Arvindus

Ageless Wisdom

The Third Ray: The Ray of Pain

  • Title: Ageless Wisdom, The Third Ray: The Ray of Pain.
  • Author: Arvindus.
  • Publisher: Arvindus.
  • Copyright: Arvindus, 2024, all rights reserved.
  • Index: 202406201.
  • Edition: html, first edition.

Content

§

The ageless wisdom considers seven different rays, being the source of seven different types of human consciousness.1 Thereby the rays four, five, six and seven are considered to find their synthesis in the third ray, leading to the conception of three primary rays that are also called 'rays of aspect' (in distinction with the four aforementioned secondary rays, being called 'rays of attribute').2 Basically manifestation can be considered both as being sevenfold and threefold, and in this contemplation we shall focus on the latter.3 We shall focus here on the three primary rays, being the first ray of power, will or purpose, the second ray of love-wisdom and the third ray of active, creative intelligence or adaptability.4

These three rays have a peculiar relation to the threefold of spirit, consciousness and matter, or to the monad, the soul and the personality. The first ray reflects the power of spirit, the second ray the love-wisdom of the soul and the third ray the adaptability of matter.5 This does not mean that all first ray humans live as monads, second ray humans as souls and third ray humans as personalities, but it does mean that (at the time of opportunity) first ray humans are more easily influenced by their monad, second ray humans by their soul and third ray humans by their personality. For these are their 'lines of least resistance'.6 It is therefore that the third ray human evolves slow and the first ray human quick.7 The first ray human spears towards bliss, the second ray human spirals through joy and the third ray human rotates within pleasures.8, 9 The first tends to travel through life spearing triumphs, the second expanding realisations and the third gathering gains. By the divinities the demands of the first will be easily yielded, the prayers of the second answered and the wishes of the third ignored.10, 11, 12

Now pleasure, the innate goal of the third ray human, is always paired with its opposite of pain,13, 14 and thus pain will always be an important aspect of the life experience of the third ray human who still rotates within the world of his personality. The third ray of active, creative intelligence or adaptability can thus also easily be called 'the ray of pain'.

That the third ray can be called 'the ray of pain' is supported by a couple of specific findings in the ageless wisdom. Explicitly for instance creative intelligence (which belongs to the third ray)15 is mentioned as related to response through pain.16 (The aimed result of pain, beauty, is related to the fourth ray of harmony through conflict).17, 18 In the former solar system of our solar logos, which was a third ray system, pain was present as a seed, and in the present solar system that pain has come to fruition due to the material residue of the former system being contained in the present.19, 20, 21

Specifically on our earth pain was inherited from the previous incarnation of our planetary logos, being the moon, which was his third incarnation and which was dominated by the third ray.22, 23 Within our solar system our earth as a third ray planet is then known as a sphere of pain.24, 25, 26 And Saturn, the other third ray planet in our solar system, is also known as such.27, 28

On a racial or religious scale the Jews can be mentioned, who as a whole on the personality level are ruled also by the third ray, and in who's experience suffering plays an important role.29, 30, 31 Their god, Jhwh, regards basically the third ray planet Saturn, and it is no coincidence that Jhwh is worshipped on the sabbath of Saturday, being Saturn day.32

Now Jesus of Nazareth or Jesus Christ was also a Jew, and according to some even the king of the Jews, and it is then no wonder why he suffered so much.33, 34, 35 But it was his personality, his Jewish form, that suffered. Inwardly joy and bliss were his.36, 37 It is this Jewish form of Jesus on which Christianity has laid too much emphasis throughout the ages, and therefore his suffering has been given so much attention in this religion.38, 39 Perhaps it is proper to state that too much attention has been given to the third ray Jesus and too little to the second ray Christ.40

Something similar can be seen in the case of Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha, and Buddhism, for the Buddha was basically an embodiment of the third ray.41 It is no wonder then that in his teachings the 'first noble truth' regards that of suffering and that Buddhistic practices are directed at the escape of the endless cycle of suffering in birth, decay and death, directed at the escape of 'samsara'42, 43, 44 (which on itself reflects the endless rotary movement of the third ray).

The above may perhaps sound somewhat painful for the third ray reader, but this only proves the point that is being made: that the third ray is the ray of pain. There are however also words of comfort. Firstly it is so that the average third ray human is at home in the world. He experiences not only pain but also pleasure in an apparent endless cycle. The true pain hits in when the spiritual path is trodden and the world does not enchant him anymore in the same measure. He then starts to experience how great the resistance of matter is and how strong the material grip on his constitution. He sees his first and second ray brothers and sisters spear ahead and expand while his own spiritual development moves at a slow pace. However when the initial stages of the path have been left behind and he actually learns to control, still and concentrate his mind his evolution greatly speeds up.45, 46, 47

The third ray human needs to learn stillness and concentration, however the first ray human needs to learn inclusion.48 It can be induced that where the third ray human moves slow at the beginning of the path but speeds up towards the end, the first ray human moves fast at the beginning but slows down towards the end. For after having one pointedly pierced triumph after triumph, he then still needs to learn to widen his views towards his surroundings.

Further it must also not be forgotten that humans of all ray types live on this third ray planet Earth and that thus all get their share of pain. And also it must be remembered that humans of all ray types live within a second ray solar system and that all receive thus their share of joy, also third ray humans.49

May then the possible pain felt by the third ray aspirant rather serve as an encouragement to become still and one pointed to move thus faster forward.

Notes
  1. 'Ageless Wisdom, The Seven Rays (Summarized)', Index: 202308011.
  2. Ibidem.
  3. Alice A. Bailey, Esoteric Astrology, A Treatise on the Seven Rays, Volume III, in: Twenty-Four Books of Esoteric Philosophy, (CD-ROM, Release 3), Lucis Trust, London / New York, 2001, p. 608. "As you know, from a study of The Secret Doctrine, our solar system is a tiny reflection or replica of the 1, the 3, the 7, the 12."
  4. Nota 1.
  5. Alice A. Bailey, Esoteric Psychology, Volume I, A Treatise on the Seven Rays, Volume I, in: Twenty-Four Books of Esoteric Philosophy, (CD-ROM), Lucis Trust, London / New York, 2001, p. 162.
    "Ray I Power Life Ideas The Monad
    Ray II Love-Wisdom Consciousness Ideals The Soul
    Ray III Active Intelligence Appearance Idols Personality"
  6. Benjamin Creme, The Ageless Wisdom Teaching, An introduction to humanity's spiritual legacy, Share International Foundation, London, 2006, p. 14. "A knowledge of one's rays provides an insight into one's strengths and limitations, one's line of least resistance in this life, and also an understanding of the bridges and the barriers between oneself and others."
  7. Alice A. Bailey, Esoteric Psychology, Volume II, A Treatise on the Seven Rays, Volume II, in: Twenty-Four Books of Esoteric Philosophy, (CD-ROM), Lucis Trust, London / New York, 2001, p. 361. "The third ray aspirant is always slower to learn than the second ray, just as the first ray aspirant learns more rapidly than the second ray."
  8. 'Contemplaties, An Esoteric Interpretation of Rembrandt's Philosopher in Meditation', Index: 201307081, The Helix Spiral. "In esotericism these two movements are related to matter (rotary movement) and spirit (forward movement) which when combined bring a third given into being, namely consciousness (spiraling movement)."
  9. Alice A. Bailey, A Treatise on White Magic, in: Twenty-Four Books of Esoteric Philosophy, (CD-ROM), Lucis Trust, London / New York, 2001, p. 369. "It is helpful to differentiate between happiness, joy and bliss:
    First, happiness, which has its seat in the emotions, and is a personality reaction.
    Second, joy, which is a quality of the soul and is realised in the mind, when alignment takes place.
    Third, bliss, which is the nature of the Spirit and about which speculation is fruitless until the soul realises its oneness with the Father."
  10. Esoteric Psychology, Volume I, p. 412.
    "Ray I Force Energy Action The Occultist
    Ray II Consciousness Expansion Initiation The true Psychic
    Ray III Adaption Development Evolution The Magician […]."
  11. Alice A. Bailey, Glamour: A World Problem, in: Twenty-Four Books of Esoteric Philosophy, (CD-ROM, Release 3), Lucis Trust, London / New York, 2001, p. 160. "Will humanity's third ray materialistic personality dominate the present situation […]?"
  12. Esoteric Psychology, Volume I, p. 202. "The characteristic method of approaching the great Quest on this ray would be by sheer force of will. Such a man would, as it were, take the kingdom of heaven "by violence.""
  13. Sri Ramakrishna, in: Mahendranath Gupta, Swami Nikhilananda (translator), The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, Volume II, Sri Ramakrishna Math, Chennai, p. 658. "Pain and pleasure are inevitable in a body."
  14. Alice A. Bailey, The Light of the Soul, in: Twenty-Four Books of Esoteric Philosophy, (CD-ROM), Lucis Trust, London / New York, 2001, p. 174. "5. Sorrow. The greater the refinement of the human vehicle, the greater the response of the nervous system to the pairs of opposites, pain and pleasure."
  15. Alice A. Bailey, The Rays and the Initiations, A Treatise on the Seven Rays, Volume V, in: Twenty-Four Books of Esoteric Philosophy, (CD-ROM), Lucis Trust, London / New York, 2001, p. 558.
    "Rays of Aspect:
    1. The Ray of Power, Will or Purpose
    2. The Ray of Love-Wisdom
    3. The Ray of Active Creative Intelligence
    Rays of Attribute:
    4. The Ray of Harmony through Conflict
    5. The Ray of Concrete Science or Knowledge
    6. The Ray of Idealism or Devotion
    7. The Ray of Order or Ceremonial Magic"
  16. Ibidem, p. 243. "This same ability to respond through pain is not to be found (in the sense in which the human being comprehends it) in any of the subhuman kingdoms, nor in the superhuman kingdoms, any more than it was found in the previous solar system or will be found in the next. It is related to an aspect of the creative intelligence, an aspect and characteristic peculiar to humanity."
  17. Nota 15.
  18. The Rays and the Initiations, p. 243. "It [the aspect of the creative intelligence to respond through pain] holds the secret of beauty in manifestation, and its first expression can be seen in the creative perfection of certain phases of art for which man, and man alone, is responsible."
  19. Esoteric Psychology, Volume I, p. 88. "For the first solar system the third ray was the synthetic ray, but for this solar system the second ray is the synthetic ray, and for the next solar system the first ray will perform a similar function."
  20. The Rays and the Initiations, p. 243-244. "The Jews, as a product of the humanity of the previous solar system, and as constituting the incarnating residue from that solar system, have run the gamut of suffering and are in the forefront of the creative arts at this time, particularly in group production such as certain of the great motion pictures and in the field of scientific discovery."
  21. Ibidem, p. 243. "This aspect was not found in the previous solar system, in which the other aspects of the creative intelligence functioned. In this solar system, it has been developed and brought from latency to potency in connection with the substance of the human bodies through which the human soul is gaining experience."
  22. 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. 416. "The progress of evolution on the moon was abruptly disturbed and arrested by the timely interference of the solar Logos. The secret of the suffering in the Earth chain, which makes it merit the name of the Sphere of Suffering, and the mystery of the long and painful watch kept by the SILENT WATCHER, has its origin in the events which brought the moon chain to a terrific culmination."
  23. Ibidem, p. 1146. "[…], for (as might be expected) on the third or moon chain, the third Ray was a dominant factor."
  24. Nota 22.
  25. Esoteric Psychology, Volume I, p. 335. "THE PLANETS AND RAYS
    Sacred Ray Non-sacred Ray
    1. Vulcan 1st ray. 1. Mars 6th ray.
    2. Mercury 4th ray. 2. Earth 3rd ray.
    3. Venus 5th ray. 3. Pluto 1st ray.
    4. Jupiter 2nd ray. 4. Moon 4th ray.
    5. Saturn 3rd ray. veiling a hidden planet.
    6. Neptune 6th ray. 5. Sun 2nd ray.
    7. Uranus 7th ray. veiling a hidden planet."
  26. Benjamin Creme, Maitreya's Mission, Volume II, Share International Foundation, London / Amsterdam, 2013, p. 414. "Earth is a 3rd ray planet, embedded in form, and therefore is known as 'the planet of suffering'."
  27. Nota 25.
  28. Esoteric Psychology, Volume II, p. 102. "The Law of Sacrifice, therefore, can never be eliminated in our Earth scheme, as far as the human and subhuman reactions to sorrow and pain are concerned, nor can it be eliminated on the planets Saturn and Mars."
  29. Alice A. Bailey, The Externalisation of the Hierarchy, in: Twenty-Four Books of Esoteric Philosophy, (CD-ROM, Release 3), Lucis Trust, London / New York, 2001, p. 76. "If you will remember that the third ray governed that system and also governs the Jewish race, […]."
  30. Esoteric Psychology, Volume I, p. 394. "The personality ray, the material form ray of the Jewish people, is the third ray. Their egoic ray is the first."
  31. Nota 20.
  32. Helena P. Blavatsky, Collected Writings, Volume XIV, in: Theosophical Classics, (CD-ROM), Theosophical Publishing House, Manilla, 2002, p. 113. "These Angels are the natural Guardians of the seven Regions of our Planetary System, one of the most powerful among these seven creating Angels of the third order being "Saturn," the presiding genius of the Planet, and the God of the Hebrew people: namely, Jehovah, who was venerated among the Jews, and to whom they dedicated the seventh day or Sabbath, Saturday – "Saturn's day" among the Scandinavians and also among the Hindus."
  33. The Rays and the Initiations, p. 757. "Christ was a Jew."
  34. The American Standard New Testament, (software), Version 1.0, Ages Software, Albany, 1996, Luke, Ch. 23, v. 3 "And Pilate asked him, saying, Art thou the King of the Jews? And he answered him and said, Thou sayest."
  35. Alice A. Bailey, From Bethlehem to Calvary, in: Twenty-Four Books of Esoteric Philosophy, (CD-ROM), Lucis Trust, London / New York, 2001, p. 215-216. "But suffering has its uses, as Christ knew. In His Person He was not only the historical Jesus Whom we know and love, but He was also the symbol to us of the cosmic Christ, God suffering through the sufferings of His created beings."
  36. Maitreya's Mission, Volume II, p. 226. "Who suffered on the cross: Jesus, the Christ, or both? (May '87)
    Jesus. It was for Him the experience of the fourth initiation, the Great Renunciation or Crucifixion."
  37. From Bethlehem to Calvary, p. 217. "Though Christ was "acquainted with sorrow," He knew joy in its essence, for the "joy of the Lord is our strength," and it is the soul, the Christ in every human being, which is strength and joy and love. He knew also bliss, for at the Crucifixion the bliss which is the reward of the soul's triumph was His."
  38. Ibidem, p. 208. "We have made of the Crucifixion a tragedy, whereas the real tragedy was our failure to recognise its true significance."
  39. Jesus, in: Baird T. Spalding, Life and Teaching of the Masters of the Far East, Volume II, DeVorss & Co., Los Angeles, 1944, p. 55. "The cross was, in the beginning, the symbol of the greatest joy the world ever knew. The foundation of the cross is the place where man first trod the earth, therefore, the mark that symbolizes the dawn of a celestial day here on earth. If you will trace it back, you will find that the cross disappears entirely and that it is the man standing in the attitude of devotion, standing in space with arms upraised in blessing, sending out his gifts to humanity, pouring all his gifts forth freely in every direction."
  40. The Rays and the Initiations, p. 369. "1. The Christ, representing the second Ray of Love-Wisdom,
    […]."
  41. Esoteric Psychology, Volume II, p. 277-278. "In a curious and esoteric manner, therefore, the Buddha embodied in Himself the force and activity of the third ray, of the third aspect of divinity—the divine cosmic principle of Intelligence."
  42. Siddhartha Gautama Buddha in: Nyanatiloka, The Word of the Buddha, The Word of the Buddha Publishing Committee, Colombo, 1952, p. 3. "What, now, is the Noble Truth of Suffering ? Birth is suffering; Decay is suffering; Death is suffering; Sorrow, Lamentation, Pain, Grief, and Despair are suffering; not to get what one desires, is suffering; in short: the Five Groups of Existence are suffering."
  43. Ibidem, p. 14.
  44. Encyclopædia Britannica, Ultimate Reference Suite, Version 2015, (software), Encyclopædia Britannica, 2015, heaven, Buddhism. "Buddhism began in the early 5th century BCE in northeast India as a renunciant movement seeking liberation from samsara through knowledge and spiritual discipline. The Buddha Gautama, the founder of the religion, is the paradigm of an enlightened being who has entered parinirvana (complete nirvana), the state in which the causes of all future existence have been eliminated."
  45. Maitreya's Mission, Volume II, p. 413." The basic problem of the 3rd ray type, until the third initiation, is that his main focus is on the form rather than the life within the form. The third initiation, which is the 'crisis of the life' or the Transfiguration, involves entering into a relation with the soul and through the soul with the Monad. This always presents a major hurdle for the 3rd ray. For the other rays, it is the second initiation which is the real hurdle. This represents control of the astral vehicle. However, for the 3rd ray type this is not such a major difficulty. It is the third initiation which is difficult. You may have noticed that the list of ray structures of initiates in Maitreya's Mission contains practically no 3rd ray souls above the level of the third initiation."
  46. Esoteric Psychology, Volume II, p. 361. "The third ray aspirant is always slower to learn than the second ray, just as the first ray aspirant learns more rapidly than the second ray. When, however, he has learnt to be quiet and still, he can achieve his goal with greater rapidity."
  47. The Rays and the Initiations, p. 517. "At the point of highest tension, the disciple utters the Word of Power for the third ray. It is not easy for the disciple on this ray to achieve the necessary focal point of silence; his intense fluidity leads to many words or to great mental activity, frequently carried forward under the impulse of glamour. This lessens the potency of what he seeks to do. But when he has succeeded in achieving "mental silence" and is simply a point of intelligent concentration, then he can use the Word of Power with great effectiveness."
  48. Esoteric Psychology, Volume II, p. 362. "It is interesting to note that the first result of the use of these three formulas can each be summed up in one word, for the sake of clarity. These words embody the first and simplest steps upon the way of at-one-ment. They embody the simplest aspects of the necessary technique.
    Ray One Inclusion.
    Ray Two Centralisation.
    Ray Three Stillness."
  49. Ibidem, p. 387. "All are, however, subordinated to the second ray nature of the divine expression in this solar system."
Bibliography
  • 'Ageless Wisdom, The Seven Rays (Summarized)', Index: 202308011.
  • 'Contemplaties, An Esoteric Interpretation of Rembrandt's Philosopher in Meditation', Index: 201307081.
  • 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, A Treatise on White Magic, in: Twenty-Four Books of Esoteric Philosophy, (CD-ROM), Lucis Trust, London / New York, 2001.
  • Alice A. Bailey, Esoteric Astrology, A Treatise on the Seven Rays, Volume III, in: Twenty-Four Books of Esoteric Philosophy, (CD-ROM), Lucis Trust, London / New York, 2001.
  • Alice A. Bailey, Esoteric Psychology, Volume I, A Treatise on the Seven Rays, Volume I, in: Twenty-Four Books of Esoteric Philosophy, (CD-ROM), Lucis Trust, London / New York, 2001.
  • Alice A. Bailey, Esoteric Psychology, Volume II, A Treatise on the Seven Rays, Volume I, in: Twenty-Four Books of Esoteric Philosophy, (CD-ROM), Lucis Trust, London / New York, 2001.
  • Alice A. Bailey, From Bethlehem to Calvary, in: Twenty-Four Books of Esoteric Philosophy, (CD-ROM), Lucis Trust, London / New York, 2001.
  • Alice A. Bailey, Glamour: A World Problem, in: Twenty-Four Books of Esoteric Philosophy, (CD-ROM, Release 3), Lucis Trust, London / New York, 2001.
  • Alice A. Bailey, The Externalisation of the Hierarchy, in: Twenty-Four Books of Esoteric Philosophy, (CD-ROM, Release 3), Lucis Trust, London / New York, 2001.
  • Alice A. Bailey, The Light of the Soul, in: Twenty-Four Books of Esoteric Philosophy, (CD-ROM), Lucis Trust, London / New York, 2001.
  • Alice A. Bailey, The Rays and the Initiations, A Treatise on the Seven Rays, Volume V, in: Twenty-Four Books of Esoteric Philosophy, (CD-ROM), Lucis Trust, London / New York, 2001.
  • Helena P. Blavatsky, Collected Writings, Volume XIV, in: Theosophical Classics, (CD-ROM), Theosophical Publishing House, Manilla, 2002.
  • Benjamin Creme, Maitreya's Mission, Volume II, Share International Foundation, London / Amsterdam, 2013.
  • Benjamin Creme, The Ageless Wisdom Teaching, An introduction to humanity's spiritual legacy, Share International Foundation, London, 2006.
  • Nyanatiloka, The Word of the Buddha, The Word of the Buddha Publishing Committee, Colombo, 1952.
  • Baird T. Spalding, Life and Teaching of the Masters of the Far East, Volume II, DeVorss & Co., Los Angeles, 1944.
  • Mahendranath Gupta, Swami Nikhilananda (translator), The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, Volume II, Sri Ramakrishna Math, Chennai.
  • Encyclopædia Britannica, Ultimate Reference Suite, Version 2015, (software), Encyclopædia Britannica, 2015.
  • The American Standard New Testament, (software), Version 1.0, Ages Software, Albany, 1996.