The Secret Doctrine Volume 3.pdf

y the Higher Ego is not reflected in the Astral Light, because it is on too low a plane.
But during the life of a man, this essence, with a view to Karmîc ends, is impressed
on the Auric Envelope, and after death and the separation of the Principles is united
with the Universal Mind (that is to say, those “impressions” which are superior to
even the Devachanic Plane), to await there Karmically until the day when the Ego is
to be reincarnated. [There are thus three sets of impressions, which we may call the
Kâmic, Devachanic and Mânasic.] For the entities no matter how high, must have
their Karmic rewards and punishments on earth.
The Crucifixion of the Christos (Page 579) These spiritual impressions are made more or
less on the brain, otherwise the Lower Ego would not be responsible. There are
some impressions, however, received through the brain, which are not of our
previous experience. In the case of the Adept the brain is trained to retain these
impressions.
The reincarnating Ray may, for convenience, be separated into two aspects: the
lower Kâmic Ego is scattered in Kâma Loka; the Mânasic part accomplishes its cycle
and returns to the Higher Ego. It is, in reality, this Higher Ego which is, so to speak,
punished, which suffers. This is the true crucifixion of the Christos — the most
abstruse but yet the most important mystery of Occultism; all the cycle of our lives
hangs on it. It is indeed the Higher Ego that is the sufferer; for remember that the
abstract consciousness of the higher personal consciousness will remained
impressed on the Ego, since it must be part and parcel of its eternity. All our grandest
impressions are impressed on the Higher Ego, because they are of the same nature
as itself.
Patriotism and great actions in national service are not altogether good, from the
point of view of the highest. To benefit a portion of humanity is good; but to do so at
the expense of the rest is bad. Therefore, in patriotism, etc., the venom is present
with the good. For though the inner essence of the Higher Ego is unsoilable, the
outer garment may be soiled. Thus both the bad and the good of such thoughts and
actions are impressed on the Auric Envelope and the Karma of the bad is taken up
by the Higher Ego, though it is perfectly guiltless of it. Thus both sets of impressions
after death, scatter in the Universal Mind, and at reincarnation the Ego sends out a
Ray which is itself, into a new personality, and there suffers. It suffers in the Selfconsciousness
that it has created by its own accumulated experiences.
Every one of our Egos has the Karma of past Manvantaras behind. There are seven
Hierarchies of Egos, some of which, e.g., in inferior tribes, may be said to be only just
beginning the present cycle. The Ego starts with Divine Consciousness; no past, no
future, no separation. It is long before realizing that it is itself. Only after many births
does it begin to discern, by this collectivity of experience, that it is individual. At the
end of its cycle of reincarnation it is still the same Divine Consciousness, but it has
now become individualized Self-consciousness.
(Page 580) The feeling of responsibility is inspired by the presence of the Light of the
Higher Ego. As the Ego in its cycle of re-birth becomes more and more
individualized, it learns more and more by suffering to recognize its own
responsibility, by which it finally gains Self-consciousness, the consciousness of all
the Egos of the whole Universe. Absolute Being, to have the idea of sensation of all
this, must pass through all experience individually, not universally, so that when it
returns it should be of the same omniscience as the Universal Mind plus the memory
of all that it has passed through.
At the Day “Be with us” every Ego has to remember all the cycles of its past
reincarnations for Manvantaras. The Ego comes in contact with this earth, all seven
Principles become one, it sees all that it has done therein. It sees the stream of its
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