All known references to Soul Contact by Alice A. Bailey (AAB) in her voluminous writings and those given to her by Djwhal Khul (DK). Links on these pages of the Laws of Alice A. Bailey are to the online books at the Lucis Trust website.
To train people to work in mental matter is to train them to create; to teach people to know the nature of the soul is to put them in conscious touch with the subjective side of manifestation and to put into their hands the power to work with soul energy; to enable people to unfold the potencies of the soul aspect is to put them en rapport with the forces and energies hidden in the akasha and the anima mundi. A man can then (as his soul contact and his subjective perception is strengthened and developed) become a conscious creator, co-operating with the plans of the Hierarchy of Adepts who work with ideas, and who seek to bring these ideas (planetary ideas) into manifestation upon the physical plane. As he passes through the different grades in the Hall of Learning his ability so to work and his capacity to get at the thought lying behind all symbols increases.
A Treatise on Cosmic Fire , DIVISION A. CERTAIN BASIC STATEMENTS
To do this we will take the Fifteen Rules for Magic to be found in my earlier book, entitled A Treatise on Cosmic Fire. I will comment on them, dealing not with their cosmic significance or with solar and other correspondences and analogies, but applying them to the work of the aspirant, and giving practical suggestions for the better development of soul contact and soul manifestation. I shall take for granted certain knowledges and assume the students can follow and comprehend certain technical terms that I may be led to use.
A Treatise on White Magic , INTRODUCTORY REMARKS
Third: This brings me to the third point, the problems and the difficulties with which the Masters have to contend as They seek to further the plans of evolution through the medium of the sons of men. In conclave wise They make Their plans; with judgment, after due discussion, They apportion the tasks; then, to those who offer themselves for service and who have some measure of soul contact, They seek to transmit as much of the plan as possible. They impress the plan and some suggestion as to its scope upon the mind of some man or some woman upon the physical plane.
A Treatise on White Magic , THE CREATIVE WORK OF SOUND
The functioning to a greater or less extent of the pineal gland, which is (as is well known) the seat of the soul and the organ of spiritual perception. It is in this gland that the first physiological changes take place incident upon soul contact and this contact is brought about through definite work along meditation lines, mind control, and the inflow of spiritual force. b.
A Treatise on White Magic , THE SOUL AND ITS THOUGHT-FORMS – Part 2
It is the most important in the book from the standpoint of the average student. It cannot be understood where there is no soul contact, nor can the magical force of the soul work out in manifestation upon the physical plane until the meaning of its esoteric phrases has been somewhat wrought out in the inner experience of the magician. Most true aspirants are now at the midway spot, and can either drown (and so make no further progress this life), stand and so hold the ground gained, or become true practicing magicians, efficient in white magic, which is based on love, animated by wisdom and intelligently applied to forms.
A Treatise on White Magic , TYPES OF ASTRAL FORCE
This can be based upon an environment which is uncongenial and unappreciative, on an equipment which seems inadequate to its task, and in many cases has its roots in the fact that a man is a disciple, or a really big soul ready to tread the Probationary Path. He has had a touch of soul contact; he has seen the vision and the possibility; he looks at his personality and ranges it up alongside the work to be done, and the quality of the people with whom that has brought him into contact. The result is an inferiority complex of a most powerful kind, because fed by real streams of force from above.
A Treatise on White Magic , ASTRAL ENERGY AND FEAR
Some of the 156 who form the present nucleus will be known to you and will work in unison with you, though maybe not in your peculiar field of action. The picture to be held before your eyes is that of a vast network of groups, working along the many possible lines, but having at their heart or behind them—working silently and persistently influencing through soul contact—one or more members of the new slowly emerging group. These focal points through which the Hierarchy is now seeking to work stand together telepathically and exoterically they must work in the completest understanding, preserving always an attitude of non-interference, and leaving each worker free to teach his own group as he sees fit.
A Treatise on White Magic , THE NEW GROUP OF WORLD SERVERS – Part 1
Therefore seek the light of your own soul, and know that soul as your director. When soul contact is established, your own soul will, if I may so express it, introduce you to your Master. With all due reverence again may I add, that the Master waits not with eagerness to make your acquaintance.
A Treatise on White Magic , THE AWAKENING OF THE CENTRES
8. The relation between the higher and the lower mind, involving steady and increasing soul contact. The meditative attitude of the soul is duplicated in the three bodies (or by the spiritual man) and the steady meditation of the soul goes on also on its own plane.
A Treatise on White Magic , THE OVERCOMING OF THE HINDRANCES
They must be immediately eliminated and wiped from the slate of the mind and of the memory and classed as entirely personality limitations and unworthy of hindering group integrity. This experiment, being attempted by a group within my Ashram, is one in mental relations and in soul contact, with the emphasis and attention placed basically there. The astral- physical brain reactions should be regarded as non-existent and as illusion and should be allowed to lapse below the threshold of the group consciousness—there to die for lack of attention.
The inner group of Masters with Whom I am associated work telepathically also with Their disciples and the disciples with each other in lesser degree. The power to “see” the Master —which has been the misguided impulse of the devotees of the world who substitute this desire for aspiration towards soul contact—is but their response to the “television” of Those Who seek to guide them into the light of their own souls. They are only reacting to one of the demonstrated divine powers of the Master but not to soul action.
Discipleship in the New Age, Vol. I , SECTION ONE – DISCIPLESHIP IN THE NEW AGE – Part 1
You are definitely “on your way” and with a quite satisfactory simplicity are going forward. This ray also enables you to make a fairly facile soul contact, should you so desire. Your rays, therefore, are: 1.
Time has to be grasped by you in its cyclic nature and in the inevitable swing of the pendulum between past and future as they both affect the present; secondly, in the adjustment which you have to make in the present in relation to these two. Later, as you come to know yourself more wisely and to comprehend the working out in the present life of the established habits, qualities and tendencies brought into expression in past lives, you will find yourself increasingly being conditioned by emerging tendencies which are the effect of soul contact and soul impulse. These concern the future.
Then it can return in greater force and with a more potent vibration to its habitation—the threefold personality. This the disciple is apt to forget in the intensity of his longing for soul contact, for illumination and realisation and for conscious contact with his Master. That contact, remember, when once established upon the Path of Discipleship, is never broken.
Discipleship in the New Age, Vol. I , SECTION TWO – PERSONAL INSTRUCTIONS TO DISCIPLES – Part 5
You are on the verge of seeing the results of your work with your own nature. If you can accept that which I have to say in connection with the destructive aspects of your soul contact, you can save yourself much difficulty and trouble and save other people too. You might rightly ask me how and in what manner you can offset these tendencies.
2. Learn to do this by pondering upon the soul, by strengthening your soul contact and by bringing about a more stable alignment. Learn to think always in terms of the group and not in terms of I.
Discipleship in the New Age, Vol. I , SECTION TWO – PERSONAL INSTRUCTIONS TO DISCIPLES – Part 7
This latter, however, is aided by the fact that at this time, your first ray soul focusses itself in the astral body and, therefore, greatly aids its expression by giving you emotional power (if you care to use it) and enabling you to release much magnetic force—again if you care to, which is seldom. The reason for this is that—through your definite soul contact—you tend to express the outstanding quality of the first ray which is loneliness, isolation (not separativeness with you, my brother, for that is not one of your faults), the ability to stand alone and unmoved. Your personality, as you have probably guessed, finds its focus of expression in the mental body.
Discipleship in the New Age, Vol. I , SECTION TWO – PERSONAL INSTRUCTIONS TO DISCIPLES – Part 10
Continue so to do and preserve ever a watchful spirit so that your high standard can be maintained. There is much to be done during the coming year and it must all be approached from the angle of soul contact, followed by efficiency on the physical plane. There is a point I ask you to work at during these next months, for it constitutes for you the next step upon the Path of Discipleship.
This I did with a long purpose in my mind. Meditation is so oft regarded as the means for establishing soul contact. People oft forget, however, that this contact is brought about very frequently by an inner reflective attitude of mind, by a life given to service and selflessness, and by a determination to discipline the lower nature so that it may become a true channel for the soul.
Discipleship in the New Age, Vol. I , SECTION TWO – PERSONAL INSTRUCTIONS TO DISCIPLES – Part 11
Disciples evoke from us who are the teachers upon the inner side of life many and diverse reactions. We look at some of you and feel that much time must elapse before we can fully trust you with our confidence; integration, wisdom and soul contact must first be induced. Others emerge into the hierarchical Light and we know—as we study them—that though there is contact and knowledge there is also ambition, violence and selfishness and that these qualities must be offset and subdued before there can be freedom of action, both on our part and on theirs.
The only second ray influence through which love can come is your soul and the implications of this you are apt to misunderstand. Therefore, your life of love is dependent upon the extent of your soul contact and that contact must be kept living and vital or else your personality idea, your desire to hold people away from you, your sense of isolation and of pride will dominate. The difficulty is enhanced for you owing to the fact that the ray which governs your race is the third ray and that also governs your personality far more strongly than you realise.
It is a “sticking your head into the sand” type of glamour, and a refusal to register your personality limitations along this line. You, with your wisdom and soul contact, could most easily handle this, if you so desired. I am speaking to you thus frankly, my brother, because I have confidence in you and I know that you have confidence in me.
Discipleship in the New Age, Vol. I , SECTION TWO – PERSONAL INSTRUCTIONS TO DISCIPLES – Part 12
You may not be able to do it the first thing each morning before breakfast, but many people cannot. Yet surely, if your essentials are right, you could demand thirty minutes at some point early in the day for your soul contact. The structure of your daily living will not break down if, for instance, you do not answer the telephone during that period and permit yourself that time of quiet, delegating others to deal with the telephone.
The second method employed for raising the consciousness of the race was through groups, gathered around a teacher who (to a greater or less degree) was a focal point of energy either a. By the power of his soul contact or b. By that contact and being also a channel through which some member of the Hierarchy could work.
These faults are interesting only in so far as they affect the life of your group; they must be handled by you with care and with the open eye that senses danger from afar and seeks to avoid it. The sensitivity which I want to see developed is alertness to soul contact, impressionability to the “voice of the Teacher,” an aliveness to the impact of new ideas and to the delicacy of intuitional responsiveness. These are ever the hallmark of the true disciple.
Discipleship in the New Age, Vol. I , SECTION ONE – DISCIPLESHIP IN THE NEW AGE – Part 2
Will you comprehend me when I tell you that only love can free you. Not love of yourself or a freeing of yourself through desperation over your own unhappiness; not love of those you so easily love but the very love of your soul must be called in and, therefore, soul contact is your solution, persisted in steadily throughout each day. Meditate therefore upon love.
For the remaining years of your life lay the emphasis upon your spiritual responsibilities and your spiritual effect upon all you contact, or with whom your lot is cast. Work ever along the line of soul contact, leading to soul release and to the soul activity of those you love, and e’en of those you may not love. Thus you will begin to work on and from spiritual levels and your potency as a worker will silently increase.
Then you had, in reality, no responsibility for you did not know the nature of the task to be done. But, through soul contact, you do know now what the problem is and your responsibility to do something definite is, consequently, heavy. The glamour of ties and relationships has held you for years.
I refer not here to money though that too must be included in the life offering of a disciple, at this time of world stress, I refer to greater and deeper gifts which you possess and are apt to refuse to recognise—a loving heart, a mind enriched by years of study and lives of service, and by a loyalty and a gift for friendship which is rare, indeed, to find. Your soul contact is established and this is a fact upon which you can count. Devitalisation of your physical life is due to the cramping to which you have subjected yourself and your pronounced, inner, subjective withdrawal to the mental and astral worlds.
Part of the problem is connected with your third ray physical body which demands change and requires variety; it dislikes quietness and stability; part of it is the result of your fifth ray mentality (your personality focus is pre-eminently there) which renders you non-magnetic and gives you a vertical and not a horizontal attitude to life. Your personality ray, being the fourth, opens wide the door for soul contact and (when that contact is made and established) it will bring in your second ray energy. This, in your case, will express itself as love more than wisdom, and it will render you creative in a newer and more powerful sense, and make you so magnetic that you will become a focal point of inspiration and loving service to all around you.
Self-depreciation is not necessarily a sign of spiritual growth. It is often the first result of a soul contact and means the revelation of personality limitations covering many years. That has a temporary value, provided you again turn your eyes to the soul.
Another, you will later recognise. This means leading them to find the link with their group and their Master, for they will be people who have already made their soul contact. Your ray is pre-eminently the ray of occultism.
Alignment. Soul contact. Spiritual poise.
Spiritual poise. Poise is the steady holding of the achieved soul contact. a.
b. Next, the recognition of the fact of love as an expression of that soul contact—expressed through the medium of the personality. c.
The mind will then be left free to fulfil three functions: 1. That of soul contact; this will result in illumination and a working knowledge of the immediate aspects of the Plan. 2.
Discipleship in the New Age, Vol. I , SECTION ONE – DISCIPLESHIP IN THE NEW AGE – Part 3
This involves, as I have pointed out, their training in adaptation, in the recognition of true values, in fluidity of ideas, and selfless work for their fellowmen. A Master’s group is not a place wherein disciples are taught to make their personality adjustment and soul contact. It is not a place where character discipline is imposed and right relations established between the personnel of a group of junior or senior disciples.
These men and women are always accepted disciples in the academic sense of the term and are able to render themselves receptive to spiritual impression; they do this, if they choose, at will. They are integrated people from the personality angle and susceptible at all times to soul contact. They are not yet perfect, for they are not yet Masters; the fourth initiation still lies ahead for them but their own imperfections are not their major point of soul attack or their major preoccupation; world need and world demand for spiritual and psychic aid rank paramount in their consciousness.
Discipleship in the New Age, Vol. I , SECTION THREE – THE SIX STAGES OF DISCIPLESHIP – Part 1
It might be said that the preface to the Master’s interest falls into four parts and it is only when all four are found present together and simultaneously that this happens: 1. The aspirational intent of the man upon the physical plane suddenly succeeds in enabling him to make a soul contact. The moment that that takes place the light in the head is momentarily intensified.
Discipleship in the New Age, Vol. I , SECTION THREE – THE SIX STAGES OF DISCIPLESHIP – Part 2
The ordinary connotation has largely lost its significance through wrong emphasis. The initiate considers service as the spontaneous, easy expression of a definite soul contact, brought down on to the physical plane and giving insight, practicality and inspiration to the disciple as he works on the outer plane of expression. Most disciples are occupied vaguely with achieving inspiration but know nothing of the earlier stages of insight, leading to the practical and wise expression of the met need upon the level of daily living.
I am assuming that the Master knows His disciple well, is convinced of his sincerity and of the appropriateness of his appeal. I am also assuming that you realise that the so-called “appeal” is the quality of the life lived, the service rendered and the presence of an illumined mind—illumined through some definite measure of soul contact.
Discipleship in the New Age, Vol. I , SECTION ONE – DISCIPLESHIP IN THE NEW AGE – Part 4
The Master’s problem is to teach him the stabilisation of the relation between soul and body so that, at will, contact can be established between them; the astral body provides no hindrance that amounts to anything, and through that soul contact a facile relation to the Hierarchy, its purposes and resources can be made. Secondly, the nature of energy and its wise utilisation through the medium of an integrated personality is indicated.
Discipleship in the New Age, Vol. I , SECTION ONE – DISCIPLESHIP IN THE NEW AGE – Part 5
It is, in the case of all aspirants thus conditioned mentally, the paramount cause of their non-magnetic behaviour, using that word in its psychological implications. I would remind you that being non-magnetic at your stage of development means that (even though you may have some measure of soul contact) you cannot radiate that soul life to others as you would like to do, for your dominant fifth ray mental body (the Ray of Concrete Science, as you know) is insulated, isolated and has a natural tendency to that discrimination which leads to separativeness. The reverse effect is also true.
Discipleship in the New Age, Vol. I , SECTION TWO – PERSONAL INSTRUCTIONS TO DISCIPLES – Part 1
It is in connection with this that your personality battle must be waged. I call you, therefore, to the task of achieving a closer soul contact. This will negate the sense of inferiority.
Discipleship in the New Age, Vol. I , SECTION TWO – PERSONAL INSTRUCTIONS TO DISCIPLES – Part 2
But the combination of a fourth ray mental body and a second ray emotional vehicle requires careful watching so as to preserve the first ray balance as you grow older and tendencies crystallise into habits. The only way to do this is to deepen and establish the soul contact which (although of the first ray) is, as you will remember, the first subray of the second ray. As you have already guessed, your physical body is on the seventh ray.
Discipleship in the New Age, Vol. I , SECTION TWO – PERSONAL INSTRUCTIONS TO DISCIPLES – Part 3
It is the man, as the soul, in full waking consciousness who takes initiation. Hence the emphasis upon soul contact when a man is upon the Probationary Path and passing through the early stages of discipleship. This leads, later, to the emphasis placed upon the need for two major activities—before the man can take the higher initiations: a.
Discipleship in the New Age, Vol. II , SECTION THREE – TEACHINGS ON INITIATION – Part 1
) were for conscious soul contact; today, it is for a measure of established relation to the Spiritual Triad, via the antahkarana. This is a very different matter; soul contact is necessarily present, but is not deemed to give all that the initiate of the New Age must have.
) were for conscious soul contact; today, it is for a measure of established relation to the Spiritual Triad, via the antahkarana. This is a very different matter; soul contact is necessarily present, but is not deemed to give all that the initiate of the New Age must have. Love is of course needed; wisdom must be present, but the sense of universality is also required and indicates, when present, a measure of monadic inflow.
Everything is then relinquished in order that everything may be held in trust and used for the good of all; the will-to-good then dominates. Hence the necessity for the scientific construction of the rainbow bridge; hence the emphasis upon the Monad, the Father aspect which can now be revealed and known, because the work of aeons is culminating in a general soul contact, where humanity as a whole is concerned. This is testified to by the fact that so very many thousands have (as I have several times told you) taken the first initiation.
Discipleship in the New Age, Vol. II , SECTION THREE – TEACHINGS ON INITIATION – Part 2
Such hints are now constantly given by senior disciples to aspirants upon the Probationary Path. They serve to clarify thought; they remove glamour and illusory veils; they reveal the mental approach of the personality to the problem of soul contact and are an integral part of the process which enables the aspirant to establish a rapport which will bring the soul and the personality together and lead to soul fusion with its instrument. But, as the race has unfolded the principle or aspect of intelligence and has reached its present relatively high stage of mental understanding and perception, the older process has proved too simple and elementary; the modern disciple did not profit by the single mental statement presented to him by his Master; it proved no real challenge and became a point upon which discrimination of an interior activity must be made, and not a factor calling for the needed higher illumination.
But, as the race has unfolded the principle or aspect of intelligence and has reached its present relatively high stage of mental understanding and perception, the older process has proved too simple and elementary; the modern disciple did not profit by the single mental statement presented to him by his Master; it proved no real challenge and became a point upon which discrimination of an interior activity must be made, and not a factor calling for the needed higher illumination. The older position was that of understanding and following a hint, and this brought the aspirant closer to acceptance in a Master’s Ashram; it developed the mental apparatus, providing a better instrument for soul contact, and later, for service. The major emphasis was, however, soul contact, and the hint was usually of a purely personal nature, and was concerned with those inhibitions, wrong interpretations and negations which interfere with true soul contact and present a barrier to progress into an Ashram.
The older position was that of understanding and following a hint, and this brought the aspirant closer to acceptance in a Master’s Ashram; it developed the mental apparatus, providing a better instrument for soul contact, and later, for service. The major emphasis was, however, soul contact, and the hint was usually of a purely personal nature, and was concerned with those inhibitions, wrong interpretations and negations which interfere with true soul contact and present a barrier to progress into an Ashram. The Hierarchy was faced with the fact that thousands of aspirants have been coming into incarnation with much of this primary mental work well accomplished and with a substantial measure of soul contact already satisfactorily established; the ancient method, therefore, began to prove futile.
The major emphasis was, however, soul contact, and the hint was usually of a purely personal nature, and was concerned with those inhibitions, wrong interpretations and negations which interfere with true soul contact and present a barrier to progress into an Ashram. The Hierarchy was faced with the fact that thousands of aspirants have been coming into incarnation with much of this primary mental work well accomplished and with a substantial measure of soul contact already satisfactorily established; the ancient method, therefore, began to prove futile. The entire process was too easy and did not constitute a test of the disciple’s intuition.
It was realised in hierarchical Ashrams that the light of the soul was, speaking generally, beginning to flood the aura of the fourth kingdom in nature, and that there were many thousands of aspirants who were developing responsiveness to the light of the Spiritual Triad. The Masters, therefore, withdrew Their attention from aspirants upon the Probationary Path, and left them to be trained by disciples in some one or other Ashram, and gave Their attention primarily to those upon the mental plane who could be attracted by triadal expression and energy, and who were not entirely interested in the task of soul contact. The problem confronting the Hierarchy was interesting.
He must know which of the lights (to which he finds himself responsive) is the light which he must use to make further progress. Is the light of the personality to be trained upon the point of soul contact, so that the lower mind becomes the searchlight of revelation. Or has the point been reached where the light of the soul, which is the pure energy of love, can be turned upon all life and circumstances in the three worlds, thus enabling the disciple to become a soul-infused personality and thus permitted entrance into the appropriate Ashram.
Discipleship in the New Age, Vol. II , SECTION THREE – TEACHINGS ON INITIATION – Part 8
” The first word which I would suggest is Contact. Much soul contact and contact also with your group brothers on interior levels is easy for you and presents no difficulties, even if you believe it not. You have a well established contact along these lines, but your physical brain does not yet register it adequately.
Discipleship in the New Age, Vol. II , SECTION FOUR – PERSONAL INSTRUCTIONS TO DISCIPLES – Part 2
I write to you as a soul and not as a personality and would ask you to study the implications of that attitude which I hold towards you. For the remainder of your life there should be a close application to the establishing of the gained soul contact and the training of the inner attentive man to catch the communications of the soul, plus the dedicated will to forget all personality applications in the meeting of surrounding need—as far as you can in your own country and allied nations. This may come to you as a surprising statement but at the close of the war, the period of rebuilding and the establishing of right human relations may (I do not say it will, for the constant element of freewill must enter in) force each disciple to work in those places where earlier effort, the ties of karma and national heritage, and inclination determine his personal allegiance.
I, Page 188) is being handled by you with right attitude and common sense. For this I commend you, reminding you always that soul contact is universal and inclusive in its effects but that the separative mind (even at soul levels) can still differentiate and place imparted truths under categories and sources. It is the imparted truths, the teaching and the inspiration which is of moment and this fact I believe that you are learning.
This is a basic occult fact given out in a definite statement for the first time but ever deducible and implied when the student studies intelligently and has a real grasp of basic esoteric implications. Through the powerful aspiration of your first ray astral body (which is in fact transmuted desire) and its intelligent expression, and through the third ray power of your directing, awakening brain, soul contact is fairly easy of achievement for you at this particular point in your evolution. Your real problem is to free the results of this contact from distortion and glamour by the power of the illumined mind—an illumination achieved through conflict and discrimination and resulting (when the victory is gained) in the harmonising of soul and its form on earth.
Discipleship in the New Age, Vol. II , SECTION FOUR – PERSONAL INSTRUCTIONS TO DISCIPLES – Part 3
I have for you, however, no real concern. I tell you that you need haste in discarding impediments upon the Way but am assured, through study of your soul contact, that you will not be hindered. I ask myself what I can do for you and so aid the process of transmutation and release through right meditation.
Discipleship in the New Age, Vol. II , SECTION FOUR – PERSONAL INSTRUCTIONS TO DISCIPLES – Part 4
I would like to point out that in these three contacts you have the three aspects of divine expression appearing—from the angle of stimulation and of vitalising power—and so three types of power are made available. Beginning with the lowest contact, your group brothers, you have the intelligent activity and consequent stimulation upon the physical plane of your contact with them; through your soul contact, the love aspect of divinity can be made manifest in you; and through your hierarchical contact, the will of God can pour into you. Thus all the three aspects of the divine nature can pour into you and meet with response from the three aspects of your lower manifested expression; thus you can become subservient to the divine.
Discipleship in the New Age, Vol. II , SECTION FOUR – PERSONAL INSTRUCTIONS TO DISCIPLES – Part 9
It is, therefore, the second ray quality which must—in connection with your first ray astral body—be imposed and that means two things in relation to you: 1. That your soul contactmust be intensified. 2.
Discipleship in the New Age, Vol. II , SECTION FOUR – PERSONAL INSTRUCTIONS TO DISCIPLES – Part 10
I would suggest to you that you bring music into your life far more than you have hitherto done, particularly orchestral music. In these days of radio programmes this is easily accomplished, and the effect of blended instruments and broad sound productions upon your personality will be to break down the opposition which it presents to soul contact and impose a different note and key upon your life. Does this injunction surprise you, brother of old.
Fail her not, and seek to understand the problems with which she is faced. You have also my belief and trust, my confidence that you will carry on—learning and living and loving—and again I repeat, on the strength coming from my Ashram you can count, but it reaches you through your soul, and therefore a closer soul contact is increasingly needed by you as the work grows and develops. November 1944 MY FRIEND AND CO-WORKER: I intend to be in touch with you with constancy, and you must train yourself to an increased sensitivity to my presence and to the contact of my mind.
Discipleship in the New Age, Vol. II , SECTION FOUR – PERSONAL INSTRUCTIONS TO DISCIPLES – Part 12
A simple, humble life of service and of self-forgetfulness will do more to free you than any violent endeavour to understand and combat glamour. You do not yet even comprehend what it is; it can only be overcome by the illumined mind, and there is therefore, for you, nothing else to be done but to strengthen your soul contact by practical spiritual living upon the physical plane, and by a complete refraining from all thought anent the future world, future scientific discoveries, future world orders, and the manner whereby they can be instituted. The moment your mind becomes preoccupied with the universal aspects of life it is thrown into confusion; its thoughtform-making proclivities become violent, and the illumination of the soul is then unable to penetrate.
I am giving you no meditation. I seek to see the flow of your spiritual life downward into daily life, and I seek not to see you raising your human soul towards a soul contact you seldom achieve, consciously at least, this life. Your problem has been due to the fact that in the past you at one time achieved a most definite soul contact, but knew not how to handle the force engendered.
I seek to see the flow of your spiritual life downward into daily life, and I seek not to see you raising your human soul towards a soul contact you seldom achieve, consciously at least, this life. Your problem has been due to the fact that in the past you at one time achieved a most definite soul contact, but knew not how to handle the force engendered. In this incarnation, this force flowed into the astral body to a very great extent and evoked the glamour and the deception which have coloured your life.
Discipleship in the New Age, Vol. II , SECTION FOUR – PERSONAL INSTRUCTIONS TO DISCIPLES – Part 13
The source of the impression to which you now seek to be sensitive is the Spiritual Triad, and the quality of the impression is the will, as it implements divine purpose. I am therefore indicating a far more advanced stage, and I do so for two reasons: One is that for years the effort of all of you has been towards the registering of soul contact and the expression of loving understanding; you are familiar with what the Hierarchy (of which my Ashram is a part) seeks to accomplish, and there is nothing to be gained by a constant reiteration of the familiar. I am, secondly, outlining procedures, meditations and objectives which will be of use to those who come after you and who will be the hierarchy of workers at the close of this century and during the first quarter of the coming century.
Discipleship in the New Age, Vol. II , SECTION TWO – TEACHINGS ON MEDITATION – Part 1
A. Service as a result of soul contact. B.
Education in the New Age , SYNOPSIS
The children who are coming into incarnation at this time, and who can profit by the new type of education, are necessarily on the very verge of soul consciousness. One of the first indications of such soul contact is a rapidly developing sense of responsibility. This should be carefully borne in mind.
3. Certain men and women in every field of human thought are expressing the potency of the unfoldment of their achieved integration and (if you will but believe it) the reality of their soul contact, by emerging out of the dead level of humanity. They stand forth above their fellows through the very force of their personality-integration and because they can function as high grade and idealistic persons.
Education in the New Age , CHAPTER IV – The Culture of the Individual – Part 1
The fusion of the personality and the soul. This has to be carried out consciously and deliberately, with the willingness of these related parts of a great divine whole to see the personality subjected to changes and transmutations, produced as a result of soul contact. This will lead to the manifestation of the indwelling soul, the Christ consciousness, the Solar Angel.
Education in the New Age , CHAPTER IV – The Culture of the Individual – Part 2
According, therefore, to an individual’s point of evolution upon the Path or (in other words) the individual’s place upon the wheel of life, the practising astrologer will arrange the interpretation of the horoscope. It will require the work and the thought of the intuitive astrologer, dependent upon soul contact and much meditation, to determine the processes of astrological interpretation for those who are active and living souls at some one or other of the final stages upon the Path. The casting of the horoscope of the average man or the undeveloped man presents no such difficulties.
Esoteric Astrology , 1. Three Basic Statements. – Part 1
Each life sees some progress made; some personality defects straightened out and some real advance effected. But the unconquered residue and the ancient liabilities are numerous and excessively potent and—when soul contact is adequately established—there eventuates a life wherein the highly developed and powerful personality becomes, in itself, the Dweller on the Threshold. Then the Angel of the Presence and the Dweller stand face to face and something must then be done.
Esoteric Astrology , 3. Spiritual Effects of the Zodiacal Constellations. – Part 5
The man who is upon the Fixed Cross is becoming increasingly aware of its direction and influences and does not respond as blindly as does the man upon the Mutable Cross. He does not “mount this Cross of Right Direction” in a technical sense until he has attained some measure of soul contact and has had some touch of illumination and of spiritual intuition—no matter how fleeting that touch may have been. c.
Esoteric Astrology , CHAPTER VI – The Three Crosses
2. Soul contact through meditation. 3.
Esoteric Healing , CHAPTER IV – Some Questions Answered – Part 1
This is a clear definition of the basic cause of death. Where no soul contact has been consciously established, as in the case of the majority of people at this time, death comes as an unexpected or sadly anticipated event. Yet—it is a true soul activity.
This is the first great spiritual concept to be proclaimed as the fear of death is combatted. Death is carried forward under this Law of Attraction, and consists in the steady and scientific abstraction of the vital body out of the dense physical body, leading eventually to an elimination of all soul contact in the three worlds. Sequence of Events at Death I feel that the best that I can do, in order to clarify this subject more completely, is to describe the sequence of events which happens at a death bed, reminding you that the points of final abstraction are three in number: the head for disciples and initiates and also for advanced mental types; the heart for aspirants, for men of goodwill, and for all those who have achieved a measure of personality integrity and are attempting to fulfill, as far as in them lies, the law of love; and the solar plexus for the undeveloped and emotionally polarised persons.
Esoteric Healing , CHAPTER V – The Process of Restitution – Part 2
2. Time (being the succession of events as registered by the physical brain) is now nonexistent as we understand the term, and—as the man turns his attention to his more clearly defined emotional self—there ensues invariably a moment of direct soul contact. This is due to the fact that even in the case of the most ignorant and undeveloped man, the moment of complete restitution does not pass unnoticed by the soul.
If, however, it is realised that time is not known apart from physical plane experience, the entire concept of devachan clarifies. From the moment of complete separation from the dense physical and etheric bodies, and as the eliminative process is undertaken, the man is aware of past and present; when elimination is complete and the hour of soul contacteventuates and the manasic vehicle is in process of destruction, he becomes immediately aware of the future, for prediction is an asset of the soul consciousness and in this the man temporarily shares. Therefore, past, present and future are seen as one; the recognition of the Eternal Now is gradually developed from incarnation to incarnation and during the continuous process of rebirth.
The kama-manasic man practises a process of withdrawal and responds to the “pull” of a rapidly developing mental body. This withdrawal becomes increasingly rapid and dynamic until it reaches the state where the probationary disciple—under steadily growing soul contact—shatters the kama-manasic body, as a unit, by an act of the mental will, implemented by the soul. You will note that the “devachanic” experience will necessarily be briefer in connection with this majority than with the kamic minority, because the devachanic technique of review and recognition of the implications of experience is slowly controlling the man on the physical plane so that he brings the significance of meaning and learns constantly through experience whilst incarnating.
Esoteric Healing , CHAPTER VI – The Art of Elimination
” Think for a moment what this power involves. The healer is not only in immediate and conscious touch with his own soul, but through that soul contact he can easily contact the soul of his patient. 2.
Esoteric Healing , Part Three – The Fundamental Laws of Healing
2. The soul of the healer, occupied with the stimulation of that point of soul contact, via the following triangle of energy: This relates the vital body of the healer to that of the patient, via both their head centres and the heart of the patient, because there the life principle is focussed and is closely involved and affected by whatever occurs. 3.
3. When this triangle of energy is functioning smoothly and a measure of response is coming from the head centre of the patient, evoking greater soul contact and producing a resultant inflow of soul energy into the head centre and from thence to the heart centre, then—by an act of the will and the use of an invocative mantram—the healer will seek to implement this increased flow of life, via the heart, to the diseased area, using the centre which controls that area of the physical body, whichever this may be. This has to be done with the greatest possible care, so that the flow is not too sudden, and therefore destructive in its effects; particular care has also to be evidenced in the cases of disease of the heart: embolisms, for instance, which prove fatal are frequently due to a violent expression on the part of the patient of the will-to-live, bringing on a flooding inflow of the life principle.
Let me put it quite simply. When the majority of the inhabitants of the earth are being rapidly oriented towards good, towards righteousness, as the Bible expresses it, and when the bulk of human beings are inclined towards goodwill (the second major expression of soul contact and influence in the individual’s life and in the life of mankind—the first being the sense of responsibility), then ill health will persistently, even if only gradually, disappear and die out and finally be nonexistent. Slowly, very slowly, this is already happening—not yet in the disappearance of disease, but in the bringing about of a more correct orientation.
I have shown you that the healing art is not a vague mystical process, or wishful thinking and simple good intentions. I have indicated that it presupposes the mastering of the science of soul contact, first of all: the constant practice of alignment, and the comprehension of the Science of the Centres, or—literally—a modern form of Laya-Yoga. Healers in the future will undergo years of drastic training, and this need cause no surprise, for the ordinary medical profession calls for years of hard study and work.
Esoteric Healing , CHAPTER VIII – The Laws and Rules Enumerated and Applied – Part 1
It can be healthy because it has not been misused in the particular life or lives conditioning a particular incarnation, or unhealthy because it is paying the price of error. Good health is not necessarily dependent upon conscious soul contact. That can and does produce good health, but it is also dependent, in the majority of average cases, upon the life and intentions of the personality—in this life and in previous lives; it is not until the will of the personality is towards spiritual betterment and a cleaner, purer life that the soul can be of real assistance.
Esoteric Healing , CHAPTER VIII – The Laws and Rules Enumerated and Applied – Part 3
The mental attitude of the patient is strengthened and clarified by the mental emanation of the healer’s aura; his emotional reaction, often very powerful, is equally aided to attain dispassion and quiet, and the etheric and health auras have a definite effect upon the corresponding aspects of the patient’s aura. Radiatory healing is brought about by the mingling of the two auras, both of them responsive to soul contact; the soul aspect of both persons (under control of the soul) is then directed towards some area of the patient’s physical body. This produces a tremendous effect upon the diseased area, and the centre in that same locality becomes exceedingly energised.
Having made his contact, he simply waits and has nothing more to do but to hold his soul alignment steady and permit nothing to disturb his personality vehicles. His task was accomplished when he made his own soul contact and then reached out and contacted the patient’s soul. This he could do because he knows all souls are one: eventually the art of healing will be one of the demonstrating factors in proving the unity of all souls.
When this act of the withdrawal of consciousness has been started, the work of the healer ends. He “shuts off” his soul contact and reassumes control of his aura as a medium of his own spiritual expression; it becomes no longer an instrument for healing by radiatory activity, and leaves the patient alone automatically to complete the withdrawal of the consciousness thread and the life thread, from the head and heart centres. This is a broad and general outline of the processes followed in magnetic and radiatory healing.
Esoteric Healing , CHAPTER VIII – The Laws and Rules Enumerated and Applied – Part 5
It is therefore highly desirable that there be as much propaganda as possible for the use of this method of disposing of the discarded physical vehicles of the souls who are passing out of incarnation. As the soil becomes less tainted, and as soul contact is established, we can hope to see a steady decrease in the number of those who succumb to the inherited taints. Curiously enough, the free use of salt sea bathing has a definite effect on the healthiness of the physical body.
Esoteric Healing , CHAPTER I – The Psychological Causes of Disease – Part 3
This will constitute an entirely new science, and the rhythm of the natural processes and the establishing, as habits, the correct cycles of physical functioning, will bring about a new era of health and of sound physical conditions for the entire race. I used the word “establishing,” for as the focus of racial attention shifts into the region of the higher values the physical vehicle will gain enormously, and good health—through right rhythmic living, plus correct thinking and soul contact—will become permanently established. There are, therefore, very few ills to which flesh is heir which are mentally based.
Esoteric Healing , CHAPTER I – The Psychological Causes of Disease – Part 4
The spiritual technique, however, is entirely different. The personality problem and the process of delving into the subconscious are ignored, because the conditions which are undesirable are regarded as the result of lack of soul contact and of soul control. The patient (if I might so call him) is taught to take his eyes, and consequently his attention, away from himself, his feelings, his complexes and his fixed ideas and undesirable thoughts, and to focus them upon the soul, the divine Reality within the form, and the Christ consciousness.
Diseases of Disciples. We will divide what we have to say anent the diseases of disciples into two parts: the specific problems of all disciples, and the difficulties incident to soul contact. We need here to remember that all disciples are susceptible to the major categories of disease.
2. Difficulties Incident to Soul Contact. Today we begin a study of the difficulties, the diseases and the psychological troubles (neurological and mental) of the aspirants and of the disciples of the world.
Esoteric Healing , CHAPTER I – The Psychological Causes of Disease – Part 5
All diseases and physical difficulties are caused by one or more of three things or conditions: 1. A developed soul contact, thus producing the vitalisation of all the centres in ordered rhythm, according to the soul ray. This necessarily produces stress and strain in the physical vehicle.
This process is today being taught in all the newer and sounder esoteric schools, and has been emphasised in the Arcane School from the start; it is that procedure (distinguished by right orientation, concentration and meditation) which relates the personality to the soul, and thus to the Hierarchy. Relationship to the Hierarchy automatically takes place as this alignment goes forward and direct soul contact is thereby established. Personality consciousness is superseded by group consciousness, and the inflow of hierarchical energy follows as a natural consequence, for all souls are only aspects of the Hierarchy.
Esoteric Healing , CHAPTER I – The Psychological Causes of Disease – Part 6
2. A rapidly establishing soul contact. 3.
Esoteric Healing , CHAPTER I – The Psychological Causes of Disease – Part 7
They are not based on truth. In a later life, the suppressed condition will again emerge in ever greater potency and will continue so to do until such time as it is ignored altogether and the life emphasis is laid on soul contact and the life expression is extroverted into service to others. In connection with physical disease and its relation to the centres (regarding these as focal points for incoming energies from some source or another) it might be useful if certain broad generalisations were made here, remembering that to all of these there may be exceptions, particularly in the case of the health or the non-health of disciples.
Esoteric Healing , CHAPTER I – The Psychological Causes of Disease – Part 8
Man has his roots in all the three kingdoms; all have contributed to his equipment; he is the macrocosm of the lower microcosm; he is the link which unites the three lower kingdoms to the three higher. Let it ever be borne in mind that the sign of man’s spiritual unfoldment lies in his ability to include in his consciousness not only the so-called spiritual values and the power to react to soul contact, but also to include the material values, and to react divinely to the potencies which lie hidden from him in the custody of the other forms of divine life, found in the three sub-human kingdoms. In the urgency of the present world situation, it might be well to ask: What need is there to study the rays and kingdoms of nature.
Esoteric Psychology – Volume I , 1. The Mineral Kingdom
The synthesis of the divine concept, the vision of its structural outline and the plan for its materialisation—these are the factors which govern souls on their plane, condition their activity, and, within the limits wherein they work, are the factors which (in time and space) condition and limit Deity, for such is His divine Will. Looking at the whole subject from another angle, it is these rules of soul contact which set the rhythm and determine the pulsation of the life of God as it steadily beats upon the lower rhythms and will finally obliterate them. This happens in the case of individual human beings; it will happen in the case of humanity, as a whole, some day; it will determine finally the life, purpose and activity of all forms in and upon our planet.
It is based on inertia which finds creative work the line of least resistance and which seeks not to understand the way in which the inspiration comes, or how the externalisation of the vision becomes possible, or the technique of the inner activities, but simply follows an impulse. Again it indicates an uneven, unbalanced development which results from the fact that, through specialisation or focussed intense interest over a period of lives, there comes a capacity to make a soul contact along one line of endeavor, but not the capacity to be in contact with the soul. This is facilitated by the fact that the artist for many lives comes under the influence of one particular personality ray.
Esoteric Psychology – Volume II , IV. Rules for Inducing Soul Control – Part 2
These people fall into two groups: a. Those with no soul contact of any kind. Those people are urged forward to their destiny by a sense of power, by self-love, by exalted ambition, by a superiority complex, and by a determination to reach the top of their particular tree.
b. Those with a small measure of soul contact. These are people whose methods and motives are therefore a mixture of selfishness and of spiritual vision.
These are people whose methods and motives are therefore a mixture of selfishness and of spiritual vision. Their problem is a difficult one, as their measure of soul contact does bring in an inflow of force which stimulates the lower nature, even whilst increasing soul control. It is not, however, powerful enough to subordinate the lower nature entirely.
In this case, we have a man whose physical, emotional and mental natures can be fused and can subsequently function as one, and thus produce a mechanism which is subordinated to the will of the personality. This can take place with or without a definite soul contact, and it is at this stage that there comes a predisposition to the right, or to the left hand path. The coordination proceeds as follows: a.
Esoteric Psychology – Volume II , INTRODUCTION
The corresponding activity in the personality to the Approach of Appropriation comes as a result of the reorientation and the readjustment which takes place in the personality life when upon the probationary path. Then the individual aspirant—after much struggle and effort—suddenly “touches”, for one brief moment, the level of the soul, and knows the meaning of the words “soul contact. ” That contact is no longer a desire, a vision or a theoretical belief or hope.
It is experience and fact. The terms “soul contact” and “sensing the vibratory quality of the soul” are phrases oft used. It should prove useful to students if they could learn to appreciate the fact that when “in meditation deep” a certain sudden and recognised relationship is established, the personality has responded for the first time in such a manner that the “appropriation” by the soul of its instrument (called individualisation) is duplicated by the appropriation by the personality of the inspiring and overshadowing soul.
Esoteric Psychology – Volume II , I. The Appropriation of the Bodies – Part 1
In the case cited (which is one of quite usual occurrence) we find that a. The fifth ray of the mental body relates the man to his egoic ray, thereby facilitating soul contact. Had it related him to his monadic ray a very different situation would have eventuated.
Esoteric Psychology – Volume II , I. The Appropriation of the Bodies – Part 2
When the battle is successfully fought, and there is a realisation in consciousness of the nature of the issue involved (and such an awareness is most rapidly developing), then we shall have a bridging of the gap and the fusing of the fundamental pairs of opposites (the soul and the form). This will bring in the new era of spiritual attainment or of soul contact. The thought which should be dominant in our minds today, in order that we may rightly understand the correct use of this whole section is simply this:—that the right appropriation of form by the soul is the result of an initial wish or desire.
Esoteric Psychology – Volume II , I. The Appropriation of the Bodies – Part 3
The result is that the integration of the three energies is proceeding fast. At the same time, the man is definitely oriented to soul contact and knowledge, and frequently the mind (when it is the controlling personality factor) is itself brought suddenly and dynamically under the control of the soul. This accounts for the intense difficulty of the life of every disciple at this stage.
Esoteric Psychology – Volume II , 2. The Coordination of the Personality – Part 2
The time is coming when every infant will early be subjected to certain tests and become the recipient of skilled care so that the apparatus of contact may be as usable as possible, as adaptive as may be, and as sound as it can be rendered. But I would here remind you that no physical equipment can be brought beyond a certain point of development in any one life—a point determined by the stage reached under the evolutionary process by racial factors, by the quality of the subtle or subjective nature, by past experience and by soul contact(distant, approaching or already made), and by the mental equipment. For the right understanding of our subject, and of my method of handling it, I would like to lay down four fundamental propositions: 1.
Who shall deliver me from the body of this death. ” (Romans VII, 14-24) These difficulties will call for increasing attention as the race proceeds towards personality integration and from thence to soul contact. It will be apparent to you, therefore, how wide is our subject and of what real importance.
Esoteric Psychology – Volume II , 3. Some Problems of Psychology – Part 1
c. Soul contact. The last three groups of problems under sensitivity are most definite and real in the experience of disciples.
Esoteric Psychology – Volume II , 3. Some Problems of Psychology – Part 2
Many of the dreams related by people are records of the experiences of other people of which a man becomes aware and which he is appropriating to himself in all sincerity. We come now to a group of dreams which are a part of the experience of those people who have made a definite soul contact and are in process of establishing a close link with the world of souls. The “things of the kingdom of God” are opening up before them and the phenomena, the happenings, the ideas, and the life and knowledge of the soul realm are being registered with increasing accuracy in the mind.
This type of dream is a symbolic performance by the soul for the purpose of giving instruction, warning or command to its instrument, man, on the physical plane. These dramatic or symbolic dreams are becoming increasingly numerous in the case of aspirants and disciples, particularly in the early stages of soul contact. They can express themselves in the hours of sleep and also during the meditation period or process.
Esoteric Psychology – Volume II , 3. Some Problems of Psychology – Part 4
Many of our present problems (arising out of the mystical or the spiritual life) and a large number of our psychological difficulties are connected with this fact. Many a man also is over-developed in some one of these directions and, therefore, (through this developed sensitivity of some aspect of the a fivefold instrument of contact) he becomes aware of a realm of consciousness and of states of awareness with which he is not competent to deal, owing to the under-development of his mind and the lack of soul contact.
Esoteric Psychology – Volume II , 3. Some Problems of Psychology – Part 5
Today these potencies, light and dark, are again struggling for physical plane expression and supremacy but this time the result is vastly different. The effort to produce soul contactor to hinder it is working out in the form of nervous diseases and pathological conditions and this is affecting potently the group activity of man. The effort by the dark forces to stimulate the lower psychic powers seems able to reach no deeper into matter and form than the etheric vehicles and from there to condition the physical body physiologically in the form of diseases, lesions, nervous troubles and brain afflictions and the many other ways in which the human being is rendered helpless and unfitted to cope with daily living and modern world conditions.
Esoteric Psychology – Volume II , 4. Diseases and Problems of Disciples and Mystics – Part 3
It might be well to add here a word of warning. We must be careful not to let our desire for soul contact fool us at this time into believing that our present physical difficulties (if there are any) are the result of this soul contact. It would be quite surprising if this were so.
In these four points there is probably indicated enough to make clear, or at least to suggest two important things. First, that much, if not all that can be seen going on in the world today, is caused by a greatly increased soul stimulation, to which the entire human family is reacting, even though, as individuals, they have not made a soul contact. This increased stimulation is due to two things— 1.
They express predominantly a sense of responsibility, or a sense of synthesis, or a sense of God, or a sense of beauty, and modern psychology must answer the question: What is it that differentiates these people from their fellowmen. Heredity, opportunity, environment and the state of the glandular equipment, are some of the reasons brought forth today, but the question really remains unanswered, and will so remain until some understanding is gained of egoic unfoldment, and of soul contact, with its consequences:—stimulation, integration, the inflow of energy, and the use of that energy, according to the predisposition of the man and his group response. Much has been given in this Treatise on the Seven Rays which should serve to clarify the problem.
Esoteric Psychology – Volume II , 3. The Great Approaches (The Coming New Religion) – Part 1
There has been too much attempt to define it from the angle of personality knowledge. Service can be briefly defined as the spontaneous effect of soul contact. This contact is so definite and fixed that the life of the soul can pour through into the instrument which the soul must perforce use upon the physical plane.
This occurs when the soul has been definitely contacted and the mechanism of the soul begins to respond. Evidence of this should work out now among the esoteric students, scattered over the world, for they have reached a point where the true server can emerge from their ranks, and give evidence of an established soul contact. Secondly, these soul laws are beginning to have a group effect in humanity itself, and to influence the race of men as a whole.
They may have become sensitive to impression, but they oft-times misinterpret the truth and are biassed by personality ends. They must learn to lay the emphasis upon soul contactand upon an active familiarity with the egoic life, and not upon the form side of service. May I beg those of you who respond to these ideas and are sensitive to soul impression (oft-times misinterpreting the truth, being biassed by personality ends) to lay the emphasis upon soul contact and not upon the form side of service.
They must learn to lay the emphasis upon soul contact and upon an active familiarity with the egoic life, and not upon the form side of service. May I beg those of you who respond to these ideas and are sensitive to soul impression (oft-times misinterpreting the truth, being biassed by personality ends) to lay the emphasis upon soul contact and not upon the form side of service. Activity of the form side lays stress upon personality ambition, veiling them with the glamour of service.
Activity of the form side lays stress upon personality ambition, veiling them with the glamour of service. If care over the essential of service—soul contact—is taken, then the service rendered will flow with spontaneity along the right lines and bear much fruit. Of this, the selfless service and the deep flow of spiritual life, which have been demonstrated in the world work of late, is a hopeful indication.
The remarkable response to the many recent campaigns to good will definitely evidenced this. But the work of the new type of server is directed towards those who are establishing soul contact and who can therefore work under the new incoming Aquarian Law. This centres around the capacity to stand, not only in spiritual being, but together with others, working with them subjectively, telepathically, and synthetically.
Thus the true server comes into possession of his instruments for service, and thenceforth creative work in accordance with the Plan can go forward on all three planes. Thus has God, in His wisdom, chosen to limit Himself, and the work of evolution proceeds solely through the medium of His chosen builders and under the direction—on this planet—of those men whose lives are being transformed through soul contact and creative service, and who constitute the planetary Hierarchy. When alignment has been effected, when the at-one-ment has been more constantly made, and when the antaskarana (the bridge connecting the higher and the lower) is in definite process of construction, the true nature of service, as practiced by any individual begins to emerge.
Esoteric Psychology – Volume II , II. The Seven Laws of Soul or Group Life – Part 2
A consideration of the rays in or out of manifestation, and a recognition of the disciples and servers available on the physical plane at any one time, is part of the work of the Masters in the Hierarchy. The emergence of the New Group of World servers today is an indication that there are enough egoic ray types in physical manifestation, and that a sufficient number of personalities are responding to soul contact, so that a group can be formed that can be definitely impressed as a group. This is the first time that such a situation has been possible.
It does not literally affect matter, except in so far as form is affected when the soul “withdraws”, or occultly “repudiates. ” It will be apparent, therefore, that our understanding of its activity will depend largely upon the measure of soul force of which we may individually be aware, and the extent of our soul contact. Our point upon the ladder of evolution will govern our manipulation of this law (if such a term may be used), and determine our capacity to be sensitive to its impact.
Esoteric Psychology – Volume II , II. The Seven Laws of Soul or Group Life – Part 3
They are based on a group idealism which can only be consciously registered when the units in the group are beginning to function upon the mental plane and are developing the capacity to “think things through”—that is, to register in the brain that which the soul has imparted to the mind. We have here a definition of the meditation process as it should be followed by those who, through alignment, have made some measure of soul contact. These groups are functioning entirely through a subjective relation, which produces a subjective integration and activity.
Esoteric Psychology – Volume II , II. The Seven Laws of Soul or Group Life – Part 5
God still speaks to men, for this world of ours still provides adequate facilities for the development of those qualities which are characteristic of the Christ in the human heart, the soul, the son of God in incarnation, dwelling in this vale of tears, or as it has been called, this “vale of soul-making. ” But to achieve this definite and conscious soul contact, the aspirant has to learn obedience through the things which he suffers, and he has also to practise the task of loving. This is not easy.
There is much disease in the other kingdoms of nature; animals, plants and minerals suffer from disease as do human beings, and these kingdoms antedate the appearance of the human family upon Earth. Secondly, the affirmation that one is divine and therefore entitled to good health may be ultimately true when divinity is really expressed, but it is not expressed by affirmation, but by conscious intelligent organised soul contact. This results in living as Christ lived, with no thought of self but only concern and interest in others.
” and the answer is: “Yes. ” If meditation is rightly followed, and if perseverance is the keynote of the life, then increasingly soul contact is established. The results of that contact work out in self-discipline, in purification, and in the life of aspiration and of service.
From Intellect To Intuition , CHAPTER THREE – THE NATURE OF THE SOUL
“To train people to work in mental matter is to train them to create; to teach people to know the nature of the soul is to put them in conscious touch with the subjective side of manifestation and to put into their hands the power to work with soul-energy; to enable people to unfold the potencies of the soul aspect is to put them en rapport with the forces and energies hidden in all the kingdoms of Nature. “A man can then — as his soul contact and his subjective perception is strengthened and developed — become a conscious creator, co-operating with the plans of evolution and of God. As he passes through the different stages, his ability so to work and his capacity to get at the thought lying behind all symbols and forms increases.
From Intellect To Intuition , CHAPTER FIVE – STAGES IN MEDITATlON
” [lxxxviii] 1 These characteristics of illumination and its results are to be found working out in the consciousness of the man who has progressed through the stages we have earlier outlined, and form the theme of this chapter. Illumination is a stage in the meditation process, for it entails careful control of the mind and a scientific approach to the subject; it is a result of the true contemplative state and of soul contact, and indicates, with its sequential effects, the institution of the second activity of the mind, considered a few pages earlier. According to the pioneers into the realm of the soul, the condition of illumination supervenes directly upon the stage of contemplation, and might be described, in its turn, as producing three effects: That of an illumined intellect, of intuitive perception, and an inspired life upon the physical plane of existence.
From Intellect To Intuition , CHAPTER SEVEN – INTUITION AND ILLUMINATION
It is dangerous for an emotional and weak person to take breathing exercises in order to hasten development, and any teacher who seeks to teach these exercises to large groups, as is frequently done, is laying up trouble for himself and his followers. It is only here and there that, in the ancient days, the teachers picked a man for this form of tuition, and it was added to a training which had produced a certain measure of soul contact, so that the soul could guide the energies evoked by the breath for the furtherance of its objectives and for world service. Therefore, we will do no more than see that our breathing is quiet and regular, and will then withdraw our thoughts from the body altogether and begin the work of concentration.
From Intellect To Intuition , CHAPTER NINE – THE PRACTICE OF MEDITATION – Part 1
b. Meditation on soul contact and the recognition of soul light. c.
b. Meditation on soul contact and recognition of soul light. c.
Glamour: A World Problem , SECTION THREE – THE ENDING OF GLAMOUR – Part 3
When he discovers any arresting or sidetracking of progress through active illusion, or glamour, he “detaches” himself consciously from such contacts and braces himself for the final stage of indifference or repudiation of all forces except those which he—consciously and with purpose—is seeking to use upon the physical plane. In the last analysis, my brother, the point of tension for the average disciple will be found on mental levels, involving the illumined mind and a growing soul contact: a. He will be able then to “see” clearly in the light of the soul, and with a developed sense of values; he can consequently dispel illusion.
Glamour: A World Problem , SECTION THREE – THE ENDING OF GLAMOUR – Part 4
At first, with the majority of people and especially with the average mystical type, the appreciation of ideas is vague and nebulous, and frequently is arrived at from a second-hand angle. The illumination, coming through the medium of the feebly established soul contact, seems to the unaccustomed neophyte to be of a supreme wonder and of vital moment. The ideas contacted appear to him of great marvel, and superbly unusual, and vitally needed by humanity.
Glamour: A World Problem , SECTION ONE – THE NATURE OF GLAMOUR – Part 1
The stage of human development today does not yet permit this. They can come from the intuitional levels only when there is a very highly developed soul contact, a potent mind control, a trained intelligence, a purified emotional body, and a good glandular equipment, as the result of the above requirements. Ponder upon this thought.
Are you strong enough for this. Forget not, that a disciple who is dealing with the aspiration of his nature and who is also wrestling with the problems that result from mental polarisation and awareness, and with the energies which become active through soul contact, is rapidly becoming an integrated personality. His task is not therefore easy and calls for the focussed activity of his best self.
Glamour: A World Problem , SECTION ONE – THE NATURE OF GLAMOUR – Part 2
Glamour can be and often is related to the distortion of that which has been revealed, but it must be borne in mind that illusion is primarily concerned with the reaction of the mind to the unfolding revelation, as the soul registers it and seeks to impress it on the highest aspect of the personal lower self. Illusion is, therefore, the failure of the mind correctly to register, to interpret or translate that which has been transmitted and it is consequently a sin (if you care for that word) of the intelligent and highly developed people, of those who stand on the Path and who are in process of becoming rightly oriented; it is also a sin of accepted disciples as they seek to expand their consciousness in response to soul contact. When they have “seen through illusion” (and I use this phrase in its esoteric sense) then they are ready for the third initiation.
Glamour: A World Problem , SECTION THREE – THE ENDING OF GLAMOUR – Part 1
Soul and light are equally so, and in this equality of idea—light, substance, soul—you have the key to fusion and to the at-one-ment which Christ expressed so fully for us in His life on Earth. When, therefore, students and aspirants have made progress in soul contact, they have taken one of the first important steps towards the comprehension of light and its uses. They must however be careful not to confuse the light which they can bring to bear on life, circumstance, events, and on environment with the intuition.
The light of the intuition unfolds before the vision of the soul within the personality, the nature of God and the unity of the Whole. The restlessness of material desire, seeking its satisfaction in the three worlds, eventually gives place to aspiration towards soul contact and soul life. This in its turn is recognised as a step towards those great fundamental experiences to which we give the names of the five major initiations.
A pause in which the whole man braces himself for the work to be done. From a profound pre-occupation with the stage of soul contact and initial preparation he now focusses his attentive mind upon the glamour to be eradicated. This does not involve a consciousness of the glamour and its why and wherefore.
Glamour: A World Problem , SECTION THREE – THE ENDING OF GLAMOUR – Part 2
First he, as a disciple, has to learn to work within the framework of his blending soul-personality. This task at first takes the form of character building and disciplining (whilst upon the Probationary Path), of a struggle to see, of an endeavour to make a continuity of his soul contact. Finally, this leads to the beginning of the stage of soul and personality merging and at this point he steps upon the Path of Discipleship, technically understood.
Rays and The Initiations , RULE EIGHT
They prevent realisation of that which lies beyond the room or area of average or mediocre experience, and they prevent the light from penetrating. The work of the three Sons of God referred to above is not concerned with the rending of the veils of their own interior life and forces, thus bringing about soul contact unimpeded and dear, or with the illumination of experience upon the physical plane. That had long ago been effected in these special and individual cases.
Rays and The Initiations , RULE TEN – Part 1
Hence the difficulty with which you are all faced, and the arduous task it is to comprehend realistically that which I am attempting to convey. The problem of soul contact is something which you can and do grasp, at least theoretically. The problem of life transference from the highest point of present attainment into some vague and mystical spiritual focus is not so easy to understand.
Rays and The Initiations , RULE ELEVEN
I am considering something far different to all these factors which are regarded as automatic and necessarily present. I refer to that which is the result of all of them, just as they in their turn are the result of soul contact. I refer to effects wrought out in the group owing to the present and factual nature of the monadic control which is taking place increasingly.
Rays and The Initiations , RULE THIRTEEN – Part 1
Transmutation—the method whereby that which is lower is absorbed by the higher, whereby force is transmuted into energy, whereby the energy of the three lower centres is carried up into the three higher centres (head, heart and throat) and which later enables the initiate to centralise all the energies in the three directing centres in the head. This transmuting process goes forward under the pressure of daily life experience, under the magnetic effect of soul contact, and as the inevitable result of evolution itself. All these three spiritualising processes are well known, in theory at least, to all spiritual aspirants; they are expressions of soul-personality intention and effective interplay; they also constitute a paralleling activity to the task of building the antahkarana, as modes of alignment play a large part in the process of transmutation.
Perhaps I can convey to you something of what I mean by pointing out that the circle with the point at the centre is symbolic of the perfected man. He is rounded out; he is inclusive both vertically (soul contact) and horizontally (human relationship), yet he stands at the centre of his consciousness and of its self-imposed ring-pass-not. From thence he never moves, but is aware all the time of all that proceeds within his sphere of influence.
Rays and The Initiations , RULE THIRTEEN – Part 2
He is, however, occupied with the sequence of activities which I will list as follows: 1. The preservation of hierarchical contact, of which direct, conscious soul contact is now an incident because it is now a habit. 2.
Men are apt to confuse vision and revelation, and I seek to clarify your minds somewhat on this matter; therefore, the preceding sentence is of major importance. Aspirants are prone to think that the goal towards which they move is that of soul contact, with a secondary goal of hierarchical position, and a third goal of service. This, however, is not correct.
Rays and The Initiations , RULE FOURTEEN – Part 1
2. The second function is to enable those who are making definite soul contact, reorienting themselves and nearing the periphery of the Ashram, to absorb with profit the radiation of the Hierarchy. I would like at this point to refer back to the time sense in relation to the Hierarchy and its work, to which I referred a few pages back.
Rays and The Initiations , SECTION ONE – THE ASPIRANT AND THE MYSTERIES OF INITIATION – Part 2
I have told you in earlier writings that basically the astral plane is non-existent as a part of the divine Plan; it is fundamentally the product of glamour, of kama-manas—a glamour which humanity itself has created and in which it has lived practically entirely since early Atlantean days. The effect of an increasing soul contact has not simply been to dispel the mists of glamour, but it has also served to consolidate and to bring into effective use, therefore, the imagination with its overwhelmingly powerful creative faculty. This creative energy, when implemented by an illumined mind (with its thoughtform making ability), is then wielded by the disciple in order to make contacts higher than with the soul, and to bring into symbolic form that of which he becomes aware through the medium of a line of energy—the antahkarana—which he is steadily and scientifically creating.
This Spiritual Triad in its turn has been exerting an increasingly magnetic effect upon the personality. This begins at the time of the first conscious soul contact. The response of the Triad is transmitted necessarily, in this early stage, via the sutratma and produces inevitably the awakening of the head centre.
The man now stands, holding the mind steady in the light; he has some knowledge of meditation, much devotion, and also recognition of the next step. Knowledge of process gradually becomes clearer; a growing soul contact is established; occasional flashes of intuitive perception from the Triad occur. All these recognitions are not present in the case of every disciple; some are present; some are not.
Individual application and future realisation have to be worked out by the disciple in the crucible of experience. The goal towards which the average disciple has worked in the past has been soul contact, leading eventually to what has been called “hierarchical inclusion. ” The reward of the disciple’s effort has been admittance into the Ashram of some Master, increased opportunity to serve in the world, and also the taking of certain initiations.
” The reward of the disciple’s effort has been admittance into the Ashram of some Master, increased opportunity to serve in the world, and also the taking of certain initiations. The goal towards which higher disciples are working involves not only soul contact as its primary objective (for that has to some measure been attained), but the building of the bridge from the personality to the Spiritual Triad, with consequent monadic realisation and the opening up to the initiate of the Way to the Higher Evolution in its various branches and with its differing goals and objectives. The distinction (I said not “difference,” and would have you note this) between the two ways can be seen in the following listed comparisons: Desire—Aspiration Mind—Projection The 1st and 2nd Initiations The 3rd and 4th Initiations Universal Love and Intuition Universal Will and Mind The Path of Light The Way of the Higher Evolution The Point of Contact The Antahkarana or Bridge The Plan The Purpose The Three Layers of the Egoic Petals The Spiritual Triad The Hierarchy Shamballa The Master’s Ashram The Council Chamber The Seven Paths The Seven Paths In reality, you have here the two major approaches to God or to the Divine Whole, both merging at the time of the fifth initiation in the one Way, which in itself combines all Ways.
Rays and The Initiations , SECTION ONE – THE ASPIRANT AND THE MYSTERIES OF INITIATION – Part 5
2. Recognising and reacting to soul contact and control. 3.
It is essentially, however, an activity of the integrated and dedicated personality. Esotericists must not take the position that all they have to do is to await negatively some activity by the soul which will automatically take place after a certain measure of soul contact has been achieved, and that consequently and in time this activity will evoke response both from the personality and the Triad. This is not the case.
Rays and The Initiations , SECTION ONE – THE ASPIRANT AND THE MYSTERIES OF INITIATION – Part 6
This process falls into two parts: An intensification of the personality life, so that it is developed to its highest individualistic powers. A process of moving forward into the light and of conscious soul contact. This involves the earlier stage of the alignment process, which is a mode of focussed, concentrated effort, according to the ray and life purpose of the soul.
2. Register consciousness of soul contact, thus bringing about an increasing fusion between the soul and the personality, so that complete at-one-ment is increasingly attained. Technically, this means that the energy of the soul ray and of the personality ray merge together, with the soul ray dominating always.
It is therefore formed eventually of seven strands or streams of energy coming from the seven egoic groups (one group of each ray type). To this bridge the creative work of all human beings who reach the stage of soul contact contributes. Their dominant strands of light fuse into one whole and their lesser strands are lost to sight in the radiant light of the sevenfold bridge which humanity will eventually complete.
Rays and The Initiations , SECTION ONE – THE ASPIRANT AND THE MYSTERIES OF INITIATION – Part 7
In the early stages of the impact of sixth ray energy upon his emotional nature a perfect vortex of force is generated, his emotional reactions are violent and compelling, his glamours are intensified and controlling, and his aspiration steadily mounts, but is at the same time limited and hindered by the strength of his devotion to some sensed ideology. Later, under the influence of an increasing soul contact (itself the second aspect of his essential divinity), his emotional, kamic and aspirational nature becomes quieter and is more controlled through the agency of the mind; his alignment becomes astral-mental-soul. When this state of consciousness has been achieved and the “waters” of the astral body are quiet and can reflect the beautiful and the true, and when his emotions have been purified by intense self-effort, then the disciple can step into the baptismal waters; he is then subjected to an intense purificatory experience which, occultly speaking, enables him “for ever to step out of the waters and be no longer in danger of drowning or of submergence”; he can now “walk on the surface of the sea and with safety proceed onward towards his goal.
Rays and The Initiations , SECTION TWO – THE ASPIRANT AND THE MAJOR INITIATIONS – Part 2
These are two aspects of soul light which the individual light in the head has revealed. That soul light which the initiate has been aware of from the first moment of soul contact, and at rapidly decreasing intervals, is created by the fusion of the light of the soul with the light of substance itself, and is the inevitable and automatic consequence of the purification of the three vehicles and of creative meditation. We are told in the world Scriptures that “in that light shall we see Light”; and it is to this other Light that I now refer—a light which is only to be perceived when the door is shut behind the initiate.
Rays and The Initiations , RULE THREE
2. Through the door of initiation humanity passes to spiritual vision, leading to soul contact and spiritual impression. 3.
Telepathy And The Etheric Vehicle , SECTION ONE – TEACHING ON TELEPATHY – Part 2
Intuitional telepathy begins to manifest increasingly among advanced human beings in all lands and all races. This indicates soul contact and the consequent awakening of group consciousness, for sensitivity to intuitional impressions has to do only with group concerns. This Science of Contact governs relations within our entire planetary life and includes, for instance, the rapport being established between humanity and the domesticated animals.
Impressions from the soul, which are translated into concepts and written down by the personality; the recipient is deeply impressed by the relatively high vibration which accompanies them, forgetting that the vibration of the soul is that of a Master, for the soul is a Master on its own plane. These are true soul impressions but usually have in them nothing new or of major importance; they are, again, the result of past ages of soul development (as far as the personality is concerned); they are, therefore, that which an awakening personality has contributed to the soul of the good, the true and the beautiful, plus that which has entered into the personality consciousness as a result of soul contact. This accounts for eight percent (8%) of the writings and communications put before the general public by aspirants today.
Telepathy And The Etheric Vehicle , SECTION ONE – TEACHING ON TELEPATHY – Part 3
There are several ways in which such prevision can — during the next three centuries — be developed in the race of men: 1. Through the development of soul contact among the advanced members of the race. This contact will relate soul knowledge with brain impression and, if the meditating factor of the mind is duly trained and controlled, there will be a correct foreknowledge of individual destiny and coming events.
At this time there are a vast number of souls in incarnation whose personality rays are either the sixth or the third. They condition the coming civilisation outstandingly including all educational and financial enterprises, just as the influence of those who have soul contact and can express soul quality condition and determine the current culture. c.
The Destiny of the Nations , The Influence of the Rays Today. – Part 1
Nothing from any quarter causes the Christ to deviate from His planned purpose; just in so far as His purposes coincide with your soul purpose, move outward into a wider field of service. If you feel no response to world need and no call to serve, then beware and seek a deeper measure of soul contact and spiritual relationship. Every word spoken or written at this time by an aspirant or a disciple is of a definite potency—either good or bad.
This is due to the fact that the trend of the human consciousness is (if I might so express it) away from the emotional to the mental levels of consciousness, and this, as far as the masses are concerned, will go on increasing. The time has now come when there are enough people to be found who—having themselves made the religious and the mental approaches to truth definite factors in their consciousness in some small measure, and having established enough soul contact so that they can begin to touch the world of ideas (upon the intuitional levels of consciousness)—can employ a new technique. Together and as a group they can become sensitive to the incoming new ideas which it is intended should condition the new age that is upon us; together and as a group they can establish the ideals and develop the techniques and methods of the new schools of thought which will determine the new culture; together and as a group they can bring these ideas and ideals into the consciousness of the masses, so that schools of thought and world religions can be blended into one, and the new civilisation can emerge.
They are a bridging group, bridging between the negative mass of mankind and the positive agency of the Hierarchy. That is the reason why, in these groups, emphasis is laid upon service because that embodies response to the mass and its need, and upon soul contact because that embodies response to the world of souls, as typified for us in the occult Hierarchy. 3.
4. Those healers whose soul contact is established and who work through the souls of people, enabling them therefore: a. To stand in spiritual being b.
The Externalisation Of The Hierarchy , SECTION ONE – INTRODUCTORY REMARKS – Part 2
They will work on earth as high grade personalities, under the impact of strong motives which emanate from the soul in response to impression from the Ashram, but of this, in their physical brains, they know nothing and care less. Part of their effectiveness in service is due to the fact that they are not preoccupied with soul contact and with the idea of academic service. Their eyes are on the job to be done, their hearts are with their fellowmen, and their heads are busy with methods, techniques and practices which will raise the entire level of endeavour in their chosen field.
Hence their inevitable success. Disciples who are intensely interested in personal responsiveness to the soul, who work diligently at the problem of soul contact, who are busy with the art of serving consciously and who make service a goal, who are keenly alive to the fact of the Ashram and to the Master, will not be asked to do this work of preparing for the externalisation of the Hierarchy. Advanced disciples who are stabilised in the Ashram, and who are so used to the Master that He assumes in their consciousness no undue prominence, can be trusted to work along right lines in the world and do the work of preparation.
It is immaterial from the standpoint of the soul whether its reflection, man in incarnation, is happy or not, blissful or sad, contented or in trouble. Only one thing matters, the attainment of soul contact, the arriving at union (conscious and intelligent) with the One. This union may work out in the physical plane consciousness as a sense of peace and joy; it must work out in increased capacity to serve the race and to serve it more efficiently.
The Light Of The Soul , BOOK IV. – ILLUMINATION – Part 2
Most of the schools, which belong to the old order, have ignored the stage of personality integration and of trained knowledge of life in the three worlds in which the beginner should be instructed. Instead, they have held out to the beginner the tempting prospect of contact with a Master and a Master’s group, and this before he was even a coordinated person, when he hardly merited the word “intelligent” and before he had any soul contact. Emphasis was, and is, laid upon devotion—devotion to the teacher at the centre of the group, devotion to the truths enunciated by the teacher, devotion to the Master, plus a fixed determination to merit the title of “disciple” and so be able, some day, to say, “I know this Master or that.
An esoteric school is one in which the relation of the soul, the spiritual man, to the personality is taught. It is the major line of approach to the student, and soul contact becomes his first great endeavour. He comes to know himself and struggles to work as a conscious soul and not just as an active personality.
The Unfinished Autobiography , I. Some Definitions of Esotericism
People respond to the note sounded and to the truths taught, and the influence of the group steadily increases until the disciple finds himself responsible for a group of aspirants. According to the measure of his soul contact, his sensitive response to the Master’s suggestions and the impression of the Ashram with which he is affiliated will be the strength and usefulness of the group with which he works. Little by little he will gather around him those who can help in the teaching, and upon the wisdom and the discrimination which he shows in his choice of helpers will largely depend the success of his service.
The Unfinished Autobiography , II. How an Esoteric School Is Formed
The belief in the Masters was a closely guarded secret; now They are discussed from public platforms in all our great cities. The way of meditation and its techniques were closely guarded subjects and the public was taught that such teachings were dangerous; today, this idea is exploded and scores of people throughout the world meditate, make alignment and arrive at soul contact and knowledge. The truth has also been veiled and hidden by a vast body of secondary teaching which has sidetracked the interest of the enquirer, and engrossed his attention through the importance attached to phenomena.
The Unfinished Autobiography , III. The Truths Taught in the True Esoteric Schools
You are welcome to post your comments and understanding of of soul contact.
Also see:
Alice A. Bailey – What is a Law?
Alice A. Bailey on Krishnamurti
Alice A. Bailey on Brotherhood
The Antichrist of Alice A. Bailey
Alice A. Bailey, The Mark of the Beast, And 666
Alice A. Bailey on Homosexuality