In the next three presentations, we will now consider the soul as a conscious entity in its own realm, specifically in the higher mental or causal world (47:1-3), separate from its partial expressions on the lower planes of matter.
When the soul separates from its group soul and begins its individual existence as a human being, it becomes a self-conscious entity, but the consciousness is initially vague. The forces of the higher mental world pass through the soul without affecting it, as it is unable to respond to most of these extremely fine vibrations. This state can be likened to the moment of awakening in the morning when a person is blissfully aware of their existence but not conscious of their surroundings or capable of movement. In this in-between state, people know that any movement would disrupt their happiness and bring them back to the ordinary waking world, so they try to remain still for as long as possible.
The state of consciousness described closely resembles that of the average person’s soul on the higher mental plane during the time between the end of one life in devachan and the beginning of the next incarnation. During this brief period, the individual glimpses their past and future, experiencing moments of full awakening before falling asleep again. It is the desire for a more complete manifestation and a deeper sense of aliveness that drives the individual to reincarnate.
According to a stanza in the Book of Dzyan, “those who only received a spark of knowledge remain lacking in understanding as the spark burns low”. H.P. Blavatsky explains that these individuals represent average humanity, and they must develop their intellect during the current evolutionary period. For most people, the spark is still smouldering, and it will take many ages before it grows steadily into a brilliant flame.
The average person’s causal envelope currently has very little awareness of anything outside of itself on its own level. The vast majority of souls are only semi-conscious, and some are barely conscious at all. Most are not yet clear enough in their consciousness to comprehend the purpose or the laws of the evolution they are part of.
Even though the ordinary soul is still in a somewhat dormant state, during physical life, they are capable to some extent of attentively observing their own personality and making some effort.
The average soul in its causal envelope can be likened to a chicken inside an egg, with the chicken being completely unaware of the source of the heat that is stimulating its growth. When a soul reaches the stage of breaking through its shell and becomes capable of some form of response, the entire process transforms and accelerates significantly.
The awakening process is greatly facilitated by the Masters of Wisdom, who release their spiritual energy like sunlight, permeating the entire causal plane (47:1-3) and influencing everything within its reach to some extent. As mentioned in an earlier presentation, even the group souls of animals on the lower mental plane (47:4-7) are greatly affected and assisted by this influence.
It is on the whole mental plane that much of the most important work of the Master is done. This is especially the case upon the causal plane, where the individuality, or soul, can be acted upon directly. It is from this plane that they shower the grandest spiritual influences upon the world of thought and impel great and beneficial movements of all kinds. Much of the spiritual force poured out by the glorious self-sacrifice of the Nirmanakayas is distributed here. Direct teaching is also given to those pupils who are sufficiently advanced to receive it in this way since it can be imparted far more readily and completely here than on the lower planes.
The soul of a developed person is fully awake. Over time, the soul realises its capabilities and may ascend to a state where it has a distinct life on its own level, although it may still seem somewhat dreamlike.
As the soul becomes more developed, it can not only assist other souls but also live a fulfilling life among its peers alongside great beings like Arupadevas and magnificent Angels, also known as Devas. Initially, a young soul might be unaware of this splendid life, much like a baby unaware of the world around them. However, as consciousness unfolds, the soul awakens to this magnificence and becomes captivated by its vividness and beauty.
A developed soul enjoys the company of the brightest minds the world has ever known, including those of the angelic kingdom and humans. The life of the soul on its own plane is beyond any description possible for the human personality. If one could imagine an existence in the company of great minds such as artists, poets, scientists, and even the Masters themselves and add to that an understanding unattainable in our world, then only would one begin to have some idea of the life of the conscious soul.
The personality would not, of course, know what the soul does unless the personality and soul have been unified. Thus, the soul may know the Master while the personality does not. The soul must have been fully conscious and active on its own plane for a long time before any knowledge of that existence can come through into its physical life.
This soul consciousness must not be confused with the consciousness that comes from the unification of the higher and lower selves mentioned in previous episodes. When unification has been achieved, the individual’s consciousness resides in the soul all the time, and from the soul, it plays through whatever vehicle the individual may happen to be using. However, in the case of an individual who has not yet achieved that union, the consciousness of the soul on its own plane comes into activity only when the individual is no longer hampered by any lower vehicles and exists only until the individual puts themselves down into incarnation. As soon as the individual takes up a lower envelope, their consciousness can manifest for a time exclusively through that envelope.
The causal plane is the true and relatively permanent home of the soul, for here, it is free of the limitations of the personality and is, itself, the reincarnating entity. Although its consciousness may be dim, dreamily unobservant, and scarcely awake, its vision is true, however limited it may be. Not only is it free from the illusions of the personality and the refracting medium of the lower self, but thought itself no longer assumes the same limited forms that it takes at levels of consciousness below the causal.
In some older literature, there are statements which seem to imply that the higher soul needs no evolution, being already perfect and godlike on its own plane. Where ever such expressions are used, whatever may be the terminology employed, they must be taken to apply only to the Atma, the true “god” within humanity, which is certainly far beyond the necessity of any evolution of which we can know anything. But even here, this entity has to be built out. It is not preexistent in its omniscience in all the planes of consciousness below it. We need to point out that even Atma, grand as it may be, is nothing compared to an awakened monad on plane 43:1.
H.P. Blavatsky states that Manas, or the higher Soul, as “part of the Universal Mind, is unconditionally omniscient on its own plane”. The meaning, of course, is that this is so only when it has fully developed self-consciousness, by its evolutionary experiences, and “is the vehicle of all knowledge of the past and present and future”. Again, it needs to be reiterated that we are discussing the plane where the monad is currently focused, not all the planes of matter in the Universe.
The reincarnating soul undoubtedly evolves, as is perfectly evident to those who possess causal sight. At first, it has very little active power on any plane, and it is the soul’s purpose to become fully active on all planes, even the physical.
A soul who is awakened and truly alive upon its own plane is a glorious object, giving us some idea of what humanity is intended to be for the first time. Such developed souls are still separate, yet intellectually, they fully realise their inner unity, for they see one another as they are and can no longer blunder or fail to comprehend.
It is challenging to physically explain the differences between souls, as they are much greater than anything we are accustomed to down here. A way to convey the impression of advanced souls is to remind one of a dignified, stately, and courteous ambassador full of wisdom and kindness. At the same time, less developed individuals resemble a bluff, hearty country squire. A soul that is on the Path and nearing Adeptship shares much in common with the great Angels and radiates spiritual influences of prodigious power.
It is not surprising that the soul energetically engages in intense activity on its own plane, finding it immensely more important and interesting than the distant struggles of a cramped and half-formed personality veiled in the dense obscurity of the lower world.
One soul has been described as a radiant youth, like a Greek Apollo carved out of glistening marble, yet immaterial, with inspiration as his keynote. Another soul appeared like the sculpture of Demeter in the British Museum, a dignified, serene, and peaceful figure, brooding as it were over the world, which she helped to foster and protect. Thus, every soul has its own radiantly beautiful appearance, expressing its particular mission or genius.
There is more to come on the subject. See you next time.