HPB-SD(ed.1) v.1 p.1 st.7 sl.3: Difference between revisions

(''a'') “ When the one becomes two, the three-fold appears ” : to wit, when the One Eternal drops its reflection into the region of Manifestation, that reflection, “ the Ray,” differentiates the “ Water of Space ” ; or, in the words of the “ Book of the Dead ” ; “ Chaos ceases, through the effulgence of the Ray of Primordial light dissipating total darkness by the help of the great magic power of the word of the (Central) Sun.” Chaos becomes male-female, and Water, incubated through Light, and the “ three-fold being issues as its First-born.” “ Osiris-Ptah (or {{Style S-Small capitals|ra}}) creates his own limbs (like Brahmâ) by creating the gods destined to personify his phases ” during the Cycle (xvii., 4). The Egyptian Ra, issuing from the deep, is the Divine Universal Soul in its manifested aspect, and so is Narâyana, the Purusha, “ ''concealed in Akâsa and present in Ether.''” This is the metaphysical explanation, and refers to the very beginning of Evolution, or, as we should rather say, of Theogony. The meaning of the Stanza when explained from another standpoint in its reference to the mystery of man and his origin, is still more difficult to comprehend. In order to form a clear conception of what is meant by the One becoming two, and then being transformed into the “ three-fold,” the student has to make himself thoroughly acquainted with what we call “ Rounds.” If he refers to “ Esoteric Buddhism ” — the first attempt to sketch out an approximate outline of archaic Cosmogony — he will find that by a “ Round ” is meant the serial evolution of nascent material nature, of the seven globes of our chain * with their mineral,

<nowiki>*</nowiki> Several inimical critics are anxious to prove that no seven principles of man nor septenary constitution of our chain were taught in our earlier volume, “&nbsp;Isis Unveiled.” Though in that work the doctrine could only be hinted at, there are many passages, nevertheless, in which the septenary constitution of both man and chain is openly mentioned. Speaking of the Elohim in Vol. II., page 420, it is said&nbsp;: “&nbsp;They remain over the seventh heaven (or spiritual world), for it is they who, according to the Kabalists, formed in succession the six material worlds, or rather, attempts at worlds that preceded our own, which, they say, is the seventh.” Our globe is, of course, upon the diagram representing the “&nbsp;chain,” the seventh and the lowest&nbsp;; though,

{{Style P-No indent|as the evolution on these globes is cyclic, it is the fourth in descending the arc of matter. And again, on page 367, Vol. II., it is written&nbsp;: “&nbsp;In the Egyptian notions, ''as in those of all other faiths founded on philosophy'', man was not merely . . . an union of soul and body&nbsp;; he was a trinity when spirit was added to it&nbsp;; and besides that doctrine made him consist of body, astral form, or shadow, the animal soul, the higher soul, and terrestrial intelligence and a sixth principle, etc., etc.&nbsp;—&nbsp;the seventh&nbsp;—&nbsp;{{Style S-Small capitals|Spirit}}.” So clearly are these principles mentioned, that even in the ''Index'', one finds on page 683&nbsp;:&nbsp;—&nbsp; “&nbsp;Six principles of man&nbsp;”&nbsp;—&nbsp;the seventh being the synthesis of the six, and ''not a principle ''but a ray of the Absolute {{Style S-Small capitals|All}}&nbsp;—&nbsp;in strict truth.}}