Prodigal Son.
11. The application and use of energy for personal, selfish intent.
12. Personality life, with all that is therein implied, – ambition, selfish purpose, etc.
13. Attachment to the seen, the known, and the familiar, external, objective forms.
14. The stage wherein thought forms are built, at first ignorantly, and then with deliberate selfishness.
15. The period of engrossment in the things of the kingdom of earth.

Stages of Detachment:

1. The stage of spiritualisation and of de-materialization. The soul functions with the purpose of liberation before it, and not of further physical plane experience.
2. The relinquishment of form life.
3. The period wherein satiety is experienced; the desires have been so dominant and so often satisfied that they no longer attract.
4. The process, in detail, of liberation from:
   • A body or bodies.
   • A sheath or sheaths.
   • A vehicle or vehicles.
   • A form or forms.
5. Emergence into light, a symbolic way of expressing the reverse of immersion in darkness.
6. The Path of Return, motivated by the wish to appropriate nothing for the separated self. The beginning of group consciousness and of group work.
7. Selflessness, the major characteristic of the Soul or Self.
8. Freedom from the desire to possess, freedom from acquisitiveness, and therefore the state of desirelessness.
9. The establishing of the sense of reality as the ruling principle of the life.
10. The return of the Prodigal Son to the Father’s home.
11. The application and use of energy for group purpose and in cooperation with the Plan for the whole.
12. The life of the soul with all that is implied in that phrase.
13. Love of God in contradistinction to love of self.
14. Attachment to the unseen, the true, the subjective and the Real, which is only possible when there has been detachment from the seen, the false, the objective and the unreal.
15. Complete liberation from the control of the lower mind.
16. The period wherein the center of interest is the kingdom of God and of the soul.
17. Reality. Formlessness. God.

Roughly speaking, we may see the development of an individual follow the stages evident in the development of humanity as a whole. Consider the following developmental stages… (–CW)

1. Appropriation of the physical sheath. This takes place between the fourth and seventh year, when the soul, hitherto overshadowing, takes possession of the physical vehicle.
2. A crisis during adolescence, wherein the soul appropriates the astral vehicle. This crisis is not recognized by the general public and is only dimly sensed, from its evidenced temporary abnormalities, by the average psychologist. They do not recognize the cause but only the effects.
3. A similar crisis between the twenty-first and twenty-fifth years, wherein the mind vehicle is appropriated. The man should then begin to respond to egoic influences, and in the case of the advanced man, he frequently does.
4. A crisis between the thirty-fifth and forty-second years, wherein conscious contact with the soul is established; the threefold personality then begins to respond, as a unit, to soul impulse.
5. For the remaining years of life, there should be an increasingly strong relationship between the soul and its vehicles, leading to another crisis between the fifty-sixth or the sixty-third years. According to that crisis will depend the future usefulness of the person and whether the ego continues to use the vehicles on into old age, or whether there is a gradual withdrawal of the indwelling entity.

1. Too close attention to faults of others.
2. Too little attention to understanding/working-out one’s own duties and responsibilities.
3. Too much speech motivated by desire to shine.
4. To much speech motivated by criticism (establishment of one’s superiority).
5. Little cultivation of inner and outer silence.
6. Do not leave others to brood within their own inner silence.
7. Feverish discussion.

It is first of all the entering into a new and wider dimensional world by the expansion of a man’s consciousness so that he can include and encompass that which he now excludes, and from which he normally separates himself in his thinking and acts.

It is, secondly, the entering into man of those energies which are distinctive of the soul and of the soul alone, – the forces of intelligent love and of spiritual will. These are dynamic energies, and they actuate all who are liberated souls.

This process of entering into and of being entered into should be a simultaneous and synthetic process, an event of the first importance. Where it is sequential or alternating, it indicates an uneven unfoldment and an unbalanced condition. There is frequently the theory of unfoldment, and a mental grasp anent the facts of the initiatory process before they are practiced experimentally in the daily life and thus psychologically integrated into the practical expression of the living process on the physical plane. Herein lies much danger and difficulty, and also much loss of time…

They are those well meaning people whose mental understanding outruns the power of their personalities to practice. They are those who are in touch with forces which they are not yet able to handle and control. They have done a great deal of the needed work of inner contact, but have not yet whipped the lower nature into shape. They are, therefore, unable to express that which they inwardly understand and somewhat realize. They are those who talk too much and too soon and too self-centeredly, and who present to the world an ideal toward which they are indeed working, but which they are as yet unable to materialize, owing to the inadequacy of their equipment.

It should also be borne in mind that individual separative success is in itself an evidence of soul activity, for every individual is a living soul, actuating the lower sheaths of bodies, and proceeding to:

1. Build sheath after sheath, life after life, that will be increasingly adequate to its own expression.
2. Produce that sensitivity in the sheaths – sequentially and finally simultaneously – which will enable them to respond to an ever increasing sphere or measure of divine influence.
3. Integrate the three sheaths into a unity which for three and sometimes seven lives (occasionally eleven lives) will function as a dominant personality in some field of wide expression, using the energy of ambition to bring this about.
4. Re-orient the lower individual self so that the realm of its desires and the satisfaction of personality achievement will eventually be relegated to their rightful place.
5. Galvanize the self-assertive man into that realization of new achievements which will direct his steps on to the Path of Discipleship and eventually on to the Path of Initiation.
6. Substitute for past, necessarily self-interested and personal ambition, the needs of the group and the goal of world service.

The personality is a triple combination of forces, impressing and absolutely controlling the fourth aspect of the personality, which is the dense physical body. The three personality types of energy are the etheric body, which is the vehicle of vital energy, the astral body which is the vehicle of the feeling energy or sentient force, and the mental body which is the vehicle of the intelligent energy of will that is destined to be the dominant creative aspect… These forces constitute the lower man… The [Ego, Soul] is a dual combination of energies – the energy of love, and the energy of will or purpose – and these are the qualities of the life thread. These two, when dominating the third energy of mind, produce the perfect man.

Some characteristics of an Integrating Personality:

The free use of the mind so that focussed attention can be paid to all that concerns the personal self and its aims. This spells personality success and prosperity.

The power to control the emotions and yet have the full use of the sensory apparatus to sense conditions, to feel reactions, and to bring about contact with the emotional aspects of other personalities.

The capacity to touch the plane of ideas and to bring them through into consciousness. Even if these are later subordinated to selfish purpose and interpretation, the man can, however, be in touch with that which can be spiritually cognized. The free use of the mind pre-supposes its growing sensitivity to intuitional impression.

The demonstration of many talents, powers and the working out of genius, and the emphatic bending of the whole personality to the expression of some one of these powers. There is often an extreme versatility and an ability to do many outstanding things noticeably well.

The physical man is frequently a wonderfully sensitive instrument of the inner, emotional and mental selves, and gifted with great magnetic power; there is often resilient, though never robust, bodily health, and great charm and personal outer gifts.

[Today, the masses are occupied with the task of becoming conscious of themselves, and are developing that spirit or sense of personal integrity or wholeness which will eventuate in an increased self-assertiveness... This is well and good, in spite of the immediate complications and consequences in the world consciousness and state of being. Hence also the need for the immediate guidance of integrating personalities in every nation and their training in the life of correct vocation, with their subsequent preparation for greater inclusion. ]

[The task of the intelligent parent and of the wise teacher of the young should be that of turning out, into world activity, those conscious individuals who will undertake the work of self-assertion in the affairs of today. The mass psychology of accepting information indiscriminately, of giving prompt mass obedience to imposed limitations of personal liberty, without due understanding of the underlying reasons, and the consequent blind following of leaders, will only come to an end through the intelligent fostering of individual recognition of selfhood and the assertions of the individual as he seeks to express his own ideas.]

Man learns first of all to control his reactions to the planets as they rule and direct his personality affairs from their different “stations” in the twelve houses of his horoscope. There are two ways in which this is done:

First: By having the horoscope duly cast and then taking steps to determine what should be done to negate the planetary influences where it is deemed desirable to control the personality reactions. This has to be done by the applied power of thought. This necessitates complete confidence in the understanding and interpretation of the astrologer and the recognition of the exact moment of birth. One wonders if these conditions of the exact moment and the completely wise astrologer are ever to be found as yet.

Second: By consciously assuming the position of the spiritual Observer, and by cultivating the power to respond to the Soul. Then, from the angle of that Soul, the man must learn to control circumstance and the attendant reactions of the personality.

COMMENTARY:

In general, the author of the above claims horoscopy to be an important science, which is as yet in its infancy and based in illusion. At bottom of horoscopy is the desire to know those social, national, planetary, solar, and cosmic causes that EFFECT what we are.  In relation to such a motive, I have no complaint.  However, I have no personal interest in horoscopy, from a phenomenal-universe causal perspective, where objects in the apparent sky impress individuals and groups. Horoscopy as a metaphoric description system used for psychological purposes may be quite useful, however, especially in the light of the rich history of this tradition. At bottom, the matter is about the Science of Impressions/Assimilation/Transformation/Expression.

The author also claims that true horoscopy is of little interest with respect to application to Personalities–as is now the rage and the case. Rather, he claims that the horoscope is important with respect to egoic-soul expression and to humanity, as a whole.

For the time being, I put horoscopy aside, as it is. Nonetheless, the concepts of Personality-Type and Soul-Type hold interest (and is it not these that give horoscopy with their popular foundations?). These denote those aspects that horoscopy might consider in relation to systemic causes and their effects with respect to individual men and groups of men. (This relates to the FIRST point, above)

The SECOND point, which presumes “the position of the Spiritual Observer” is paramount for me, at present.  This represents a primary means by which “planetary influences” might be negated and amplified, by means of notice and experimental action. I Here, I ask you to consider” planetary influences” as a metaphor for those unuseful and useful automatic tendencies that express themselves by virtue of physical, emotional, and mental action.

I will seek to remove you, as individuals, from out of the center of your own stage and consciousness and – without depriving you of individuality and of self-identity – yet show you how you are part of a greater whole of which you can become consciously aware when you can function as souls, but of which you are today unconscious, or at least only registering and sensing the inner reality in which you live and move and have your being.

NOTE: If the nomenclature used here is unfamiliar and/or off-putting, consider the following translating concept: Many have little difficulty typifying national groups. Typification may be physical and emotional and mental, for instance. The sum total of these may indicate a National Type. Such a National Type may be assigned a lower and higher Quality. The lower Quality may be assigned the phrase “National Personality Type.”  The higher Quality may be assigned “National Genius.”

Consider these translations:

• RAY = TYPE
• SOUL = GENIUS
• SOLAR ANGEL = GENIUS (consider “Solar Angel” as a signal-source, rather than an anthropomorphic embodiment; a lighthouse, a television broadcasting station, a quasar).
• EGO = “I” as GENIUS.
• EGOIC RAY = DISTINCT TYPE OF GENIUS)
• EGO or SOUL or GENIUS may come to control the Personality (The Main Purpose of Education)

Again, the genius of Germany has often in the past manifested along the line of its fourth ray soul, and through that soul pattern has been given to the world much of the outstanding music and philosophies. When this is again manifested, and the soul pattern is more strongly impressed upon the German consciousness, we shall begin to comprehend the significance of the superman. Germany has caught a vision of this ideal. It is as yet misinterpreting it, but Germany can give us the pattern of the superman, and this is its ultimate destiny.

If England’s ideal of justice (which is the pattern of its personality ray) can be transformed and transmuted by her egoic ray of love into just and intelligent world service, she may give to the world the pattern of that true government which is the genius or the latent soul quality of the British.

If the idealism of the United States of America, which is today its personality expression and evidenced by the loudly enunciated idea of the biggest and the best, can be illumined by the law of love, then the pattern which underlies the structure of the States may be seen in lines of light, and we shall have the pattern for future racial light in contradistinction to the many separative national lines.

Thus the underlying patterns for all the nations can be seen and worked out by the intelligent reader.

 It could be noted also that the emotional pattern of the United States at this time is expressed in terms of sentiment and of personal desire. It is capable of being translated in terms of true benevolence.

The mental pattern for the States is to be seen as mass information through the schools, the radio and the newspapers. Later this can be transmuted into intuitive perception.

The soul pattern in the States today works out through the acquisitiveness of the nation and its love of possessions which it attracts to itself through the misuse of the law of love. The eventual expression of this will be the changing of the attitude which loves the material into that which loves the real, and the acquisition of the things of the spirit instead of those of the form.

JEAN GEBSER: The Ever-Present Origin

Authorized Translation by Noel Barstad with AlgisMickunas

Ohio University Press, Athens, 1985

Gebser States:

The aperspective consciousness structure is a consciousness of the whole, an integral consciousness encompassing all time and embracing both man’s distant past and his approaching future as a living present. The new spiritual attitude can take root only through an insightful process of intensive awareness. This attitude must emerge from its present concealment and latency and become effective, and thereby prepare the transparency of the world and man in which spirituality can manifest itself.

COMMENT:

Are you aware of any historical personage who is, was, or claimed to be, an occupant of a consciousness structure that is characterized by consciousness of the whole? (Rumor, faith and belief have it that this (without/beyond personality perspective) is presumed to be an aspect of God).

Certainly, there are apprehended-subjective-relative “wholes,” in which each of us abide.

My reading of this indicates something quite different than relative whole: rather, it seems to indicate the possibility of conscious abidance as an absolute whole.

Taken in subjectivity, aperspective represents the ordinary and extraordinary states of successive occupancies, from apparent whole to apparent whole (A purpose of education, perhaps).

Taken as an absolute term, aperspective may be joined by any number of totalizing terms, which are oft-abused as unqualified over-statements. (all, everyone, everywhere, everything, they, we).  

Aperspective, it seems to me, might be usefully employed as a desireable-imagined abstract state in a manner similar to employment of Godhead, for instance. Confusion of imagined-occupancy with actual-occupancy may be one definition of delusion and a major source of religious fanaticism. 

I have noticed that some employ such terms as final-states-to-be-achieved–as if such a state were demonstrably so. (…He has achieved an aperspectival state of consciousness.)

Jesus the Christ may have made such a believable claim (I and my Father are One). Nonetheless, he says little about identification with his Father’s Father, or his Father’s Grandfather. These might be examples of greater-successive-wholes, as an alternative to reference to absolute wholes.

…what usually happens is that because these three great realms and states (waking/gross, dream/subtle, and formless/causal) are constantly available to human beings, and because as states they can be practiced to some degree independently of each other (and might even develop independently to some degree), many individuals can and do evidence a great deal of competence in some of these states/realms (such as meditative formlessness in the causal realm), yet are poorly or even pathologically developed in others (such as the frontal or gross personality, interpersonal development, psychosexual development, moral development, and so on).

FROM:

Waves, Streams, States, and Self–A Summary of My Psychological Model

Ken Wilber (PAGE 3 OF 10)

“The spiritual evolution obeys the logic of a successive unfolding; it can take a new decisive main step only when the previous main step has been sufficiently conquered: even if certain minor stages can be swallowed up or leaped over by a rapid and brusque ascension, the consciousness has to turn back to assure itself that the ground passed over is securely annexed to the new condition; a greater or concentrated speed [which is indeed possible] does not eliminate the steps themselves or the necessity of their successive surmounting” (Aurobindo, The Life Divine, II, 26).

Is it less likely that instances of God-Volition and God- Intelligence might qualify the Universe than it is likely that Volition and Mind might qualify a human frame?

If it seems clear that volition and mind are IN the Universe, by means of human instrumentality, might it not be argued that we do not know the extent of these qualities? To the extent that ORDER might evidence volition and mind, might we extend these attributes to those macroscopic and microscopic systems that demonstrate ORDER?

“Rays” –for the moment–will not be understood as astrological emanations or influences. Rather, the Rays should be considered as those influences associated with consciousness and being, which arise in the world of energies and forces substanding our own Sun and the larger system of which our Sun forms as one of seven main components. To be clear, the term substanding is intended to implicate being, consciousness, and mind.

From this perspective, each human being is influenced by a complex of apparent Ray sources. A complete psychology will come to an awareness of each, along with their inter-relations. These are tabulated as:

I see these as colors on a palette. One takes the color of the canvas, adds a primary, tints with a complement, and further tints the tint, glazes, and applies with a variety of brushes and strokes, etc. This gives rise to a realm of satisfactory complexity that might accomplish any desired idea or mood, for instance. It is not difficult to imagine a musician, a chemist, or a sophisticated businessman accomplishing something similar, but with palettes suiting their vocations.

[For educational purposes, I have suggested the importance of continuous effort on behalf of Discernment of Type(s) or (Ray(s). Additionally, I have suggested the importance of discernment of Refinement-of-Type; I have referred to this second aspect of Assessment as definition of Circle of Exclusive Self Preference; additionally, I have referred to this aspect as Possibility of Conscious Evolution. Thes following "stages" may be useful when conceptualizing "Refinement of Type." Here, we counterpose the "possibility of conscious evolution" with "mechanical/Darwinian evolution." --CW]

=======================================

The stages by which man arrives at capacity for Conscious Adaptation may be enumerated as follows: [Not only the assessment of individuals is implicated here, but also the assessment of Educational Systems, their administrators and their teachers. Remember, this is not done with an eye to superiority/inferiority, but rather to "providing learning opportunities that fit."--CW]

[1]     That unconscious adaptation to his environment of the man who is primarily an unintelligent animal. Low grade savages are in this class, and many purely agricultural peasants who have not been subjected to modern education. The man at this stage is little better (more evolved–CW) than an animal and is governed entirely by instinct.

[2]    An unconscious adaptation to environment carried on by the man who is beginning to evidence some faint flickers of mental perception. This is partly instinctual and is based on a growing self-love. There is more of the “I” consciousness in him, and rather less of group instinctual awareness (as found in the Animal Kingdom, for instance–CW). You find this growing self-realization in the low grade slum dwellers, for instance, and in the petty criminal who is instinctual enough and bright enough to live by his wits and to show quickness in reactions and deftness manually. It is the stage of animal cunning.

[3]    A conscious and purely selfish adapting of oneself to the environment. In these cases, the man is definitely aware of his motives; they are consciously thought out and recognized, and the man makes “the best of his circumstances.” He forces himself to live as far as possible harmoniously in his surroundings. In this there is really good motive, but principally the man is governed by a desire for comfort – physical, emotional and mental – to such a degree that he will discipline himself into such a condition that he fits wherever he may be and can get on with anyone.

[4]    From this stage on the differentiations become so numerous that they are difficult to follow, being mixtures of pure selfishness (developed often to the nth degree), of a growing recognition of the group, of an awakening realization of the right of other people to a similar degree of comfort and harmony, and of a steady effort to adapt conditions of character and personality life, so that the purely selfish interests do no real damage to others, until we arrive at…

[5]   The average really good man who is struggling to adapt himself to his surroundings, to his group relations and responsibilities in such a way that some measure of love can be seen. I refer not here to that instinctual love for family and children and herd which men share in common with the animals and which often breaks down when the loved individuals assert themselves. The tie is not strong enough to hold, and the motive is too selfish to resist the pull. I refer to that motivated love which recognizes the rights of others and consciously strives to adapt itself to those recognized rights whilst tenaciously holding on to the rights of the personality.

[6]  Then we have the work of adaptation as carried on by the aspirants of the world who are theoretically convinced of their group relation, of its paramount importance, and of the need of every personality to develop its powers to the fullest capacity in order to bring real value to the group and to serve adequately the group need. In true esotericism, there is no such motive as “killing the personality,” or of disciplining it to such an extent that it becomes a dead poor thing. The true motive is to train the threefold lower nature, the integrated personality, to the highest demonstration of its powers, latent or developing, in order that those powers may be brought to the helping of the group need, and the personality of the aspirant may be integrated into the group. Thereby the group life is enriched, the group potency is increased, and the group consciousness is enhanced.

[Recall here the effort to continually assess on behalf of "Authentic Interest," where Mastery is considered in relation the the identification-of and pursuit-of individual standards, along with capacity of relative-subjective Mastery to contribute to Group endeavor.]

[Consider here that "aspiration" is not an emotional attitude, but rather an orientation to a scientific process that governs evolution. Think about this statement....--CW]

What is therefore to be seen going on in the life of the true aspirant today (his developing recognition of group responsibility) can also be seen going on in groups, in organizations and nations. Hence the many experiments. A process is going forward whereby these groups, large or small, are being subjected to a house-cleaning, to a discarding of the rubbish of old and worn-out ideas, and to a period of disciplining and training which must precede all real group life. When this process is over, we shall have these groups approaching each other in a new and real spirit of cooperation, of religious fusion, and in an international attitude which will be new indeed. Then they will have something of a surer and greater value to offer to the whole.

Within all these groups which are struggling towards this newer realization and integration, and which express what we might call “the sixth stage of adaptation,” are those who are already at the seventh stage.

[7]  Here we have complete unselfish adaptation to the group need and purpose. Those who have reached this point in their evolution are decentralized as regards their own personality life. The focus of their mental attention is in the soul and in the world of souls. Their attention is not directed towards the personality at all, except in so far as is needed to force it to adhere to group or soul purpose. These servers who are expressions of soul radiance and attractive power are knowers of the Plan, and in every organization they constitute the new and slowly growing group of World Servers. In their hands lies the salvation of the world.

[8]  The final group in this scale of adaptation is that of the higher initiates, the perfected Elder Brethren and Great Companions. They are perfectly adapted to Their personalities, to each other and to world conditions; but as a group They are learning how to adapt the forces of nature, the energies of the rays and the potencies of the zodiacal signs to the world need and the world demand in a practical manner and at any particular time. It is here that the work of the disciples of the world, and of the higher types of aspirants, proves helpful as a field of experiment, and it is in the new group of World Servers that the process of adaptation goes on.

I have endeavored to outline these stages of the process of adaptation in terms of consciousness, viewing the subject therefore philosophically and psychologically. It should be remembered that this process, as it goes on in consciousness, produces (surely and inevitably) corresponding changes in mechanism and structure, and in sense perception through the apparatus of the body.

Proposed: Sex, for most, is problematic.

Proposed: The sex problem is fundamentally centered at the psycho-physical relationships between animal-man, intelligent man, and soul-man. This relationship can be restated as that friction between instinctive-pleasure-seeking and intelligent-purposeful-creativity.

Proposed: Problematic sex relations will ameliorate as (1) men increasingly realize women (and themselves) as purposeful, genderless souls, (2) as men and women increasingly abide in the significance of Love, and as (3) men and women increasingly expand relationship to include all of humanity.

Proposed: As problematic sex relations are thus ameliorated, the importance of group relations will become apparent, as the importance of individual satisfaction diminishes.

Proposed: As sex increasingly comes under the influence of group relations progeny will incarnate who are increasingly refined and responsive to Life on Earth, to the Possibility of Conscious Evolution (Light), and to Love.

With these proposals in mind, a PRACTICUM emerges, which can be engaged by each of us, at the moment of sexual encounter (Perhaps this practice is already occurring during the course of your own relations):

• Will this action increase my own and my mate’s possibilities of conscious evolution, or rather increase identification with instinctive impulse, emotional attachment, or mental justification? (–CW)
• Will this action of mine tend to the group good?
• Will the group be hurt or suffer if I do thus and so?
• Will this benefit the group and produce group progress, group integration, and group unity?

Action which fails to measure up to the group requirements will then automatically be discarded. In the deciding of problems, the individual and the unit will slowly learn to subordinate the personal good and the personal pleasure to group conditions and group requirements. You can see, therefore, how the problem of sex will also yield to solution. An understanding of the Law of Rebirth, a good-will towards all men, working out as harmlessness, and a desire for group good-will will gradually become determining factors in the racial consciousness, and our civilization will adjust itself in time to these new conditions.

Psychology is only just come into its own, and only now is its function beginning to be understood; in one hundred years time [written in 1936--CW], however, it will be the dominating science and the newer educational systems, based on scientific psychology, will have completely superseded our modern methods.

The emphasis in the future will be laid upon the determining of a man’s life purpose. This will be brought about through an understanding of his ray [read: Type-CW], through an analysis of his equipment (and of this, vocational psychology is the faint first beginning), through a study of his horoscope, and through giving him a sound grounding in mind control [read: Control of Mental Attention-CW], as well as training his memory to the impartation of information. The processes by which he can integrate his personality and raise and purify his living qualities will receive careful attention, and all to the end of making him group-conscious and useful to his group. This is the factor of importance.

Synthesis, physical purity, decentralization and group good will be the keynotes of the teaching imparted. Emotional control [read: Control of Emotional Attention-CW] and right-thinking will be inculcated, and where these are present a knowledge of spiritual realities will be automatically acquired and the life subordinated to the group purpose.  Man’s relations to others will then be intelligently directed, and his relation to the other sex will be guided not only by love and desire, but by an ordered intellectual appreciation of the true significance of marriage.

The above applies to the intelligent, well-intentioned majority whose standards will have developed as the decades pass, so that they will embody the dreams and ideals of the most advanced visionaries of today. The unthinking, the idle and the stupid will still be found, but evolution proceeds apace and order is on its way.

If a Personality-Types or Ego-Types indicate the “Quality” of Impression-Processing-Expression, we have still not indicated where–on the evolutionary ladder–a particular individual stands. This speaks to the Development of the Type, where the direction of development is toward subtlety and inclusivity.

Assessing stages of development can be a dangerous endeavor when the assessment is distorted as a comparative evalution by an undeveloped personality/teacher. Such an undeveloped “evaluation” will invariably be offered as ascertaining superiority/inferiority.

A more comprehending/comprehensive teacher assesses capacity and then provides learning and service opportunities that fit the assessed student’s developmental stage.

Not fearing the pitfalls of evaluation (of provisional assignment to a step on the evolutionary ladder), we nontheless assess, asking: When, Where, and in Which conditions might the student be impressed, process, and express within the following hierarchy of developing capacities? Do these capacities indicate “abidance” or behavior-from:

1. Instinct.
2. Emotional aspiration.
3. Intellect.
4. Mental one-pointedness.
5. Egoic (Soul) purpose.
6. Spiritual will.
7. Divine intent.

Of course, we might subdivide these into a more-discriminating array of descriptors.

I, personally, tend to be avoid use of the terms Soul, Spiritual, and Divine, because of their apparent reference to religious-dogmatic assertion. It is an interesting exercise to ponder these terms as stripped of their word-histories. Beginning anew, for instance, what might these terms mean/signify from artistic, scientific, political, and economic perspectives?

[It is suggested that it may be most useful (un-self-flattering) to find one's "Ray Type" by observing one's vices... From one angle, it may be more important to observe-without judgment the qualities/virtues/vices than to name them. Names may gain increasing meaning after significant observation effort.] 

[Compare to 4th-Way Enneagram, Myers-Briggs] 

[From one angle, Virtues and Vices may be as personality (ego) mechanisms.  The Virtues, may be mechanisms that have optimal evolutionary potential, whereas the Vices may have sub-optimal evolutionary potential.  "Virtues to be acquired" might be understood as responses to the Ego, or Soul--used here as a continuously-present signal representing the possibility of conscious evolution. Note the two instances of the term ego/Ego.] 

[Consider that Personality, Ego, and Monad (Indivisable) may demonstrate as differing Ray Types. Consider also that the Physical Body, the Emotional Body, and the Mental Body (perhaps demonstrating as Personality) may also express as differing Ray Types. The Physical Body, additionally, may also be seen as a composite of Ray Expressions, exhibiting within endocrine gland function and relations. In the case that one wishes to "know thyself," it is clear that a significant effort may be made on behalf of self-study; that is, the study of one's vehicles and mechanisms--referred-to as the "not-self."  Study of the not-self may tend to end confusion regarding Who I am and What I am not.] 

A Brief tabulation of “Ray Types” followed by a somewhat more extensive tabulation:

Ray 1

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. 

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.” 

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, willfulness, hardness, arrogance, desire to control others, obstinacy, anger. 

Virtues to he acquired: 

Tenderness, humility, sympathy, tolerance, patience, 

Ray 2

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. 

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. 

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. 

Ray 3

This is the ray of the abstract thinker, of the philosopher and the metaphysician. 

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 realization of the great Beyond and of the paramount importance of treading the Path that leads thither. 

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. 

Ray 4

This has been called the “ray of struggle” for on this ray the qualities of activity and inertia are so strangely equal in proportion that the nature of the fourth ray man is torn with their combat.  

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. 

Special Virtues: 

Strong affections, sympathy, physical courage, generosity, devotion, quickness of intellect and perception. 

Vices of Ray: 

Self-centeredness, 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. 

Ray 5

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 favors or flattery. 

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. 

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. 

Ray 6

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 favorite 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. 

The way of approaching the Path would be by prayer and meditation, aiming at union with God. 

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. 

Ray 7

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 organization, 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. 

He will approach the Path through observance of rules of practice and of ritual, and can easily evoke and control the elemental forces. 

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: 

Realization of unity, wide-mindedness, tolerance, humility, gentleness and love. 

=========================================================================

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 synthesized knowledge, and in the common bond of faithfulness and loyalty.

Master-fullness, steadfastness, and perseverance are the corresponding characteristics of the first and the seventh rays.

The only one [Ray] which stands alone and has no close relationship with any of the others is the fourth.

The esoteric sciences carry us within the form or forms, and enable us to penetrate to the quality aspect. Students would do well to remember that occultism may be the study of forces, and that the occultist moves in the worlds of force, but these are also the worlds of quality and of those qualifying energies which are seeking to manifest through the world of appearances. As they achieve this, they will dominate the activity of the form units which constitute the phenomenal world.

There are energies which lie behind the phenomena produced by the activity of the atomic structures; these are latent and unseen and often unfelt; they are subjective. The esoteric sciences have one purpose in view, and that is to produce the gradual emergence of these energies, so that the skilled occultist can eventually work in a dual yet unified world of force, and be the creative will which guides, blends and utilizes the world of appearances and the realm of qualities. These two types of active creative energies must be controlled by the creating Will or Life aspect so that they function as one.

(NOTE: Consider looking up the dictionary defintions of the terms occult and esoteric, this to somewhat forestall the mechanical work of preconception.  Perform a similar task with respect to the term: quality; your presumption regarding the meaning of this term may thereby be expanded.)

Therefore the aspirant is taught to turn within; to study motives; to acquaint himself with the qualities which are seeking expression in the outer world through the medium of his outer mechanism. As he learns to do this, the nature of that outer world of mechanisms alters, and he increasingly becomes aware of the qualities struggling for expression behind the outer forms.

Thus the range of his conscious contacts extends, and he passes (through scientific research) from an exoteric understanding of the world of phenomenal appearances to an esoteric comprehension of the world of qualities. Never forget, therefore, that this dual apprehension must be emphasized, and that as a man learns to “know himself,” he automatically learns to know the quality underlying all appearances. Look therefore for the quality everywhere.

This is what we mean when we speak of seeing divinity on every hand, of recognizing the note sounded by all beings, and of registering the hidden motif of all appearing. The unawakened man or woman sees the form, notes its forms of activity, and “judges by appearances.” The awakening aspirant begins to sense some of the beauties that lie unrevealed behind all forms; the awakened disciple lays the focus of his attention upon the emerging world of qualities, and becomes steadily aware of color, of new ranges of sound, of an inner evolving and newer response apparatus which is beginning to enable him to contact the unseen, the intangible, and the unrevealed. He becomes aware of those subjective impulses which condition the quality of the life, and which are slowly and gradually revealing themselves.

From the standpoint of esoteric psychology, it should be noted that all the schools of psychology go astray in their handling of the human unit, for just this reason; they do not judge a man as a synthetic whole, and – owing to the lack of knowledge, and to the failure, as yet, of the intuitive faculty – the average psychologist seldom enters into the realms of true quality and of the life aspects; the man under investigation is considered more or less objectively, and the true sources of the phenomenal nature are seldom touched.

The determining aspects of the personality ray which produce the sum total of the physical, emotional and mental qualities is in process of tabulation and research and much has been done of a valuable nature. A man’s physical reactions, his emotional habits, and his mental processes – normal and abnormal – are far better understood than they were twenty-five years ago. Nevertheless, until there is a more adequate knowledge of ray qualities, and until a man’s soul ray is determined and the effect of that ray upon the personality ray is charted and known, the true nature of his temperament and the real subjective cause of his varied reactions, his complexes and inhibitions will remain a problem most difficult to handle.

When, for instance, psychologists realize that it is the play of soul quality and energy which determines whether a man in any particular life will function as an introvert or an extrovert, then they will work to produce that balancing of the ray forces which will make the man able to express himself in such a way that the path to the outer world is left open, and that to the inner world is also cleared of obstacles. (Emphasis mine, CW. My claim is that balancing is facilitated by ascertaining the Quality of the relationship between Persona and Soul, this approaced by providing learning opportunities that tend toward Soul, or Authentic, attraction.)

What is the real nature of a true mystic or introvert?

He is one whose soul force, ray or quality is too strong for the personality to handle. The man then finds that the path to the inner worlds of desire-emotion, of mind and of spiritual vision are, for him, the line of least resistance, and the physical plane integration and expression suffer as a consequence. The “pull” of the soul offsets the outer “pull,” and the man becomes a visionary mystic. I refer not to the practical mystic who is on the way to becoming a white occultist.

The reverse condition can also be true, and then you have the pure extrovert. The personality ray focuses itself upon the physical plane, and the inner lure of the soul is temporarily offset, sometimes for several lives. Where this outer condition and “pull” is overstrong, and when all the personality ray qualities are focussed to a point, you will have either a display of exhibitionism, as it is called, or a constructive high grade personality, expressing genius and the creative possibilities of a coordinated physical, emotional and mental expression. The manifestation of this coordination will be outward into the world of doing, and not inward into the world of being or of the soul.

Both these conditions indicate the “genius towards perfection;” where the equipment is mediocre, you have a thwarted or frustrated complex and a strong sense of inferiority which may diverge towards an abnormal exhibitionism. Where the equipment is fine and trained, you will have a brilliant worker in the varying fields of human endeavor. When, as is occasionally the case, you have added to the above a tendency to introvert, with the consequences of soul knowledge and of intuitional development, you then have a leader of men, a teacher from the gods, and a spiritual power.

Hence the value to psychologists in these modern days (temporarily at least) if they will interest themselves in the hypotheses of the school of esoteric psychology. They may gain thereby, and in any case they lose nothing.

On the path of discipleship, and until the third initiation, he learns to respond to the energy and to the spiritual purpose of the Life of his own planet. At the first and second initiations, and until the third initiation, he has been led on and initiated by the influence of the Christ, and under His direction he has submitted to two expansions of consciousness and has prepared himself for a third.

When ready for this, he comes under the initiatory power of the planetary Logos; and through the mediating activity of that great Being the initiate becomes actively aware of energy emanating from the solar Deity. He is therefore learning to respond to the second type of synthetic force.

After he has taken the highest initiation possible on this planet, he is, for the first time, responsive to energy emanating from the outer cosmic Center. This last stage of expansion is rare indeed, and only one hundred and eleven human beings, during our planetary history, have passed on to this state of awareness.

May I urge upon all to live more continuously in the world of meaning and less in the world of appearances?

It is a truer world and less full of illusion.

…all that I am positing about a ray Life may be equally well posited anent a human life, but it should be borne in mind that the pure ray type does not as yet exist, for there is not to be found that perfect form, mechanism or expression of the ray quality, nor that absolutely purified appearance in the human family, except in such rare cases as the Buddha, or Christ, and (in another field of expression) an Alexander or Julius Caesar. Leonardo da Vinci was an analogous expression.

The rays concern energy and consciousness, and determine expression, but where the matter utilized and the vehicle informed is as yet imperfectly evolved, there is then limitation and the “tuning out” automatically of much of the energy. The effect of ray force, working through imperfect forms, must be distorted and curtailed and misapplied.

Let me illustrate. I have said that first ray energy works out as the destruction of forms; it must be remembered that a pure destroyer is utterly unknown, and mercifully for the race this is so. It is a beneficent condition that as yet a first ray ego is so handicapped and limited by the form nature and the quality of that form nature that it is unable to make adequate or intelligent use of its destructive force. First ray personalities are oft destructive, as well you know, but the energy generated is insufficient to work much harm. Again, pure love is incapable of expression today, its flow being impeded by the form nature. A consideration of these two cases will help the reader to appreciate the situation. But the time is near at hand wherein there will be a fuller expression of ray purpose, type or quality, and therefore a truer appearance. (AB)

COMMENTARY:

The Theory of “Rays” or Emanations arises within certain esoteric traditions. It is founded upon the idea that a fundamental cosmic synthesis resounds as orderly differentiation, where ONE differentiates as THREE differentiates as SEVEN differentiates as FORTY-NINE, etc.

 A “Ray” expression is offered as one of the fundamental SEVEN energetic differentiations.

“Synthesis,” here, is referred to as God by religionists and esotericists who have received their knowledge via religious traditions, and/or whose intuitive experience is situated within a gestalt of religious enculturation. For an Artist or Scientist, the knowledge or intutional experience of synthesis might be apprehended or expressed, for instance, as  simply “Beautiful” or “True” or a “Theory of Everything.”

The major difference (I opine) between the Esoteric and Scientific approaches is that Esotericists consider self-apprehension (including sentience, awareness, consciousness, volition) as constituent with the point of synthesis AND differential creation. Scientists, by and large, see synthesis and differentiation as mechanical, and not-self-conscious. For many scientists, consciousness is presumed an emergent-complex attribute of cosmic mechanics (in the absense of material evidence to the contrary; by implication, there is presumed no-volition, to the extent that volition might be originating.

The connection to “Authentic Interest” presumes that self-apprehension is fundamental to cosmic-differential/synthesizing processes. To a great extent, this presumption is unjustified; however, it is always interesting to ask hard-core empiricists if they are self-aware to any extent… and, if so, From whence and where did this self-awareness arise? Might a redwood tree be self-aware? A stone? A planet? An apparently self-organizing galaxy?

From my chosen perspective (and the perspective offered in the above text), differentiation among people might be considered from a Ray or energetic perspective–that is, from the perspective of a fundamental and resounding 7 and 49, for instance. From this perspective an integrating personality may experience and express (physically/emotionally/mentally) by means of a dominant tone, or Ray. Before personality integration, the impression-expression intonation may be mixed; this reflecting the nature of the composite instinctive form-body, which includes all “Ray” expressions within the physical human frame. An example of such a composite Ray expression might be found expressed as the differential-and-coordinated endocrine system, for instance (The chakra system may be a subler such system, controlling the ductless glands, and thus “endocrine body-feeling-mind types”).

The idea of “Authentic Interest” presumes another level of taking-in-impressions AND putting-out-expressions, which is increasingly unconfined  by the limitations of the persona (body-feeling-mind). The presumption is that a given life has a purpose, or might be attributed with purpose. This purposive ”level” of a given life might be referred to as “Soul” or “Ego” (to be differentiated  that ego (I-sense; often “many i’s”) described by contemporary psychology and New Age philosophy (this ego is none other than the sum-total of self-centered personality impression/expression, often experienced as willful or purposeful, but is not; such “purpose” is none other than evidence of genetic and memetic mechanism, operating by means of personality; thus, such “intentions,” “purposes,” “wants,” and “needs” are here referred-to as “Ordinary Interests”).

So, let me be clear: “Authentic Interest” is equivalent to “Soul Interest.” It is not equivalent to “Personality Interest” until such time that the Persona has become Soul-Infused, or transparent to Soul Interests.

The goal of education (a bare claim) is to nurture Personality Interests to the extent that such interests nurture access to Authentic Interests–which are differential among individuals.

A given personality-ego type is not necessarily subsumed by an equivalent Soul-Ego type. The interests of the developing persona and the Soul-Ego are not necessarily coincident. In fact, there is often conflict between these interests, between Ordinary and Authentic Interests. An important goal of education (an other bare claim) is to resolve these interests by helping students to learn how to discern between and among them.

Helping students to feel-good is often nothing but placation of Ordinary Interests, the interests of the developing persona. This can be educative if-and-only-if such placation is intended as a foundation from which to launch an expedition into the cosmos of Authentic Interest.

Helping students to be-successful is often nothing but placation of the developing personality’s natural desire for personal self-justification, for personal physical, emotional, and mental survival. Again, this is educative only when survival is sublimated such as to include ever-expanding groups, and further sublimated such as to surpass apparent limitations of time and space. Thus, I begin to define as “Authentic” those interests that are Beautiful, Good, and True from the perspective of “Exclusive Self-Preference,” and from the perspective of temporal and spatial expansion-of-occupancy.

The effort, however, to grasp that which cannot be expressed in words produces a downpouring of the abstract mind or of the intuition, and this, in its turn, stimulates and develops the brain cells and produces a steady stabilization of the power to stand in “spiritual being”; then it becomes possible to grasp the inexpressible and to live by its power. (AB)

…all forms are differentiations of the soul, but that soul is one Soul, when viewed and considered spiritually. When studied from the form side, naught but differentiation and separation can be seen. When studied from the consciousness or sentiency aspect, unity emerges.

Once again, I am thinking about schooling–sch00ling wherein one trends toward integrity (unified cohesion, coherency) while standing atop a cultivated-differentiated personality.

“Soul” here is not an impersonal object, nor is it a static consolidation of one’s sense of oneself, one’s “I.” Rather it is a dynamic Principle, where the I-sense becomes; where the I-sense successively expands in-cohesion, in-clusion, in-formation. Thus, “one’s soul” evolves, realizes itself as less-separated from “other’s” souls.

I have specified the sense of attraction-cohesion in the term “circle of exclusive self-preference” for educational purposes.

I have specified the sense of movement from static-local self-sense toward inclusive self-sense as the exercise of “authentic interest.”

Interests that do not move in the direction of synthetic inclusion, or soul expansion are not educational. I state this, not as an objective truth, but rather as a bare-claim-definition.

“Evolution” in this sense does not implicate an exclusive movement from-to; rather, it indicates inclusive motion. Thus, the Past is subsumed by the Future.

[The immediate purpose of education:]

When the stage of discipleship is reached, a man begins to see himself as a sentient part of a sentient whole, and slowly reacts to the purpose and intent of that whole. He grasps that purpose little by little as he swings consciously into the rhythm of the sum total of which he is a part.

[The purpose of "higher education:"]

When more advanced stages and more rarefied and refined forms are possible, the part is lost in the whole; the rhythm of the whole subjects the individual to a uniform participation in the synthetic purpose, but the realization of individual self-awareness persists and enriches the individual contribution, which is now intelligently and willingly offered, so that the form not only constitutes an aspect of the sum total (which has always and inevitably been the case, even when unrealized), but the conscious thinking entity knows the fact of the unity of consciousness and of the synthesis of life.

The soul can be regarded as the principle of intelligence – an intelligence whose characteristics are mind and mental awareness, which in turn demonstrate as the power to analyze, to discriminate, to separate, and to distinguish, to choose or to reject, with all the implications conveyed in these terms.

As long as a man is identified with the appearance (emphasis mine-CW), these aspects of the mental principle produce in him the “great heresy of separateness.” It is the appearance of the form nature that glamors him and completely deludes him. He regards himself as the form, and then proceeds from a realization of himself as the material form, and as identified with the outer appearance, to a realization of himself as an insatiable desire. He then becomes identified with his desire body, with his appetites, good and bad, and considers himself as one with his moods, his feelings, his longings, whether they ray out in the direction of the material world or inward toward the world of thought or the kingdom of the soul. He is torn by a sense of duality.

Later, he becomes identified with still another of the appearances, – with the mind body or (mind) nature. Thoughts become to him so tangible that he is swayed, turned and influenced by them; and to the world of material appearances, and to the world of the great Illusion is added the world of thought forms. He is then subjected to a triple illusion, and he, the conscious life behind the illusion, begins to unify the forms into one coordinated whole, in order the better to control them (toward Personality Integration).

Thus the Personality of the soul makes its appearance. He stands then on the verge of the probationary path. He enters the world of quality and of value, and begins to discover the nature of the soul and to shift the emphasis from the appearance to the quality of the Life which has produced it.

This identification of the quality with the appearance grows steadily upon the path until the fusion of quality and appearance, of energy and that which it energizes, is so perfect that appearance no longer veils the reality, and the soul is now the dominant factor (soul-infused personality); consciousness is now identified with itself (or with its ray) and not with its phenomenal appearance.

Later, the soul itself is superseded by the Monad (Using mystical language: “I and my Father are One” or “Thou Art That”, Sanskrit: “Tat Tvam Asi,” तत् त्वम् असि or तत्त्वमसि, a fundmental statement of synthesis or non-duality), and that Monad becomes, in verity, embodied purpose. (AB)

Thus from a consciousness of himself, man arrives at an awareness of the interrelation between the seven basic energies or rays (fundamental-differentiated energy emanation); and from that he proceeds to a realization of the triple Deity (Life-Source-”Divine” + Material-Personality-Appearance + Ego-Soul-Quality), until at the final-fifth initiation (initiation: an evolutionary, self-realization landmark) he finds himself consciously at-one with the unified divine intent lying behind all appearances and all qualities.

It might be added that initiations, higher than the fifth, reveal a purpose wider and deeper than that which is working out within our solar system. The purpose of our manifested Logos is but a part of a greater intent.

It might also be noted that in the fourth kingdom of nature (the Human), on the path of evolution and of probation, a man arrives at a knowledge of his individual soul, and glimpses the quality and purpose of that soul (Authentic Interest–CW). On the path of discipleship and of initiation, he glimpses the quality and purpose of his planetary Life, and discovers himself as a part of a ray Life, Which is appearing through the form of a planet and is embodying an aspect of the divine purpose and energy. (A “ray-life” might be considered a fundamental differentiation, a living, expressing-energetic, intending Entity–where expression may occur through-and-among men, by virtue of fundamental-complememtary typologies, for instance. See Myers-Briggs, Enneagram, for instance. )

 After the third initiation he glimpses the quality and purpose of the solar system; he sees his ray life and energy as a part of a greater whole. These are but modes of expressing the emerging quality and the hidden purpose of the graded Lives which inform all appearances and color them with quality.

[Note: I neither believe nor disbelieve the above; rather I conjecture and seek to cultivate the intellectual and intuitive tools, and modes of occupancy, wherein I may verify and falsify such conjecture--an educational venture, to be sure.--CW]

Given: Increasing apprehension of the triplicity: The Knower; The Field of Knowledge, and Knowledge.

Given: A growing realization that the field of knowledge is constrained by interpretation, point-of-view, appearance, and illusion; That knowledge itself can be a hindrance unless transmuted into wisdom.

These givens lead to a growth of interest in the Knower and to a reasoned conjecture that this Knower may be the Soul, may be one with Deity as an existential synthesis, may be illimitable and eternal and – in time and space – may be the determining factor in human existence.

Tell me: What elements of contemporary education respond–directly–to such an interest, when and where this interest evidences?

[Note, once again, that this need not approached as religious matters. Rather, they may be approached from the perspective of practice of expansion and control of attention.]

Another Educable Triplicity, located within the Knowledge aspect, which emphasizes Diversity, as in the above:

1. Form – Mutability, conscious response to radiation. Matter.
2. Self-Consciousness – Responsiveness. Awareness of identity. Soul.
3. Life – Immutability. Emanation. Cause. Source. Spirit.

The proposed Synthesis or Union of these three–in manifestation–is called by mystics: God, All-pervading, the Detached and the Withdrawn. Thids Synthesis is referred to as Logos and Law by scientists and occultists. Such a synthesis implicates a movement from diversity to unity, from knowledge to wisdom, and from wisdom to conjectured occupancy of successive synthetic states.

We come now to the preparatory work being done by the Master Who started what is called by you “the labor movement.” This is regarded by the Hierarchy as one of the most successful attempts in all history to awaken the masses of men (in the brackets called middle class and lower class) to general betterment, and thus set up a momentum which would, occultly speaking, “swing them into light.”

Along with the development of the labor movement, mass education came into being, with the result that – from the angle of developed intelligence – the entire level of conscious awareness was universally raised. There is still much illiteracy, but the average citizen in all the western democracies and in the Soviet Union is as well educated as the intellectual man in the Middle Ages.

You have, in this activity, an outstanding instance of how the Masters work, for (to the average onlooker) the labor movement arose from within the masses and the working classes; it was a spontaneous development, based upon the thinking and the teaching of a mere handful of men who were regarded primarily as agitators and trouble makers; they were in reality a group of disciples (many of them unconscious of their esoteric status) who were cooperating with the Law of Evolution and also with the hierarchical Plan. They were not particularly advanced disciples, but they were affiliated with some Ashram (according to their ray), and were therefore subject to impression.

Had they been advanced disciples or initiates, their work would have been futile, for their presentation of the Plan would not have been adapted to the level of the intelligence of the then totally uneducated masses composing labor. [AB]

What individualists do not yet know:

Subjection and conformance of one’s overt behaviors 

to those forms of governance that contribute to pan-human welfare

in no manner limits one’s degrees-of-freedom

with respect to those covert behaviors

that truly found the basis of life fulfillment.

The individualist does not yet realize that his fear of being absorbed, of losing his identity, is unsubstantiated. He fears that “not-to-be” will be the result of collective thought and action. This is a reasonable, predictable fear, is it not–from the perspective of not-knowing-otherwise? (After all, is not the individualist often immersed in a world of harsh emotion, where he has been often carried-away in mass-feeling, in stadium/mob psychology?) 

If one wishes to help another to conquer this fear enforcement will be not only useless, but will reinforce the fear. Rather, let us present a succession of toe-in-the river experiments.

(The RUB is the term “contribute to pan-human welfare…” How can subjection serve all of humanity when “I” do not benefit?” the individualist asks. The asking provides a basis for assessment of such a person’s occupancy; He has already drawn a line between himself and his fellows. He has demonstrated the diameter of his circle of exclusive self preference, or–in other words, the diameter of his covert cage.)

In an individualists demand for overt freedom one notices that the apparent freedom of others is constrained. Thus, individualism presents in the player as a zero-sum game.

Sacrifice may be as an experiment wherein one attempts to increase the diameter of one’s covert cage while maintaining occupancy of an overt cage. Such an experiment may be suited to the scientist exploring the Power of Limits.

The white bird may be apparently caged, but is free nonetheless.

The dark bird may be apparently uncaged, but is caged nonetheless.

…competent disciples are searching the world for sensitive and willing aspirants; these disciples are laying their emphasis upon intelligence and spiritual freedom, working out as free and understanding cooperation; these disciples will not be sidetracked by the devotion – unintelligently expressed – of the neophyte upon the occult way.

It is occult students for whom search is now being made, and not mystics; it is for clear-thinking men and women that the call has gone forth, and not for the fanatic or for the person who sees nothing but the ideal, and who is unable to work successfully with situations and things as they are, and who cannot, therefore, apply the necessary and unavoidable compromise. [AB]

Definition, psychology: Totalitarianism

The dictatorship of the Past upon the Present.

Democracy is an interim state of governance wherein those who are qualified to govern (who have activated the deep meanings of authority within themselves, who are trodding some or other path of global synthesis, unafraid of losing personal identity/efficacy) provisonally agree to participatory govenance with those who can be easily manipulated (who have a little-developed cultivation of authority) and vice versa. Such a state of governance is as an educational period.

Such a democracy presents as a continuously destabilizing and restabilizing social state. Individualism is continuously in conflict with Collectivism, ever-resulting in a grudging dictatorship of one majority of another. At times, “grudging” can amplify as outright conflict, and resultant destruction of the immature democracy.

The entire conflict is situated in the notion of voluntary, of rightful volition. What you call volition, I name desire. As I see it, I cannot compel you to adjust your sense of volition. What I can do is offer to not-interfere with your volitional exercise, as long as you do no harm to me or my fellow Collectivists.

But, perhaps we can have a three-state solution, within one State.

Programmatically-speaking, some of us may choose to voluntarily enter into an agreement state wherein consensus between an individual and the Collective may play out (Mutuality State), wherever suited to Mutual participation. In a second State, the Collective State, Collectivists will finance and deploy programs and institutions of the Three Musketeers type… all for one and one for all. In the third state, or Individualist State, Individualists will have access to the goods-and-services that are devised by their own labor, the goods-and-services of ad hoc association (tribes, political parties, militant groups, theocratic organizations, etc) , and the shared goods-and-services that have been devises under the administration of the First State. The Individualists would not have access to those goods-and-services made available by means of the administration of the Second-Collective State.

Each of these three States will govern themselves independent of the others. Individualists will vote, tax, and administer within ad hoc relationships and within Mutuality relationships with the Collective body. Collectivists will vote, tax, and administer among themselves on a majority-rule basis.

In such a democracy, each will be able to live within the constraints and freedoms inherent in one’s own sense of volition, or self-will.

In such a democracy, individuals will be able to move between States as long as no personal profit accrues as a result of the move. No property will accompany a move from the Collective State to the Individualized State. Individual moves into the Collective State will demand individual renunciation of properties deemed to be in excess of those held within Collective norms; conversely, if the Individual has no property, the Collective will immediately raise that person’s standard of living to the verysame Collective social norms.

It is indefensible, if understandable, that Individualists should demand to “be free” according to their own sense of volition, while utilizing the goods-and-services provided by means of collective action. It is also indefensible, if understandable, that Collectivists should enforce their collectivism on Individualists.

My “Derivation of Democracy” attempts to reconcile these two indefensible, if understandable, views. One may notice that this is similar to an “International Relations” perspective, where an International Organization–as a aggregation point of Mutuality–is activated.

I predict that, over time, the Collective State will evolve as the most successful from health, education, and welfare perspectives, and from the perspective of economic productivity and personal safety.

I fully understand that the notion of “Masters of the Wisdom” and “Hierarchy” are difficult to swallow, for many.

Much of the language (God, Lord, Jesus, Christ, Buddha, aspirant, disciple, ashram, immortality, etc.) used in my Blog’s text smacks of off-putting religion (to you?), does it not?

I, myself, suggest that it may not be useful to “believe-in” the existence of such Supermen, such an Organization.

Nonetheless, one might deduce such existences, while setting aside all religious feeling. (A suggestion, not an objective claim.).

As a “What-If” exercise, how might such a deduction be structured? What will it look-and-feel like when such a deduction is stripped of religious sentiment? What language will you use to construct such a deduction, while agreeing with oneself to omit the indicated religious terms that I have indicated?)

One major characteristic is… present; this is a wide humanitarianism and a determination to aid in the cause of human welfare. One interesting distinction will later emerge and condition the new age in contradistinction to past and present methods. Disciples and aspirants will not be dedicated to purely humanitarian and welfare work. That will be a motive and not an objective in work. They will not give up their days and efforts solely to the relief of human necessity. All phases of human living – politics, finance and science, as well as religion – will be recognized to be their immediate and spectacular task, but the motivation in the future will not be primarily business success or personality ambition but the impulse to subordinate these to the general effort and to aid humanity as a whole, with a long range vision.

[For those who may not indicate such an orientation, training (as compared to educating) may be appropriate, such that body, emotions, and mind might enter into those disciplines that are preparatory for active participation in the human experiment. This will be a matter of continuous, attentive suitability assessment. -CW]

I find it necessary here to make one point clear. The disciples sent out from the various ashrams do not arrive on earth conscious of a high mission or knowing well the nature of the task to which they have been subjectively assigned.

In the case of certain disciples who will be of special world prominence and who are of initiate rank, they may attain to a conviction of mission (if I may call it so) in their extreme youth and thus be oriented towards their life task from the very start; that conviction will grow and deepen and clarify as the years go by. But it must be remembered that the majority of disciples will not so react. They will come into incarnation with certain gifts and innate talents and with certain firmly rooted ideas, endowed with irrevocable ideals and a brain which is responsive to a well-developed mind. They will, normally and through natural trends and predilections, find their way into that field of human activity wherein they are intended to work and in which they are to bring about certain basic changes in line with hierarchical intent.

This hierarchical intent will usually be unknown to them (though this may not always be the case), but the work to be done will seem to them impelling and necessary and something which they must do at all costs. They will find their way into politics, into the educational movements and into science; they will work as humanitarians, as social workers and in the field of finance, but they will follow these lines of activity through natural inclination and not because they are being “obedient” to instruction from some Master. They will be successful in their endeavor because the potency of the Hierarchy will be behind them, and there is much that the inner Ashram can accomplish for its outer working disciples in the way of opening doors, implementing efforts and arranging contacts, and other facilities; this is all done, however, without any evidence of the inner impulsion.

Recognition of the inner effort will be dependent upon the status in the Ashram of the disciple. When the disciple is a very advanced one, he may become aware of his high mission and know it to be no fanatical and self-initiated intention, but a definite task undertaken in response to ashramic planning. Such cases will usually be the exception and not the rule, particularly in the early stages. Such hierarchical workers will gather around them lesser disciples who will work along the same lines, through community of interest but not through recognition of similar instructions – a very different thing. In the one case, the consciousness of mission is developed through periods of definite planning with the Ashram and in consultation with the Master or His senior workers. I

n the more usual case, the disciple re-acts and works in response to impression, being at this stage totally unaware from whence the impression comes; he regards it as an activity of his own mind acting as a directing agent in all the planned activities, the life theme and purpose which are his service dynamic. (AB)

The principle of barter and of exchange (to the benefit of all concerned) will control.

Owing to the development of atomic energy on behalf of human welfare, national currencies will have been largely superseded, not only by a system of barter but by a universal monetary exchange – representative of the bartered goods when they are relatively small and unimportant – and by a planned scale of related values. National material assets and the needed commodities will all be provided for under an entirely new system.

Private enterprise will still exist, but will be regulated; the great public utilities, the major material resources and the sources of planetary wealth – iron, steel, oil and wheat, for instance – will be owned in the first place by a governing, controlling international group; they will, however, be prepared for international consumption by national groups chosen by the people and under international direction. (AB)

[This will occur as a new Education attains a foothold, where situation, illumination, service and a sense of persistence are systematically cultivated, -this by means of the invocation of that synthetic impulse that lies in an immature state within each of us.  -CW]

…there is nothing in existence but energy in some form or other, and that all we see, all with which we daily work (including our own material natures, mental, emotional and physical), and all that produces phenomena is energy in relation to forces, or forces as they are directed by energy.

This the emerging group of disciples (Scientists -CW) will incontrovertibly prove; by their efforts the new civilization will be created, in which humanity will have time for freedom, for the deeper educational considerations and for a political activity of the spiritual kind; science will produce a world wherein labour (as we now know it) will be abolished and every phase of man’s life will be implemented by science – not in order to make him more comfortable or more like a robot or more selfish, but as an aspect and outgrowth of true freedom; men will be free to think, to establish new modes of cultural interests, and free also to unfold the higher abstract mind and to interpret its conclusions through the medium of the trained lower concrete mind. (AB)

The efforts of the disciples coming from the Ashram of K.H. will be largely directed towards the general public, but they will work primarily through educators in all countries and through those concerned with the teaching of religion.

Educators touch those preparing for all types of activity. The task will be necessarily slow, particularly at first, but the second ray endowment of these disciples (as that of all disciples on this ray) is a steady persistence which brooks no discouragement, even when discouragement makes its appearance. Such disciples refuse to discontinue their effort or to change the spiritually-ordained plans, even when the obstacles to accomplishment seem insuperable. Disciples will come deliberately into incarnation and will take office in institutions of higher learning and in the churches, and will exert such pressure that old and obsolete methods, ancient outworn theologies and selfish and competitive techniques will be ended and the sciences of cooperation, of right human relations and of correct adjustment to life through meditation and right vision will supersede the present methods of learning; this will lead to no damage to the acquisition of academic knowledge or the right apprehension of spiritual truth. The vision will be different and the goals of a higher order, but the best that is now taught along the lines of art, religion and science will still be available; they will, however, be presented with a greater enlightenment and a better emphasis. They will meet the people’s need. (AB)

[Here, note that the Christ is not that object of dogma, doctrine, fanaticism, and dreamy fantasy that so often characterize those who call themselves Christians. Christ might be seen as an intelligent Principle Who occupies human form (just as you occupy human form) for the sake of the possibility of conscious evolution of all men, including those Christians who might endeavor to live according to those red words ostensibly spoken by the historical Jesus, for instance.)

This second group will implement the new religion; by the time they come into control the old theological activities will have been completely broken; Judaism will be fast disappearing; Buddhism will be spreading and becoming increasingly dogmatic; Christianity will be in a state of chaotic divisions and upheavals.

When this takes place and the situation is acute enough, the Master Jesus will take certain initial steps towards reassuming control of His Church (Christianity will be reformed - CW);

the Buddha will send two trained disciples to reform Buddhism;

other steps will also be taken in this department of religions and of education, over which the Christ rules, and He will move to restore the ancient spiritual landmarks, to eliminate that which is nonessential, and to reorganize the entire religious field - again in preparation for the restoration of the Mysteries. These Mysteries, when restored, will unify all faiths.

...The churches, being today headed towards failure and lacking vision, will eventually and inevitably crash upon the rocks of unwarranted and abused authority, yet out of the wreckage will emerge those true and spiritually enlightened churchmen who - with vision and sure knowledge, free from dogmatism and hating ecclesiastical authority - will develop the new world religion. (AB)

["The Mysteries" might be characterized by three elements: (1) The scientific establishment (hypothesis, experiment, results) of the process of illunination; (2) recognition of the subsequent expression of  service, love, right-human-relations, and right economic activity; (3) subsequent recognition of the principle of resurrection, which includes constant sublimation and exploration of the persistence of the human identity. Why are these called Mysteries? Perhaps because none are entirely apprehensible by means of ordinary mentation, or ratiocination. --CW ]

This stage of hierarchical appearance is dependent upon the effective service of the first group of isolated and hard-working disciples who are the senior members of the new group of world servers and who are today working among the sons of men. ..

…They will build for a future which will arise out of the wreckage of the past, which wreckage they will remove; they will instill certain basic concepts anent right human relations into men’s minds. Their immediate group work, when they are coming into power and recognition, will consist of a sweetening and a clarification of the political situation and the presentation of those ideas which will eventually lead to a fusion of those principles which govern a democracy and which also condition the hierarchical method – which is somewhat different; this effort will produce a third political situation which will not be entirely dependent upon the choices of an unintelligent public or on the control which the hierarchical technique evidently involves. The mode of this new type of political guidance will later appear. (AB)

He said: You are deaf!

She said: I can’t hear you…

He said, loudly: I said, you are deaf!

She said: I still can’t hear you…

In the dialogue of idiots, perhaps you are He? Perhaps, She?

Why this triumph of the Christ consciousness must always be spoken of in terms of religion, of church-going and of orthodox belief is one of the incredible triumphs of the forces of evil. (AB)

…the general public serves or is dominated by the concrete mind and is unable to grasp abstractions. It is the form which matters to them the most, for they are conservative and cling to the familiar. The church is intended to serve the masses and is not intended to be of use (except as a field of service) to the esotericists of the world, for they heed not the form to the same extent, having contacted somewhat the inner compelling life. (AB)

By means of the educational work of the world, the Rational Principle (Logos) that governs our planet impresses those of the intelligent public who cannot be reached by means of ceremonial and symbolism, as in Masonry, or by religious means and ritual, as in the Church. It touches the masses and those in whom the intelligence aspect predominates to the lessening of the other two aspects (Will and Love).

This was written in May, 1944. (AB)

Years ago I said that the war which may follow this one (WWII-CW) would be waged in the field of the world religions. Such a war will not work out, however, in a similar period of extreme carnage and blood; it will be fought largely with mental weapons and in the world of thought; it will involve also the emotional realm, from the standpoint of idealistic fanaticism.

This inherent fanaticism (found ever in reactionary groups) will fight against the appearance of the coming world religion and the spread of esotericism. For this struggle certain of the well-organized churches, through their conservative elements (their most powerful elements), are already girding themselves.

Those sensitive to the new spiritual impacts are still far from powerful; that which is new always faces the supreme difficulty of superseding and overcoming that which is old and established. Fanaticism, entrenched theological positions, and materialistic selfishness are to be found actively organized in the churches in all continents and of all denominations. They can be expected to fight for their established ecclesiastical order, their material profit and their temporal rule, and already are making the needed preparations.

[Also see http://www.nooschool.org/Blog/?p=1498]

I, personally, have very little use for the term: God.

Having said this, I harbor no offence, whatsoever, who use this term to locate themselves in life-be this justification physical, emotional, intellectual, or spiritual. If God works for you, or others, well… God bless you!

I do respond attractively to the term Light.

Similarly, I respond to the term Love.

Light, for me implicates physical illumination (Thank you, Mr. Tesla!), emotional illumination (Gratitude to psychotherapists everywhere!), mental illumination (Merci beaucoup! to scientists in all lands) and spiritual illumination (One cannot but think of Buddha, here).

Love, for me implicates right-human-relations. Whereas instinctive Love miraculously preserves perpetuation of all sentient beings on this planet, physical Love makes use of all of those technologies and other means by which men and women contact each other in the spirit of helpfulness. Emotional Love transcends sentiment and increasingly incurs empathy among the members of the human and animal kingdoms. Mental Love conjoins ideas and ideation in the fire of synthesis. Intuition is Love itself, surmounting apparent opposites, differences in Time, and differences in Space.

Finally: What is “Spiritual Love?” …Although I cannot say that I know any good answers to this question, the possibility of the Union of Cause And Effect presents as having the best scent. This scent seems to adorn the mythologies and realities associated with the Christ Principle as expressed through many, many personages.

Perhaps the term “God” helps to enrich “Spiritual Love” and “Spiritual Illumination.” However, until such time as I might occupy these without illusion and fantasy, I shall refrain from using the term. If you catch me breaking the spirit of this self-imposed rule, please be kind enough to let me know that I might be asleep to my own promises to myself.

Become disillusioned!

Seek an unglamourous life!

[For our purposes:

Illusion: Distortion in thought, such as occur in prejudice, preconception, typification, either-oring, uncontrolled association)

Glamour: Distortion in feeling, such as occur in self-regard, fantasy, uncontrolled imagination, fear. jealousy, hatred, deservingness]

The English language term “ego” is derived from the Latin ego, which means “I.”

I use the term “Ego” to refer to an experienced or theoretical “I” that is authentic (related to the Greek Psykhe as soul, breath, life).

Psychoanalytic and derived uses of the term use “ego” to refer to an “I” that is not-authentic, for instance: ego as public persona or false-self-concept.

In any case, it seems quite important to distinguish between these two meanings when using the term. I, myself, do not feel bound by the psychoanalytic constriction of the word (1917). The question at hand: “Which I?”

[Here is the etymology of the term "I" and its relation to "ego"]

12c. shortening of O.E. ic, first person sing. nom. pronoun,

from P.Gmc. *ekan (cf. O.Fris. ik, O.N. ek, Norw. eg, Dan. jeg, O.H.G. ih, Ger. ich, Goth. ik),

from PIE *ego(m) (cf. Skt. aham, Hitt. uk, L. ego, Gk. ego, Rus. ja).

Reduced to i by 1137 in northern England, it began to be capitalized c.1250 to mark it as a distinct word and avoid misreading in handwritten manuscripts.

We will wish to assess suitability before offering learning opportunities. (We presume that we have forsaken normative application of learning opportunities and now seek to provide “learning opportunities that fit.”)

The following sketches a suitability dimension that is little-assessed.

• Orientation to the Past
• Orientation to the Future
• Oscillation of orientations to Past, to Future
• Transcendence of Past/Future oscillation.

Orientation to the Past may be indicated as the student seeks to understand him/herself in relation to past events, to habitual behavior, to intrusion of disassociating emotions, to clinging conservatism, to self-justification, etc. (“I am thus-and-such-because…” “I can’t help myself.”  Dullness, Blame, Unforgiving, Rationalization, Either-Or, Explaining, Proving, Fearful. Plumbing the depths of the Sub-Consious. This may be followed by realization of personal responsibility: “I am the cause of my current state.” Personality Integration.).

Orientation to the Future may be indicated as the student seeks refinement of apprehension and expression of Beauty, Goodness, and Truth in behavior, in feeling, and in thinking. (“I am thus-and such because I am drawn to these ways as a function of irresistable creativity.” The fires of fanaticism may be aflame: Arrogance, Vanity, Unforgiving, Condescention, easily Offended. True-Believing.  Plumbing the possibilities of the Super-Conscious. Realization of scale, of humility may ensue. Further Personality Integration. )

Oscillation between the Past and the Future may be evidenced by erratic behavior, confused thinking, and attached feeling. (“I don’t know what to do. I will do nothing, feel nothing, think nothing.”  Unbelieving. Confrontation, Conflict, Defiance. This may be succeeded by courageous, selfless service, often followed by a crisis and then a breakthrough or self-realization experience. The darkest hour encroaches:  “Having done all, there is naught to do but stand.”  Further PersonalityIntegration is achieved, but not wholly as a result of the actions of the Integrated Persona, the so-called ego.)

Orientation to Past/Future transcendence is evidenced by poise, by non-attachment to the results of action, and by consistent reconcilliation of apparent opposites. Personality Transcendence. The path ahead lies clear.

As a mentor or teacher, do you discern among these within your students? If so, how might you appropriate suitable learning opportunities to the occupants of each of these orientations?

All right political work stands upon Educational Foundations.

Let it not be forgotten that the objective of all true governmental control is right synthesis, leading to right national and interior group activity. The problem resolves itself into a dual one. First of all, we have the problem of the type of authority which should be recognized by the peoples; and secondly, we have the problem of the methods which should be employed, so that the chosen authoritative measures will proceed either by the method of enforced control, or would be of such a nature that they will evoke a generously rendered and recognized cooperation. Between these two ways of working, many changes can be rung, though the system of cooperation, willingly rendered by an intelligent majority, has never yet been seen. But we are moving towards such a condition of world consciousness and are on our way towards experimenting with it. (AB)

Here are some types and methods: