Soul is a universal principal and an aspect of the divine trinity. It has a much broader meaning than just the consciousness aspect in man. It is synonymous with Consciousness and represents the second aspect of the divine trinity, Love/Wisdom. We see this aspect, therefore in expression on every possible level of manifestation for it represents itself through the synthesizing of spirit and matter. The soul is love.
It is literally the binding agent of the universe. Every form from the grossest mineral matter on the dense physical plane up through the highest manifestation displays an aspect of this principal, as it must. As above, so below, states the Hermetic aphorism. It binds the sub atomic particles that make the atom and binds the atoms together to form a molecule. It is the support system keeping all life forms in the plant and animal kingdoms coherent and growing. Without this cohesive energy and support the life form goes through the death process of restitution and elimination, returning the matter and energy of which it was made back to the reservoirs from which they were drawn.
In the higher life forms of the animal kingdom it is expressed as the anima mundi and is passed from life to life through the reproductive process, carrying with it the developed characteristics of the species and extending the refining process through many lifetimes producing ever more complex and diverse manifestations of the one life. Life evolves through generation after generation to higher and more accurate expression of its divine origin.
Within the human being we see this as one of the expressions of soul, the soul of the bodily nature. We also see the reincarnating entity or individualized soul. Man is the creature in which the lower evolution is met by spirit on the path of return. Spirit in manifestation as the Monad or divine spark clothes itself in matter of the higher planes of the cosmic physical plane in order to find expression in the lower three worlds through the use of the fleshy vehicle created through this refining process. It forms sheaths of the finer matter of the Atmic, Buddhic and the highest sub-planes of the Manasic plane, creating a causal body through which it will contact the lower three worlds of manifestation.
It creates a form on the lower three planes in order to better master these worlds and matter itself. It vitalizes the lower triune expression of concrete mind, emotions, and the physio-etheric body through the life thread or sutratma, and communicates with this lower self via the consciousness thread known as the anthakarana. Over many incarnations it develops an increasing ability to find expression through these denser vehicles and grows in its ability to express through this experience. It also gains facility in building and creates vehicle of higher caliber and sensitivity over time, which of course enhances the soul’s ability to establish contact in future cycles.
I see the life of the lower self in terms of a dream of the soul. Through the experience of dreaming it becomes a more adept dreamer and begins to gain in ability to control these dreams. At first when it enters this dream state, just as the personality mechanism in its dreaming, it is not aware of its potency and is in a sense just going along for the ride. Just as a personality can gain dream control or lucidity in the dream state with practice, the soul can become an ever more effective dreamer gaining in its ability to control the life of the personality over many lifetimes.
As this development continues the soul becomes more effective in seeing its purpose fulfilled during the cycle of incarnation. It is building the antahkarana and participating in the “waking state” of the personality. The outward expression of this is a more effective human being, manifesting the love of the soul outwardly and aiding and nurturing his brothers on the path, which he may still be treading unconsciously.
As this integration between personality and soul continues the aspirant and later the disciple is said to be leading a soul infused life. Under the soul’s influence this life becomes one of study (developing the mental apparatus), Meditation (further developing soul contact), and Service.
Service is the outward expression of the effects of this soul infusion and it is also a technique which aids in group awareness. Empathy and love for his fellowmen, community, and eventually all humanity is increased as he grows in this awareness and realization that we are all in this together and even that we are all component parts of one greater organism. An organism is an assemblage of lives working together as a whole, whether conscious of this fact or, as is usually the case, unconscious of it. Having some small percentage of these contributing lives working consciously helps to move the purpose of the greater life forward.
In connection with humanity and the One Life we refer to these workers and servers as working in harmony and “cooperation” with the plan to whatever level they can understand it, but how is this accomplished?
In order to gain control over the mechanism we must first gain an understanding of what it is. If all is energy, and energy follows thought as the occult wisdom teaches, then we must gain an understanding of the energetic underpinnings of the physical world, and then learn to direct these energies, as force through the use of the mind. Gaining a working knowledge of the constitution of man, or the anatomy of consciousness is an essential step in this process. It allows us to direct our consciousness consciously. There are many external forces directing and influencing the mass of humanity, but as the student learns more about himself and his surroundings he becomes a more self directed part of the overall picture. “The student learns by self devised and self induced methods” (HPB).
This act of self direction represents the transmutation of the desire based aspiration into spiritual will and the student of occult wisdom becomes and active participant in the forwarding of the divine will or plan, as he understands it. Through the understanding of the etheric substance and centers of vitalizing force of the physical frame as well as the response mechanism to the directing energies of the astral and mental natures the student refines and perfects the mechanism, tuning it to the souls influence. Resonance with the higher vibrations of the soul simultaneously represents dissonance with the lower vibratory nature of what are called negative emotions such as hate.
Understanding of our unity with all life naturally fosters harmlessness. With what part of ourselves will we wish to make war? Whose resources would we steal? What part of humanity deserves to starve once we realize we are one? What part of the earth shall we destroy when we realize she is our source and not a resource?
The individualization of consciousness is a stage which is important to our development. As is the case with every other stage, there comes a time when we must transcend it and move on. Becoming trapped within emotional consciousness curtails the development of mind. The mind can become a similar trap if it is not treated as the gateway to the soul. We must develop and then transcend each of these states of awareness, and then lose our separateness as well. As the Tao Te Ching tells us “The student grows by daily increment. The way is gained by daily loss.”
This poem sums up the idea of the successive and overlapping levels of consciousness better than I can hope to.
Robert Browning
Death in the
Dessert..
“Three souls which make up one soul; first, to wit,
A soul of each and all the bodily parts,
Seated therein, which works, and is what Does,
And has the use of earth, and ends the man
Downward: but, tending upward for advice,
Grows into, and again is grown into
By the next soul, which, seated in the brain,
Useth the first with its collected use,
And feeleth, thinketh, willeth, -- is what Knows
Which, duly tending upward in its turn,
Grows into, and again is grown into
By the last soul, that uses both the first,
Subsisting whether they assist or no,
And, constituting man’s self, is what Is –
And leans upon the former, makes it play,
As that played off the first, and, tending up,
Holds, is upheld by, God, and ends the man
Upward in that dread point of intercourse,
Nor needs a place, for it returns to Him.
What Does, what Knows, what Is; three souls, one man.”
What “Does” – the human personality or animal soul.
What “Knows” – the reincarnating Ego or human soul.
What “Is” – the Monad clothed as the Solar Angel or Spiritual
Triad.
