Third. The 7 incarnations. These are those passed upon the Probationary Path. This is an interesting period in which certain things are effected which might be described in the following terms:
The two outer rings of petals are stimulated in a new and special sense through the conscious act of the probationary disciple. Much of the work hitherto has been pursued under the ordinary laws of evolution and has been unconscious. Now all that changes as the mental body becomes active, and two of the will petals are coordinated, and one "awakes" vitality and unfolds.
The fire or energy from these two rings begins to circulate along the atomic triangle and when this is the case it marks a very momentous epoch; a dual work has been consummated in the personal lower life and in the egoic:
The permanent atoms have the four lower spirillae fully active (two groups of two each) and the fifth is in process of arousement into equal activity. The triangle is in circulatory action but has not yet achieved its full brightness nor its rotary or fourth dimensional revolution.
The two circles of petals are "awake," one being wide open and the other on the verge of opening.
Thus in the life of the probationer two aspects of the divine life are making themselves apparent, and though as yet much remains to be done, nevertheless when the inner circle of petals is awakened - through the instrumentality of the curious and abnormal process of initiation - the remaining aspect will be brought into similar prominence, and produce the perfected man in the three [829] worlds. Thus is the work of the Solar Pitris consummated.
The fact of the abnormality of the process of initiation must here be emphasized.
Initiation is in the nature of a great experiment which our planetary Logos is making during this round. In earlier and perhaps in later rounds the whole process will follow natural law. In this round and on this chain, our planetary Logos on His high level is what is esoterically called "sitting for yoga," and is definitely undergoing certain processes of training in order to stimulate His centers. This fact is being taken advantage of by the Hierarchy on Earth to produce certain results in the races under Their guidance. The whole process is optional, and a man may - if he so choose - follow the normal process, and take aeons of time to effect what some are choosing to do in a briefer period, through a self-chosen forcing process.
At the termination of the 777 incarnations, a man passes through the door of initiation and enters upon a brief synthesizing process, or a final period in which he garners the fruits of the experience in the two first halls, and transmutes knowledge into wisdom, transforms the shadow of things seen into the energy of that which is, and achieves the final liberation from all the lower forms which seek to hold him prisoner. This period of initiation itself is divided into seven stages, but only five of these concern the evolution of the Ego, just as the five Kumaras concern primarily the evolution of Humanity in the system and on this planet. Thus again we have the four exoteric Kumaras, of Whom two fell, and the three esoteric, of whom One gathers the life forces of the four exoteric, making with Them the five above mentioned. The student must study this question from the point of view of energy or life force, considering it from the aspect of polarity and of the mystic marriage, from [830] the comprehension of the real meaning of the sex relation, of the meeting and merging of the pairs of opposites, and the work of the one who synthesizes where every type of energy is concerned. For instance:
The Ego synthesizes or gathers in the life forces of the fourfold lower man.
The Mahachohan's Ray on Earth synthesizes the life forces of the lower four. This Ray is the third subray of our planetary Ray.
The third major Ray of the solar system blends the minor four.
The fifth Kumara blends and unites in Himself the work of the lower four.
The reflection of all this in the Microcosm can be studied by the man who understands how the physical body is the vehicle of all the principles.