Pistis, Path of The Initiate II
This weekend’s conference will or has already presented and explored many aspects of the psychical and spiritual world. These most likely, following the definition in the glossary, have included every loosely every kind of mental phenomena, including mediumship and the higher sensitiveness, hypnotic receptivity, and inspired prophecy, simple clairvoyance in the astral light, and real divine seership; in short the word covers every phase and manifestation of the powers and potencies of the human and the divine soul.
It is these powers and potencies that are typically referred to and at times revered amongst Mankind worldwide. However, their scope, and evolutionary function as it relates to the spiritual and divine unfolding and growth of the spiritual ego is rarely entertained.
We typically entertain ourselves with psychic phenomena, and neglect the causal, noumenal, and spiritual phases of these phenomena as well as the knowledge and wisdom that must underlie and attend their proper use. We speak about mediumship, Mediums, channeling, prophecy, clairvoyance, clairaudience, spiritualism, telepathy, telekinesis, psychometry, psychometrics, hypnotism, mesmerism, Astral and Akashic matter, dreams, elementaries, shades and shells, mediatorship, Nirmanakayas, Sambhokayas, Dharmakayas, and Avatars. We do not often speak of the inner path of becoming. Yet this is what is needed, for as our teachings state, an adept becomes, he is not made.
Superficially understood, these abilities are not accompanied by knowledge or wisdom, nor are they necessarily associated with the high requirements of morality and ethics, as well as the gradual dissolution of the personal or self referential point of view. They require no morally mandated universal service, nor vows as prerequisites. Thus, one may be able to use these powers in a very limited and personal way, not realizing their greater scope, meaning and applications as they apply in their higher universal aspects.
There is nothing wrong with this limited view at the level most of us, as humanity live, for all we typically know is life in relation to our humanity on this earth, here and now, generally speaking. This type of thinking and living however does not exhaust the possibility of our True Being or purpose. It does not enlighten us regarding our past, our source, our true Nature, responsibilities, causes, the whys, where we are going, nor do they give us a reason and motivation for living a spiritual and purposeful life.
Understanding HPB's commentary on the Pistis Sophia does all this and more. It demonstrates our purpose and path, the path of evolution, or of the initiate in regards to experiential perception, volition, understanding, knowledge, enlightenment and the ideal type of Service. It demonstrates the inner experiences that the initiate must go through in order to reunite one's self analytically, philosophically, scientifically, and consciously with one's original Fundamentally Eternal Essence. The story of Pistis Sophia, Jesus and the 12 Disciples, with HPB's commentary delineates this path as well as gives hints to the unveilings of the wisdoms that accompany the journey.
Pistis Sophia begins where most of us are striving to arrive. The disciple, in the form of the “12 apostles€, are in direct communication with Jesus the Christ. As HPB tells us, Jesus (like Krishna in the Bhagavad-Gita) plays several roles in this story. He can be the purified transcendent Personality of the initiate, or adept. He can represent the Higher Immortal Ego; The Spiritual Mind or Buddhi-Manas; the Atma-buddhi, or the various phases of the Logos or Logoi revealing the sacred Mysteries of Truth and instructing the disciple as to their meanings and applications. At this stage, the disciple has already gone through certain purificatory and disciplinary stages which are the requirements for this encounter. He or she has entered the mainstream, the path of Raja Yoga. They have mastered the preliminary four branches, which include that of morals, ethical belief and action. They have purified as well as disciplined and restrained in its hindering capacity, such that the lower manas is able to see, feel, or touch the more spiritual aspect of nature and themselves. Having performed this disciplinary work, either with or without the awareness of a teacher, they have in part prepared their minds for the reception of inner experience, truth, knowledge and in some respects powers.
It must be remembered that the path of the initiate is a path of the inner man, the inner transformation of the lower mind, the kama manas, such that it is purified, and released from the dominating influences of the sheaths that obstruct its experience of the True Self, so that it is able to resonate with, and eventually become one with its Spiritual Ego which is the Immortal Ego, and that which lies deeper within, the Eternal.
We must also recall that the transformation of the lower mind occurs in various stages beginning with the personality. Thus there will be many experiences occurring along the way which may be considered peak or transitory experiences. These have been neither mastered nor completely placed under the volitional control of the initiate disciple. Regarding the transformation of the lower manas, HPB tells us that the “14 repentances€ of pistis represent the various phases of purification that the mind goes through in its preparation and journey along the path. This would include the sheaths utilized their senses and organs, its understanding, perception, and volitional abilities.
As the teachings indicate to us that the astral mind can also create many different kinds of experiences that are not necessarily valid, although some may be, it is imperative that the disciple initiate be aware of the various ways in which the astral=2 0ego can present itself both validly and invalidly to the mind of the personality during the course of this transformation.
As Mr. Judge informs us, the path of the disciple initiate is a path of balanced unfolding and transformation. This is not usually that of the typical psychic or sensitive.
These basics themselves thus differentiate the disciple initiate from the general classes of psychics. It is not the psychic that puts themselves through a rigorous program of discipline, purification, experimentation, and validation against a timeless body of accumulated Wisdom, verified by countless seer initiates who have traveled along the same path. Psychics usually find themselves from an earlier period of their lives endowed with certain abilities and sensitivities that have simply been part of their possession for quite some time. For a better understanding of this, the topic of synesthesia can be explored with great benefit.
Both HPB and WQ Judge help us in understanding the Pistis Sophia tremendously. HPB through her references to her works and those of the Gnostics. Judge helps us through his works. An example of the latter, when read from within without, is found in chapter XIII of Echoes from the Orient.
The story of the initiate in Pistis Sophia,
The education and initiation of the manasic quantity of the disciple initiate and its journey through the planes€™s, including the astral, psychic, spiritual, and subsequently higher spiritual, divine, and eternal states is one that far exceeds the general understanding in regards to its details of psychic, spiritual, divine and Eternal experiences and learning or remembering.
Just as the material world does not interact from a human perspective directly with the astral world, similarly the astral does not interact directly with the psychic, nor the psychic with the spiritual of the lower Quaternary. Still it can be understood that these worlds interpenetrate and affect each other in differing ways. As all these domains unfold from one common source so there must be a means of interacting, and of moving from one to the other. This is what the initiate learns and does in regards to initiatory experience.
Just as the object of experience of the physical world does not lend itself to a direct interaction at the same time with the astral, so this is true for the other domains. It therefore appears in the world of illusion that they are separate.
And since it is easier to perceive them as such we will discuss some of the experiences of the domains=2 0as noted in Pistis Sophia, as if they were separate, knowing that they are not.
It is also important to recognize that Jesus begins teaching the disciples from his position in the upper spheres. These are the spheres of the Heights, and begin within the plane of the pleroma. In other words it is not while in this plane that instruction is given, but rather when one has transcended the lower Quaternary of one's self, the planet, and the general system, that the teachings in regards to them began. This idea is clearly established by HPB when she says in some of the schools it was taught that he wished to be perfect must ascend through the realms of the rulers, & place his foot on the head of Tseba; and thus attain their eighth heaven where dwelt Barbá.
For those who are familiar with these pages and planes, this places the Adept in transition from the fourth to the fifth plane, or on the fifth plane itself, which is the domain of the Spiritual Ego. It is this latter which is our Reincarnating source as manas.
Regarding the number of divisions in the Pistis Sophia, depending upon how deeply one studies, there are no less than 20 categorical states, planes, sub-planes, degrees and type of substance, laya centers, angelic and tyrannical intelligences, degrees of lipika, etc. that one encounters and must become engaged with. This in some respects is very similar to the classification system used as expounded by the Buddha in his teachings. In that system there are “31 abodes€ referred to under the general categories of the world of sense desires, the human world, the world of form or fine material world, and the Formless or immaterial world. Of special significance is the definition of Devas given, referring to light and radiance, which are the special characteristics expounded in the Pistis Sophia related to the higher planes.
According to20Madame Blavatsky the general planes in the Pistis Sophia through which the disciple initiate passes, succumbing or becoming superior to the powers (s) he encounters, include the material world of man, the astral or sidereal world which is that of subtle matter, the psychic realm which is the world of light and matter, and the world of spirit or that of light in and of itself. It must also be realized that this pertains only to the lower four planes or principles of cosmos and the initiate in the theosophical divisions. These lower planes can be summarized as follows:
The Region of the Psychic (Celestial) Mixture of Lumen and Hyle The Region of the Right, its hierarchies and intelligences, process and functions Ordering of The Right IEU the overseer The Guardian of the Veil The Two Great Leaders Melchisedec the Great Receiver The Great Sabaoth the Good, the Father of the Soul of Jesus The Region of the Midst, its hierarchies and intelligences, process and functions Inheritance of Light (Right) 7 Amens or Voices, 5 Trees, 3 Amens (left) 12 Saviors, 9 Guardians of 3 Gates Twin Saviors The Region of the Left, its hierarchies and intelligences, process and functions The 13th AEon
The Realm of the Hylic or Sidereal (astral) The 12 Aeons Fate Sphere The Realm of Matter Firmament World (Kosmos) of men
Underworld within the plane of Matter Orcus Chaos Outer Darkness Caligo Externa
In the Pistis, the region above or within the world of mankind includes the divisions of the firmament, the rulers of the ways of the lower midst, the spheres, the fates, and the hierarchies of the 12 AEons. This region correlates with the domain of the lower astral, beyond or within which lie the etheric, the Aetheric and the Akashic realms, hidden at this stage of the journey from the psychic and spiritual vision of the initiate. These are the four lower planes of psychic nature. They span the realms of the Quaternary, and range from the Lower psychic, to the Lower Spiritual. They do not pertain to the Higher Triad of cosmos or man. Per HPB, these are the fields of the Planetary Rulers, not that of the Dhyani Buddhas who have all to do with the spiritual and higher triad in man.
Here, in the Astral, The Great Hall of Learning the disciple learns the lessons of illusion and deceptive perceptions. When properly instructed, he or she is able to correct such perceptions, and learn the ways, characteristics, functions, and paths or circuits, of the kamic powers, forces, entities, energies, elementals, shells, elementaries, lower daemonic entitative elements, and influences psychologically, physiologically, psychically and experientially. One is able to study and understand the lower mysteries or sciences connected to sidereal cycles, solar, lunar and planetary light and their influences, (just to name a few) with their relations to the gross and astral vehicles. This would include the solar and lunar pitris. One comes to understand the energies - diversified prana, and the volitional energies connected with lower manas- their related paths and currents, their impact on forms, their vital natures, their cycles and circuits. The timetable of the general cycles, in their Lower character, as they relate to karma are also perceived and studied, as they apply to the world, humanity, the cycles of the globe, as well as all the kingdoms.
As one penetrates more deeply, the encounter is with the representative angelic and tyrannical forces and influences€ as they relate to the lower instinctive, emotional, and sensual intelligences in the solar system, the hierarchies that rule over them, their orders, arrangements, and progressions in time, related to cycles of rounds and races, as well as predominance of artistic, scientific, etc. cycles affecting humanity, the races, and the kingdoms, as reflected in part in HPB's articles related to cycles . These are the rulers in a generic sense.
We then encounter the higher Kamic and cognitively based semi intelligent powers and energies associated intimately with the formation and functionality of mans20kamic, emotional, emotive and lower perceptive sensual and cognitively integrative nature. These AEons are divided into two groups of six, tending upwards and downwards, with one in particular overseeing them all. He is called, The Great Invisible Forefather who stands at the head of the Hierarchy of the Left, in the region of righteousness. From him emanates Three Great Triple Powers. These powers are correlative with the three Logoi, as well as the threefold Gunas, at a lower stage, arising from the One Prakritic Substance, or Laya center, and their attending emanative, correlative and formative powers on this plane. This all falls within the range of the education, and training of the initiate. At the same time, by the process of vibration, resonance, and assimilation, the disciple becomes and knows, and also risks being consumed by these powers, as they impact ones physical, astral and etheric being in life, and in the world of being, form and mind. This last is the great risk that attends all initiatory endeavors and relates intimately to the nature of the disciple, his or her readiness, and the ensuing battles between the forces of Light and Darkness. If victorious, the disciple initiate is allowed to enter into the spiritual domain of Light, in the Treasury.
It may be confusing, as much of the material in Pistis can be reviewed only superficially in a presentation such as this, but as the manasic quantity, successfully reaches the Region of The Left, that of the 13th AEon, which is fittingly the home of Pistis or the repentant manas, we see that this is in truth only the beginning of the truly inner initiatory journey. The starting point of incarnation has been reached. The initiate Disciple has regained the child state spoken of in the voice of the silence, after traversing the various regions represented in prose throughout the voice of the silence. Still, at this stage, we have left behind to a very great degree, the simple powers and abilities of conventional psychism that we normally speak of. We have entered the arena of the true Celestial Psychic, the domain wherein the Light of manas has taken the upper hand on the matter of hyle. The nature of the current experiences of the lower spiritual, cosmic and universal Truths being felt and known, leaves far behind the phenomenon like terrestrial clairvoyance, telepathy, psychometry, talking with mistaken spirits and the like.
Using the same general principles as above, and understanding of the processes referred to and symbolically represented, we can see how the Pistis Sophia refers to, and is able to teach regarding inner details, the natures of the outer planes alluded to, as well as the deeper planes within. Without going into detail, we are able to get a wider and more profound glimpse of the greater initiatory unveilings of the Disciple in his or her endeavor, throughout the great cycles of time. We are able to sense, see and understand how they come to master themselves, their Principles, and those energies and entities which are correlative in Great Nature. And finally we are able to understand their natures as Wisdom, Compassion and Power.
Given our time limit, we will generalize our information, and look to explain more detail in the question period. None the less, the few concepts and processes that must be kept in mind as representing real monadic beings, forces, and influences, in various stag es of spiritual expression, include the application of the following, to the inner and outer planes of Being.
Power, Consciousness, Law and laws, Cycles, regulatory influences, Ideations called ideas, Radiations, emanations, correlations, involutions and evolutions, manifestations, ascents and descents, laya points, motions and alterations in motion, vibration and vibrational patterns with and without their relation to intelligent consciousness and organization, centers of force, correlating and correlated centers of force, formless intelligences as directing powers and their association with Great Forms in Nature, manifest or unmanifest, Hierarchies, orders and arrangements within the hierarchies, timing and cycles of hierarchical manifestation and activity, periods of rest or varying types of pralayas, Intelligences beneficent and tyrannical, resonances, absorptions, configurations, influences, Paradigms, prototypes, archetypes and differentiations, Virginal states of consciousness and substance, vibrations of meaning and understanding, Lights, Centers and Wisdoms or Mysteries, great and small Causes, death, dying, death related states and associated planes, planes of inheritances, Degrees of the Ineffable, manifestation of the ineffable, and the Absolute.
Despite the multiple array of terms just sighted, it must be understood that HPB in her interpretation of the Pistis Sophia, from the esoteric and occult perspective, mentions or alludes to all these as worthy of application for correct understanding. They all result, if successfully understood, practiced and assimilated, in profound degrees of purification, development and cultivation of subtle spiritual, divine and Eternal Sensing, Wisdom, Enlightenment and the possibility of Liberation, only to refuse the latter in the Universal Service of All Life. They also reflect the greater truth of the power that we are, as opposed to the person whom we think we are.
Still, these realizations in our degrees of awakening, non systematized above, do not exhaust the wisdoms and states referred to in the Pistis Sophia. HPB further states that we must sense or recognize the grand system being used, based upon the numbers twelve, seven, eight, four, three, two and one. That we must come to appreciate how the aspects and correlations mentioned above, are One Truth, one system, that applies itself on every plane and sub plane of the cosmos, only differing in degree and quality of perceiver, consciousness, substance and Force, hence properties and abilities, yet always being the same.
In other words, we can be overwhelmed by the almost limitless difference of terms, and application, or we can perceive the one system underlying it all, apply it, and discern the wisdom that exist within. This is no different than learning to utilize in a consistent and meaningful manner the sevenfold system of theosophical thought. Actually, using the latter system greatly helps make sense out of the numbers mentioned above in the Gnostic System.
II
To give a further glimpse of the grander degrees of involution, change, development, and emergence the initiate goes through regarding their sheath, mind, sensitivity, and powers, we can do no more than represent some of the remaining planes and hierarchies referred to, which HPB speaks of, and which are further clarified by her in application in the Pistis Sophia.
Additionally there are three other planes which the initiate encounters. These pertain to the immaterial worlds known as the upper triad or the arupic worlds. It is in these worlds that the higher faculties of the initiate are awoken and exercised, and the powers, forces, beings and influences which are unique to them encountered. This is very well bought out in the secret doctrine. Therein HPB makes a distinction between the seven human states of consciousness, and consciousness as experienced on the different planes and which are related to other aspects of the transitioning lower manasic ray. In this respect, human consciousness pertains only to the physical or material world and is based upon sensual perception and cognition. Regarding the higher of inner planes, he also tells us that these seven planes of consciousness and being correspond to the seven states of consciousness in man. It remains with him to attune the three higher states in himself to the three higher planes in Kosmos.
To assist in a better understanding of the inner arupic planes, HPB tells us that the Three Vestures of the Initiate in the Pistis Sophia are analogous to the three Buddhic Robes or the three Grand Degrees of Initiation, and are endowed with the following characteristics respectively:
I - The Glory of all the Names of the Mysteries and of all the Projections of the Orders of the Spaces of the Ineffable
II The Glory of all the Names of the Mysteries and of all the Projections of the Orders of the Two Spaces of First Mystery
III The Glory of all the Names from that of the Mystery, the Revealer, which is called the First Precept downwards to them of the Firmament.
We are also told that the First Mystery comprehends or is inclusive of The First Precept, The Five Impressions (types or rudiments), The Great Light of Lights, The Five Supporters. To further represent the place of numbers in the system she states that the categories above give a key to the numbers=2 05, 7, 12, which when understood will help one understand the classification of the Mysteries and corresponding states of consciousness. These planes, states, and degrees of substance then are all states that exist within the Treasury or Pleroma, the place or plane of Light, of the initiate. It is the plane wherein begins the arupic or formless manifestations, powers and intelligences. However, we must remember that HPB tells us that what is subjective from one plane of being is objective and manifest from the inner plane and point of view. Understanding this comment, we can appreciate how the initiate comes to know and discern the Truths that exist on inner deeper planes of being and manifestation.
A brief and generalized listing of these inner planes, states and mysteries follow.
The Great Silence or Absolute beyond the Ineffable
The ineffable beyond The limbs of the ineffable The last limb containing the Hierarchies of the Supertrispiritual and Protrispiritual The 12th Protrispiritual, the last order of the parentless The space of the Ineffable-the one and only Word
The first space of the ineffable above and within 3 trispirituals
The second space of the ineffable above and within Uncontainable, impassables, laudables 12 uncontainables, impassables, indestructibles 12unspeakables, superdepths, unrevealables 12 unmanifestables, inconceivables, motionless
12 immovables
The Third space of the ineffable above and within The Pleroma or Treasury below and without First mystery, reflecting the 12 orders of the uncontainable impassables Great Light of the Impression of Light without a projection First Statue containing 7 mysteries Great Light of Lights Supporters
The Treasury or the Pleroma, place of the pneumatics and of Light
Everything above is in the Treasure of Light of the Pleroma (Spiritual) The Lumen or Light Within the Treasury are the deeper Three Arupic Planes
The Pleroma or Treasury above and within All things and States below belong to the Quaternary of Manifestation In the Pistis Sophia this triadic arupic world of immaterial existence is initially generalized as a singular plane, the Pleroma and Mystery of the Ineffable. Despite its being seen as one state, one plane, one light, Madame Blavatsky tells us that from the superior transcendental knowing of the initiate at this state of unfolding, differentiation of its contents begin. Unfortunately, from the outer perspective of the less accomplished initiates, and if at all, from the perspective of the sensitive or the psychic, all superior or inner planes appear as a unity and are felt as one influence. Once the disciple initiate begins to experience that specific plane (the fifth), differentiation occurs within one's consciousness to appreciate the differences which exist in those domains.
All aspects of all entities, states of consciousness, planes of being and substance, including the various stages of the avatars during and inclusive of the nature of their great cycles, can be understood as included in this grand system of classification, but in greater detail, as expressed in her commentary, then in any single article she has written, at least from the perspective of this writer.
This then, given our time constraints, sets the stage for a very broad and general appreciation and understanding of the truly systematic and consistently traversed great range of experiences that become open to the transforming manasic principle during the great human cycle of evolution, or that of the intensified path of initiation. This is its journey and education in the true sense of awakening from within without, followed by a mastery of the powers and principles of one's only real nature. Compared to the understanding=2 0in this system, understood from the light of theosophic occultism, the generally understood world of the psychic, and the abilities which they sporadically and non systematically express, are like the light of a dying ember, compared to that of the great spiritual and central sun.
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