In the previous presentation, we examined how the degree of engagement of the soul with its incarnate personality depended to some extent on whether the soul felt there was any merit in getting too closely involved. In the early stages of a new life, a similar situation often occurs. As we’ve seen, the soul watches over the child from birth and may even start to influence its development at a very young age. However, typically, the soul doesn’t pay much attention to the child until around the age of seven, by which time the work of the karmic elemental should be mostly completed.
Children vary widely in their personalities, so it’s unsurprising that the relationship between their souls and the individuals involved also varies greatly. Some children are quick and responsive, while others are dull and wayward. When dullness and unresponsiveness are prominent, the soul often withdraws its active interest temporarily, hoping that as the child’s envelope grows, it may become cleverer or more responsive.
The decision may seem unwise because if the soul neglects their present personality, it’s unlikely that the next one will be an improvement. Allowing the child’s envelope to develop without influence may cause undesirable qualities to grow stronger instead of fading away. However, our knowledge of the problem is imperfect, and we cannot see the higher purpose to which the soul devotes itself.
It is impossible to precisely judge the evolutionary position of an individual based solely on their physical appearance. Karmic causes can result in a fair personality with a moderately advanced soul or a defective personality associated with a relatively advanced soul. When the soul fully dedicates its energy to the personality, the potential for change is significant. This transformation can be rapid and radical under favourable conditions, where the soul is strong and the personality is not irredeemably flawed, especially when the personality actively strives to align itself with the soul and become more appealing to it.
In order to understand how this can be, it is necessary to look at the matter from two points of view. Most of us here emphatically see ourselves as personalities and think and act exclusively as such. However, we are aware that, in reality, we are souls, and those of us who have become more sensitive to finer influences through years of meditation are often conscious of the intervention of the higher self as expressed through our solar deva.
The more we can habitually identify ourselves with the soul, the more clearly and sanely we will view life’s problems. But as long as we feel ourselves to be personalities, it is our duty and interest to open ourselves to the soul, to reach up towards it, and persistently to set up within ourselves vibrations that will be of use to it. At the very least, we should be sure that we do not obstruct the soul and always do our best for it, according to our understanding.
Since selfishness is the intensification of the personality, the first step should be to rid ourselves of that vice. Next, the mind should be kept filled with high thoughts. If the mind is continually occupied with lower matters, even though those lower matters may be quite estimable in their way, the soul cannot readily use it as a channel of expression.
When the soul makes an initial effort, when it begins to influence, we should receive it with enthusiasm, and its wishes should be instantly obeyed so that it may more and more take possession of the mind and come into its inheritance, as far as the lower planes are concerned.
The soul, or the “warrior,” should be allowed to take charge while the personality steps aside. However, the personality must ensure that it is dedicated to the work rather than its personal role in it. It’s important to remember that it is the soul working within the individual during moments of strong personal influence.
Although the soul’s vagueness might make it challenging to identify a specific line of work without development, once the personality has chosen a task, the soul can fully immerse itself in the work. This allows the individual to perform the task in a better and more grand manner with the soul’s assistance.
Failing to recognise the soul’s guidance can lead to disorientation, uncertainty, and an inability to distinguish friends from enemies, as described in “Light on the Path” by Mabel Collins (1885). This step is crucial for those seeking to embark on the path towards Initiation, where the lower self is essentially absorbed by the higher, leaving nothing in the personality that does not reflect the soul. This concept will be discussed more comprehensively in a future presentation specifically focused on Initiation.
It’s essential for the personality to understand what the soul wants and provide opportunities accordingly. By focusing on inner growth and living a spiritual life, the soul becomes more aware and engaged. For instance, if the soul’s primary way of expression is through affection, the personality should strive to exhibit strong affection, as this will draw the soul closer to the personality.
In the early stages of human development, the self expresses itself through uncontrolled emotions and passions that the soul may not approve of. However, as a person evolves, they gain the ability to consciously choose the emotions they want to experience. Rather than being overwhelmed by emotions, they selectively engage with them. This conscious selection of emotions is an intentional process controlled by the mind, which is an expression of the causal envelope, bringing the individual closer to achieving unity of the higher and lower self.
Maintaining a strong connection between the soul and the mental envelope is crucial. The soul provides the force that utilises the qualities and powers of the personality. Remembering something requires paying attention to it, and to pay attention, the soul needs to actively engage with its vehicles to perceive.
Many people with brilliant minds and good brains often fail to make the most of their abilities because they pay little attention to life. This happens because their higher self, the soul, does not fully invest in their earthly existence, leaving their lower thoughts and actions to wander aimlessly. The solution to this problem is to provide the soul with the necessary conditions so that it can fully engage with and influence the lower planes without issue.
It seems that the actual experiences of the individual cannot be directly communicated to the soul, but the underlying essence of these interactions can be passed on to it. The soul is not concerned with trivial details but seeks the essence of experiences. Consequently, the average person has very little in their life that would resonate with the soul.
The process of surrendering the results of everyday efforts without delving into the specifics continues until one achieves mastery. Following the guidance provided in “Light on The Path,” one should be mindful of the soul and allow it to work through it. It’s crucial to always remember that you are the soul, so you should align yourself with it and let the higher self prevail over the lower self. Even if setbacks occur, there’s no reason to feel discouraged because failure also brings wisdom and prepares us for future challenges. Perfection is not expected, but giving our best effort at all times is.
Furthermore, it’s important to recognise that the soul has aligned itself with the individual personality to seek vivid experiences. As the soul evolves, its desire for intense experiences gradually diminishes. Sometimes, once the soul has advanced and becomes more attuned to the pleasures and activities of its own level, it may ignore the personality, which is entangled in karmic ties and stuck in conditions that the soul now finds sorrowful or uninteresting, as it feels that it has surpassed them.
The decrease in thirst occurs as the soul develops its personality. Upon gaining full consciousness on the emotional plane, the physical world seemed dull by comparison. As it reaches the lower mental world, the emotional plane appears dark and dismal. Finally, all four of the lower levels lose their appeal as the soul begins to enjoy the even more vivid and luminous life of the causal envelope.
As it has already been pointed out, it is necessary to always bear in mind that consciousness is one. Therefore, it is quite mistaken to conceive of the soul or higher self as something “above”, something essentially foreign to ourselves and consequently hard to reach. Often, we speak of the “tremendous effort” required to reach the higher self and, at other times, of the inspiration that comes from the higher self to us down below. In all these cases, we make the fundamental mistake of identifying ourselves with that which we are not instead of that which we fundamentally are. The first condition of spiritual achievement is the certainty beyond any doubt that we are the soul or higher self. The second condition is that we have full confidence in our own powers as the soul and the courage to use them freely.
The consciousness of the personality should not be considered usual and normal but rather abnormal and unnatural. Instead, we should recognise the life of the soul as our true life, from which we continuously keep ourselves estranged by effort.
This approach should be applied in practical life. The physical envelope should not be allowed to act on its own but should be consciously and deliberately trained to follow the directions of the soul. This will lead to what the Hermetic philosophers referred to as the “regeneration” of the body. It signifies a genuine transformation that permanently ends the control of the physical envelope over consciousness, turning it instead into an instrument for the use of the soul.
That has dealt with our physical envelope. In the following presentation, we will continue by examining the changes that need to be brought about in the emotional envelope.