In this presentation, we will discuss the role of the permanent atoms in rebirth, as well as specific additional details about the process of returning into incarnation.
As explained in the previous series, after the physical body dies, the soul gradually withdraws through various planes until it is only clothed in its causal vehicle. At the moment of physical death, the life web and prana are withdrawn into the heart, around the physical permanent atom. The physical permanent atom then ascends along the Sushumna-nadi, a channel running from the heart into the head and to the brain’s third ventricle. The entire life web, gathered around the permanent atom, slowly rises to the point where the parietal and occipital sutures meet and leave the physical body, which is now lifeless.
In the process of leaving each of the bodies, the permanent atoms of those bodies become dormant and are stored in the causal envelope in that inactive state. When the person is in its causal envelope only, it has within it the physical permanent atom, the emotional permanent atom, and the mental permanent molecule (or unit, as it is more commonly called). These three, wrapped in the buddhic (46) life-web, appear as a bright nucleus-like particle in the causal envelope. They are all that remains to the soul of the physical, emotional, and mental bodies of the previous incarnation.
As each envelope dies and is left behind, the permanent atom becomes dormant, as shown by the plain ring without rays, and retreats within the causal envelope. As the permanent atoms “go to sleep,” the normal flow of life in the spirillae is reduced, and during the entire period of rest, the flow is small and slow. In the diagram, the causal envelope is shown on the causal level with the three permanent particles within it, all dormant.
An archangel living on higher planes might function on those planes but would be entirely useless in these lower worlds since he would have discarded its lower permanent atoms a long time ago. This would cut the deva off from the power of feeling and thinking. Therefore, we should not discard the permanent atoms; our task is to purify and develop them.
It is noteworthy that permanent atoms are much more evolved than other atoms. They are at the fullest development of an atom after seven rounds of evolution. This state is reached when a monad is about to become an Adept (45-self). Therefore, these atoms are highly developed and charged with all the qualities they have brought over from previous cycles of incarnations.
When a person achieves the state of a Buddha (42-Self), it is nearly impossible for them to find atoms that they can use to enter the Cosmic Physical environment, except those which have been used as permanent atoms by human beings during their cycles of evolution. Having said that, when you reach buddhahood, you do not come into the Cosmic Physical Plane anyway.
Consider this: the permanent atoms of individuals who have achieved Adeptship in connection with this world, or possibly even in this chain of worlds, were gathered and used in the bodies of Lord Gautama Buddha. For this advanced monad to be able to function in a body during the latter stages of its evolution through our solar system, he had to be able to build a body out of the most advanced atoms available from the general pool of atoms that have been worked on by humanity as it has evolved. As there weren’t enough of these atoms to form the entire body, some of the best ordinary atoms available were also used to create a body. These atoms were stimulated into action by the other more advanced atoms.
These ordinary atoms were later replaced by permanent atoms obtained from each new Adept who attained the Sambhogakaya or the Dharmakaya vestures. What are these vestures? Saṃbhogakaya is a subtle body of limitless form in Buddhist teachings, which allows a Buddha or bodhisattvas to make an appearance. The Dharmakaya vesture constitutes the unmanifested, inconceivable aspect of a Buddha. It is also called the reality body. This collection of bodies is one-of-a-kind, and there is no material available to make another set. Gautama Buddha used these bodies before he took the (i8) and went cosmic. The atoms of these bodies have been preserved. The Buddha’s causal, mental, and emotional bodies, along with the physical envelope of Jeshu, were also utilised by the Christ/Maitreya. It is interesting to note that to get these mighty beings anywhere near us on the lower planes of matter; special atoms have to be tempered to cope with the energies these monads emit. People prophesy the return of the Christ. If he does take leave of his senses and decides to turn up, it is clearly going to be a serious logistical operation.
Returning from this detour on permanent atoms to the time when life on the higher mental sub-planes comes to an end, we can see that Trishna, or the desire for further experience, becomes prominent again. The soul then shifts its focus outward once more, crossing the threshold of devachan and entering what is known as the plane of reincarnation. The soul brings with it the results, whether small or great, of its devachanic work.
When the soul directs its attention outward, it sends a surge of life force that stimulates the mental unit (47:4). This increased flow of energy causes the mental unit and other permanent atoms to vibrate strongly. The life web begins to unfold once more, and the vibrating mental unit, acting as a magnet, attracts mental matter with vibratory powers similar to its own.
The devas of the Second Elemental Kingdom make this material accessible to the mental unit, and, in the earlier stages of evolution, they also mould the matter into a loose cloud around the permanent unit. However, as evolution progresses, the soul exerts a growing influence over the shaping of the material. This cloud of matter, which is not yet a proper vehicle, is represented in the diagram.
When the mental envelope is partially formed, the life thrill from the soul awakens the emotional permanent atom, and a similar procedure takes place; a cloud of emotional matter is then drawn around the emotional permanent atom.
While descending into incarnation, it becomes clear that the soul does not receive pre-made mental and emotional bodies. Instead, it receives the material from which these bodies will be constructed during the upcoming life. Additionally, the matter received has the potential to create mental and emotional bodies of the same type as those from the soul’s previous mental and emotional lives. Where is that potential stored? In the two permanent atoms and one permanent mental molecule of those envelopes.
The process by which the soul acquires a new etheric envelope, which serves as a mould for the new physical envelope, has been fully described in The Etheric Envelope and does not need to be repeated here. However, it’s worth noting that during human prenatal life, the extension of the Sutratma is formed, consisting of a single thread that weaves a network – a shimmering web of indescribable fineness and delicate beauty, with tiny meshes reminiscent of the closely woven cocoon of the silkworm.
In the intricate web of life, the physical elements of the bodies are interconnected. When observed with a higher level of perception, known as Buddhic (46) vision, the individual bodies vanish, revealing the interconnected web that sustains and enlivens all life forms.
During the prenatal period, a thread extends from the physical permanent atom and spreads in all directions, with the growth persisting until the physical body is fully developed. Throughout physical life, prana, or energy, flows along the branches and networks.
It is believed that the presence of a permanent atom allows for the fertilisation of the ovum, which gives rise to the new envelope. However, in the case of a stillborn child, there is usually no soul present and, presumably, no permanent atom or etheric elemental. Even though there are numerous souls seeking incarnation, some may not be ready for it, and there are times when there is no soul available to take advantage of a particular opportunity caused by the fertilisation of an egg. In such cases, while the envelope may be formed partly by the mother’s thoughts, it is never genuinely alive as it does not have a soul connected to it.
The average person cannot choose the circumstances of their birth. Typically, three forces play a role in determining where a person is born: (1) the law of evolution, which leads a person to be born in conditions that provide an opportunity to develop the qualities they most need to develop; (2) the law of karma. Not everyone deserves the best opportunities, so they may have to settle for second or third best. Some people may not even deserve significant opportunities, leading to a life of limited progress. We’ll discuss a person’s karma in more detail later, and (3) any personal connections of love or hate that the person may have formed in the past. Sometimes, people may find themselves in a situation due to strong personal feelings for someone more advanced in evolution than themselves.
A more advanced person already on the Path may be able to choose the country and family of their birth. However, such a person would be the first to completely set aside any personal desires in the matter and resign themselves entirely to the hands of the eternal law. They would be confident that whatever it brings to them must be far better for them than any choice of their own.
Parents cannot choose the soul that will inhabit their child’s body. Still, by living in a way that provides a suitable environment for the development of an advanced soul, they can significantly increase the likelihood of such a soul coming to them.
We will continue the investigation into the process of reincarnation in the following presentation.