Linda Rinelli...
Linda Rinelli is the founder of the Colorado Center for Consciousness and a fellow student of the Arcane School
The Three Aspects of Will
Reprinted from The Beacon Magazine published by Lucis Trust
As a man’s desire is, so is his destiny.
For as his desire is, so is his will;
as his will is, so is his deed;
as his deed is, so is his reward,
whether good or bad (U-B) 1
This quote raises many questions and makes the reader seriously think about both desire and will. Are they the same thing or related in some way? Does one come after the other. How about intention? How is that related to desire or will? How is it that will precedes action, which generates consequences in line with the quality of that action?
The Tibetan says (1) “Today, the significance of will and its distinction from determination, strength, and fixed intention is only just beginning to be understood.” He goes on to distinguish desire apart from will. “Desire works from and through the material form upward; Will works downwards into form, bending form consciously to divine purpose.” “Desire is invocative and Will is evocative. (2) Desire, when massed and focused, can invoke will; Will when evoked ends desire and becomes an immanent, propulsive, stabilizing, clarifying - and among other things - finally destroying.” He also states that desire is the organized force which works in the world at present and that Spiritual Will is the only factor that can supercede it, being an expression of the first great divine aspect.
There is another form of will, which is allied with but not the same as the Ray 1 will to destroy negation. This is the Ray IV will to destroy limitation. A fresh outpouring of Will is created from the energy released when limitation (form) becomes balanced and harmonized. This is the Will to Harmonization. This sound like esoteric physics and it makes perfect sense. It was Albert Einstein who said (3) “From the relativity theory we know that matter represents vast stores of energy and that energy represents matter.” He may not have been aware of the concept of form being “limitation” or the release of energy through harmonization but he came pretty close to the thought in his later years by recognizing the fact that movement in humanity only occurs in difficult times of unbalance. He wrote “Man, like every other animal, is by nature indolent; if nothing spurs him on, then he will hardly think and will behave from habits, like an automaton.” “Only with difficulty can one see what is really behind such a conventional mask” (referring to the trivialities of mundane existence). ”Only through perils and upheaveals can Nations be brought to better developments.” “May the present upheavals lead to a better world.” (4)
Getting back to Will, there is an occult approach to Will, which defines it as three aspects: (5)
1. Will as a conditioner of the Life Aspect.
2. Will which brings fulfillment.
3. Will which conquers death.
These three aspects are given in Esoteric Astrology and basically permeate all of existence; in fact, they rather serve to explain existence in words versus looking at an astrological chart, where the whole concept is there in a flash. (the book uses words to describe the chart much like Einstein used words without the math to describe physics in his book, The Evolution of Physics.)
A brief summarization of these aspects (5) is:
1. Will as a conditioner of the Life Aspect. This refers to the initiating evolution of forms i.e. physical life as humanity understands it or as Blavatsky referred to it "that which synthesizes spirit, soul, and body.” (6)
2. The Will which brings fulfillment. This is a relational concept. “The cause of all fruition of all forms on all planes and of divine intention; it is that which lies back of consciousness, itself”. Another descriptions would be the end seen from the beginning, the alpha and omega producing the perfect whole and the perfect fruition of the divine will. (7) The Tibetan describes this in human terms as that feeling of joy or achievement as registered by a human being who finds his heart’s desire.
3. The Will which conquers death. This is synthesis and completion way beyond the death of form nature. It has to do with the ultimate goal of life and evolutionary return to spirituality.
These three Will aspects radiate as energies through the Seven Rays as the expression of focused Will. The Rays pour forth from one or other of the seven stars of the Great Bear into our solar system. Ray 1 is the Will which initiates. Ray 2 is the Will to Unification. Ray 3 is the Will to evolution. Ray 4 is the Will to Harmonization. Ray 5 is the Will to Action. Ray 6 is the Will to Causation. Ray 7 is the Will towards Expression.
Thus, from the standpoint of the three will aspects, we have macrocosmically the will to initiate manifestation eventually progressing towards full achievement and arriving at full consummation. For humanity or microcosmically, the Rays/will aspects manifest from initiation of form to organization/full achievement (Ray 1 and Ray 7)) influenced by vision, education, intuition, liberation and idealism (Rays 2 to 6).
The theme of the above three aspects of Will carries on over and over macrocosmically as well as microcosmically. Consequently, grasping these three will aspects is almost the key to understanding existence. The Tibetan simplifies the above processes as a process of energy transmission, reception, absorption, relation and living activity using a method of invocation and evocation. (8) This is the clue to the evolutionary process, the key to the mystery of time and space, and the solution of all problems. In this regard, the factor which is of the most major importance in the whole matter is FOCUSED WILL.
Bringing the subject of will back to earth, there are four processes involved in receiving Ray energies/will aspects on our level. A specific ray energy (one of Rays 1-7) is first transcended by a star in the Great Bear constellation to three major zodiacal constellations who transmit the energy to the Sun. The Sun then transforms the energy to the seven sacred plants, some of whom transfigure the energy either directly or indirectly to our little planet. This is a simplification of a process involving triangles of constellations, which seem to parallel the 3 will aspects and work in conjunction with a particular Ray in transcending, transmitting, transforming and transfiguring energy and influences to our planet. For example, Ray 1 uses Aries, Leo, and Capricorn. Ray 2 uses Gemini, Virgo, and Pisces. Ray 3 uses Cancer, Libra, and Capricorn. Astrologically, this is the reason why these constellations are regarded for their concentrated influence in evolution.
But the process of how we receive ray energy/will is not as important as what we do with it. The “evolution of Will” is the point to be made. An aspirant starts out on the Probationary Path, works on an integrated personality and control of the mind with response to Humanity. The next level is the disciple who works on the functioning of the Soul, illumination and Buddhi or intuitional control with response to Hierarchy.
Lastly, is the Initiate, who works on the UNFOLDMENT OF THE WILL, the functioning of the Monad and dynamic purpose with response to Shamballa. The 7 ray aspects of Will are the goals of higher initiations. The Masters, themselves are struggling to understand the process of the Monad when humanity has reached perfected expression. Right now, the rays, where humanity is concerned in the more perfected individuals, express themselves as Ray 1 – that which incites or expresses initiation, Ray II – that which is the cause of vision or the power to see, Ray III – that which develops sensory perception into knowledge, knowledge into wisdom, and wisdom into omniscience, Ray IV -–that which is the illumined will, the basis of buddhi or the intuition,
Ray V – that which is the cosmic seed of liberation, Ray VI – that which is the cause of the thought-form building faculty related to the creative urge, and Ray VII – that which can be called the principle or order. (10)
It is of interest to note that it was the Christ who demonstrated the three will aspects to humanity 2000 years ago and this has never been completely understood. He demonstrated (11)
1. The Will which conditions the life aspect – the synthesis of spirit, soul, and body.
2. The Will which brings fulfillment of right human relations – love/unification.
3. The Will which finally conquers death - resurrection.
Just as love has been the focus of the last 2000 years, the Master D.K. says that Will, divinely expressed, will be the theme of the coming world religion and has been the impulse behind much of the good work done in the fields of philanthropy and human welfare.
In closing, let us compare our opening verse from The Upanishads-Brihadaranyaka regarding will, desire, action, and consequences in light of these presented concepts.
As a man’s desire is, so is his destiny
For as his desire is, so is his will;
as his will is, so is his deed;
and as his deed is, so is his reward,
whether good or bad (U-B)
Invoked desire can lead to Will. Will manifests into energy and matter producing movement or action with good or bad results.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
1 Everyone is Right by Roland Peterson, p. 32, quote from The Upanishads, Breath of the Eternal, Brihadaranyaka
2. Bailey, Alice A. Esoteric Astrology, Chapter IV, The Sacred and Non-Sacred Planets, p. 505
3. Ibid, Chapter VII, The Rays, Constellations and Planets, p. 583.
4. Einstein, Albert and Infeld, Leopold, The Evolution of Physics, chapter III, Field, Relativity, pp. 241-242.
5. Einstein, Albert, Out of My Later Years, Chapter 24, Science and Civilization, pp. 150-151.
6. Bailey, Alice A. Esoteric Astrology, Chapter VII, The Rays, Constellations and Planets, P. 583
7. Balvatsky, H.P. The Secret Doctrine, I-81 (referenced in Estoteric Astrology, p. 592)
8. Bailey, Alice A. Esoteric Astrology, Chapter VII, The Rays, Constellations and Planets, p 593.
9. Ibid, pp. 595-596
10. Ibid, p 614
11. Ibid pp 605-606.
12. Ibid p. 583
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