Arvindus

Ageless Wisdom

Triplicities in Man

Content

Introduction

In this contemplation shall the major triplicities in man be figured out and named. To be able to put them in a wider perspective however shall be started with some considerations on a more primal triplicity.

Unity, Duality and Triplicity

The wisdom teaching of Alice Bailey departs from the unity of an at the base of everything lying boundless, unchanging and unmanifested principle.1 This one principle is inexpressible but in the wisdom teaching is inferred to it with terms as for instance 'Absolute Reality' or 'the one Life'. This one principle is symbolized in figure 1 with a transparent diamond.

The one principle

Figure 1.

This as unity unmanifested unknowable principle is in manifestation known as a duality.2 This duality then regards spirit and matter, father and mother principle or life and form. This duality is symbolized in figure 2 as a white and a black triangle of a polarized diamond. In this symbolizes the white triangle spirit and the black triangle matter.

Duality of spirit and matter

Figure 2.

When the two dual aspects are not reduced to their unity but are brought together without losing themselves as duality then a third aspect comes to being.3 This third aspect regards within the aforementioned dualities then consciousness, son principle or realisation.4 This bringing together of the duality which brings a third aspect to being is symbolized in figure 3 with a white and a black triangle that overlap each other, with which they bring about a grey hexagon.

Triplicity of spirit, consciousness and matter

Figure 3.

Triplicity Symbolized in the Colors of the Guṇas

Taking in account that the three guṇas from Hinduism reflect the above triplicity can the symbolism be worked out more accurate by applying the colors of the guṇas (white, red and black)5 to figure 3.This we see in figure 4. The triangle in the color white (corresponding with sattva) symbolizes spirit. The triangle in the color black (corresponding with tamas) symbolizes matter. The hexagon in the color red (corresponding with rajas) has its place there where the triangles of spirit and matter unify with each other and symbolizes as such consciousness. This triplicity is contained within a frame in the color gold (corresponding with nirguṇa) which as such symbolizes the one unmanifested principle.

Triplicity symbolized in the colors of the guṇas

Figure 4.

Triplicity Symbolized in the Colors of the Three Aspect Rays

The three aspect rays from the wisdom teachings of Alice Bailey are there thematized as as the three main rays of the seven rays.6 These three aspect rays can also be considered as reflections of the primary triplicity. Also in the teachings of The Summit Lighthouse of Elisabeth Claire Prophet take the seven rays an important place, but among other things do in the assigning of colors the teachings of Alice Bailey and those of The Summit Lighthouse not correspond with each other. In this paragraph shall an adaption of the oral and visual conveyed teachings on ray colors of Frank de Badriyahé be given. These edited ray colors we see applied to the primary triplicity in figure 5. The triangle in the color blue (corresponding with the first ray of wil or power) symbolizes spirit. The triangle in the color yellow (corresponding with the third ray of active intelligence) symbolizes matter. And the hexagon in the color rose (corresponding with the second ray of love-wisdom) symbolizes consciousness.

Triplicity symbolized in the colors of the three aspect rays

Figure 5.

Triplicities in Man

The above mentioned triplicity of polar opposed aspects with their by union produced aspect of balance can be found in all forms of manifestation. In the solar system for instance is this triplicity seen in that of spirit, soul and matter. In the atom the triplicity is recognized in the proton, the neutron and the electron. And in man is this triplicity present as spirit, soul and body, or as the so called monad, the ego and the personality.7 Figures 3, 4 and 5 then can also stand symbol for the threefold man.

Every aspect of the human triplicity can according to the wisdom teaching of Alice Bailey again be divided into a triplicity. The monad or pure spirit is thought to consist of will or power, love-wisdom and active intelligence.8 The ego or soul on its turn is thought to consist of spiritual will, intuition and higher or abstract mind.9 In Eastern terms are these three also named 'ātma, buddhi and buddhi-manas'. The personality to end with is thought to consist of the lower or concrete mind or of the mental body (with the corresponding Eastern term 'kāma-manas'), the emotional or astral body and the physical body (consisting of the dense physical and the subtle physical or etheric body).10 All these triplicities or threefolds can be considered as reflections of the great triplicity of spirit, consciousness and matter.

The three triplicities of man can schematically be depicted as in figure 6. To indicate the connections and reflections of triplicities are the same colors used as in the previous paragraph.

Monad / Spirit Will / Power
Love-Wisdom
Active Intelligence
Ego / Soul Ātma / Spiritual Will
Buddhi / Intuition
Buddhi-Manas / Higher or Abstract Mind
Personality / Body Kāma-Manas / Lower or Concrete Mind / Mental Body
Emotional Body / Astral Body
Dense Physical body and Subtle or Etheric Body

Figure 6.

With figure 6 we then also find the completion of our short contemplation on the major triplicities in man.

Notes
  1. Alice A. Bailey, A Treatise on Cosmic Fire, in: Twenty-Four Books of Esoteric Philosophy, (CD-ROM, Release 3), Lucis Trust, London / New York, 2001, p. 3. "There is one Boundless Immutable Principle; one Absolute Reality which, antecedes all manifested conditioned Being. It is beyond the range and reach of any human thought or expression."
  2. Alice A. Bailey, A Treatise on White Magic, in: Twenty-Four Books of Esoteric Philosophy, (CD-ROM, Release 3), Lucis Trust, London / New York, 2001, p. 8. "This duality which is seen when objectivity is present and which disappears when the form aspect vanishes is covered by many terms, of which for the sake of clarity, the most usual might be here listed:
    Spirit Matter
    Life Form
    Father Mother
    Positive Negative
    Darkness Light"
  3. Ibidem, p. 8. "The second postulate grows out of the first and states that the one Life, manifesting through matter, produces a third factor which is consciousness."
  4. A Treatise on Cosmic Fire, p. 243-244. "Consciousness expresses that which might be regarded as the middle point in manifestation. It does not involve entirely the pole of Spirit. It is produced by the union of the two poles, and the process of interplay and of adaptation that necessarily ensues. It might be tabulated as follows, in an effort to clarify by visualisation:
    First Pole The Point of Union Second Pole
    First Logos Second Logos Third Logos.
    Mahadeva Vishnu Brahma.
    Will Wisdom-Love Active Intelligence.
    Spirit Consciousness Matter.
    Father Son Mother.
    Monad Ego Personality.
    The Self The relation between The Not-Self.
    The Knower Knowledge The Known.
    Life Realisation Form."
  5. Sri Ramakrishna, in: Mahendranath Gupta, Swami Nikhilananda (translator), The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, Volume II, Sri Ramakrishna Math, Chennai, p. 769. "The scriptures describe sattva as white, rajas as red, and tamas as black."
  6. Alice A. Bailey, Letters on Occult Meditation, in: Twenty-Four Books of Esoteric Philosophy, (CD-ROM, Release 3), Lucis Trust, London / New York, 2001, p. 358-359. "The seven Rays can be divided into the three Rays of Aspect and the four Rays of Attribute, as follows:
    Rays of Aspect
    1. The Ray of Will, or Power.
    2. The Ray of Love-Wisdom.
    3. The Ray of Activity or Adaptability.
    Rays of Attribute
    4. The Ray of Harmony, Beauty, Art, or Unity.
    5. The Ray of Concrete Knowledge or Science.
    6. The Ray of Abstract Idealism or Devotion.
    7. The Ray of Ceremonial Magic, or Law."
  7. A Treatise on Cosmic Fire, p. 4-5. "These three aspects of the Whole are present in every form.
    a. The solar system is triple, manifesting through the three above mentioned.
    b. A human being is equally triple, manifesting as Spirit, Soul and Body, or Monad, Ego and Personality.
    c. The atom of the scientist is also triple, being composed of a positive nucleus, the negative electrons, and the totality of the outer manifestation, the result of the relation of the other two."
  8. Letters on Occult Meditation, p. 0. "I. The Monad, or pure Spirit, the Father in Heaven.
    This aspect reflects the three aspects of the Godhead:
    1. Will or Power The Father.
    2. Love-wisdom The Son.
    3. Active Intelligence The Holy Spirit.
  9. Ibidem. "II. The Ego, Higher Self, or Individuality.
    This aspect is potentially :—
    1. Spiritual Will Atma
    2. Intuition Buddic, Love-Wisdom, the Christ principle.
    3. Higher or abstract Mind Higher Manas."
  10. Ibidem. "III.The Personality, or lower self, physical plane man.
    This aspect is also threefold
    1.A mental body lower manas.
    2.An emotional body astral body.
    3.A physical body the dense physical and the etheric body."
Bibliography
  • Alice A. Bailey, A Treatise on White Magic, in: Twenty-Four Books of Esoteric Philosophy, (CD-ROM, Release 3), Lucis Trust, London / New York, 2001.
  • Alice A. Bailey, A Treatise on Cosmic Fire, in: Twenty-Four Books of Esoteric Philosophy, (CD-ROM, Release 3), Lucis Trust, London / New York, 2001.
  • Alice A. Bailey, Letters on Occult Meditation, in: Twenty-Four Books of Esoteric Philosophy, (CD-ROM, Release 3), Lucis Trust, London / New York, 2001.
  • Mahendranath Gupta, Swami Nikhilananda (translator), The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, Volume II, Sri Ramakrishna Math, Chennai.