The Second Ray

Wisdom Teachings
The Seven Rays
Book: The Seven Rays

The ancient sages perceived the Sun as a magnet that radiates magnetism and thereby binds the whole solar system to itself. The great initiate Paracelsus saw everywhere in nature the invisible magnetic force whose constant influx keeps all kingdoms in harmony: “The magnetism of pure love is the origin of every created thing.” Sun, Moon, planets and stars are magnetic in the highest degree, Paracelsus explains, and they have become so through the spiritual light called God or the Cosmic Person. Everything that the invisible universe produces as a magnetic force has its origin in this one magnet which creates the magnetisation of everything that exists. When we are in balance, we draw the magnetic force from the surrounding nature and consequently we become healthy.

For Paracelsus, the higher, natural divine love is based on perfect sympathy. Sympathy is sacred and natural. When we feel sympathy towards living beings, love flows. Divine love is impersonal, like magnetic currents flowing through the magnet. The magnet cannot choose to say, “I will flow here, but not there.” Love knows no preferences; it is inclusive and not exclusive. When we live in love, love flows through us and magnetises people. Living in love is different from loving. To love is a personal act; to live in love is a flow that allows love to work through us. It redirects us away from our own point of view and leads us to the vision through which the other's point of view becomes acceptable to us.

Love between two sexes is what Paracelsus calls the fever of the species. It is animal magnetism. Pure, impersonal love is not animal magnetism, but comes forth from wisdom. Love and wisdom are expressions of the activity of the Second Ray. This energy comes forth as the current of spiritual consciousness from the background known to the Vedas as Parabrahman, the absolute God. It is on this background that the triangular activity takes place which we call the First, Second and Third Logos or the cosmic First, Second and Third Rays. Master Djwhal Khul compares the cosmic First Ray with Shiva, the cosmic Second Ray with Vishnu and the cosmic Third Ray with Brahma. In the language commonly understood today, he says “Will” instead of Shiva, “Love” instead of Vishnu and “Light” instead of Brahma. It is important to understand the concept, not the names.

Vishnu is the Second Ray or Logos of Love-Wisdom. His name means “the One who pervades”. The colour of Vishnu is blue. His mantram is OM VISHNAVE NAMAH (I bow down to the Lord of Pervasion). It has five letters in Sanskrit and is meditated as a five-pointed star. In creation, the Second Ray acts as the cohesive principle that binds together the solar systems, the beings and the planets. It is also called Christ Consciousness or Krishna Consciousness, the Universal Soul or the Super Soul, the power of interpenetration and fulfilment. In Sanskrit, the Second Ray is also called Harikesa, the preserving light.

Whenever there is a major disturbance of the creative balance on earth, the cosmic Second Ray manifests as an Avatar. Thus, from time to time, the Lord descends to establish a balance between the positive and negative forces and to neutralise the excessive evil: “When Dharma, the Law, is considerably disturbed and the world and its existence are threatened, then I descend to re-establish the Law”. According to the time and place, I manifest to balance the forces. That is why I come again and again,“ says Lord Krishna.

At the beginning of Kali Yuga, Krishna appointed Lord Maitreya as the World Teacher. Maitreya is the Christ and he personifies on our planet the energy of the Second Ray of Love and Wisdom. The Lord of Synthesis is constantly invoked in all the secret ashrams of all the major mountain ranges all over the globe. The scripture called Bhagavata, which goes back over five thousand years, contains details of the biography of Maitreya. They are also contained in the book ‘Man Sacrifice’ by Master EK. It should be studied again and again so that we know what Love really is. People of Love and Wisdom who work through this Second Ray see the oneness of everything. They include but do not exclude. They tolerate, forbear, forgive and are magnetic. They are kind to all of life. The attitude of love is also a very good protection against all negative things.

The name Maitreya comes from the Sanskrit word mitra, which means ‘friend’. Maitreya is friendly to all beings, regardless of their behaviour. His teachings radiate out through the Spiritual Hierarchy and their disciples to inspire people who are sincere seekers of the truth. They are not the gullible sentimentalists, but seekers of truth who are prepared to work intensively on themselves with the instruments of the wisdom teachings. Every time a person transforms into a Master through the path of truth-seeking, tremendous energy is released through him to uplift the surrounding life. This energy seems to emanate from the heart centre of the Master. However, his individual heart centre is only an outpost for the energy of the planetary heart centre, which relates to the World Teacher or the Christ.

The wisdom and love we carry within us is the function of the Jupiter principle working through the Second Ray. The Sanskrit word for Jupiter and for the teacher is the same, 'Guru'. The meaning of Guru is not teacher but 'the great one'. Jupiter is called Guru because he is the largest planet in the solar system. He orders, brings about synthesis and keeps all energies in balance as far as this solar system is concerned. A profound symbol for Jupiter and for the Second Ray is the elephant. In India, the elephant-headed deity Ganesha is worshipped as the cosmic Jupiter principle and symbol of wisdom. The elephant stands for beings of light and for the Masters of Wisdom, because around beings of light there can be no ignorance.

The elephant also stands for sound, the effect of which is ruled by Jupiter. The sound of sounds is the Holy Word; it is uttered in two syllables as OM and in three syllables as AUM. A stands for the energy of the First Ray, U stands for the nurturing energy of the Second Ray. If we want to emphasise the Second Ray, AU is uttered - the U is emphasised longer and the M of the Third Ray is almost inaudible. The sound of the Jupiter principle is GAM or KAM; YAM is the sound of Saturn. Jupiter causes expansion, while Saturn causes consolidation and contraction. Saturn restricts and condenses the consciousness. As Saturn rules the Muladhara (base centre), Jupiter rules the Sahasrara (head centre). The path from the limited state to the expanded and unlimited state goes from Saturn to Jupiter. In this process Saturn in the base centre is replaced by Jupiter. When Jupiter is invoked in the base centre with the sound GAM, it is as if an elephant confined in a small hut breaks all boundaries around it and finds liberation. Ganesha is worshipped in the Muladhara so that the liberation of the mind can begin.

If someone is an obstacle on our path, the Second Ray method is not to fight, because fighting creates strife and discord. Instead, we should address his heart with a heartfelt request that he may clear the way for us. Cordiality keeps the doors open and spreads the love that is within us. From Master Kuthumi, the great Master of the Second Ray, there is the statement: “Every human being has a heart. Remind him of it through your constant acts of goodwill.” If another person is suffering from hatred, jealousy and criticism, we need not absorb these things, react to them and suffer from them too. Instead, we should send a ray of love to the other through a loving and kind smile. In this way we can appease those who live in hatred and assist those who suffer from their own pride and self-pity.

Within the higher octave of love of the Second Ray there is free will and the Masters of Wisdom respect the free will of humanity. They allow as much freedom as each soul wants. They are willing to help, but only when help is asked for. They do not impose their help. Unsolicited help is aggression. Often they say, “We can't help you even if we want to help because you haven’t ask for our help at the right moment.” When there is a crisis or a calamity, we can drown in our crisis and if we don't ask for help, no connection is made and the Hierarchy cannot reach us. The Masters are bound by the law of love; this love respects the free will. We may think, ‘What are the Masters doing anyway?’ They have to smile and wait to be asked. So, they wait and wish us well. That is one thing we should deeply ponder about. We can pray from the heart, with the heart.

Sources used: K.P. Kumar: Jupiter. The Path of Expansion. Div. seminar notes / E. Krishnamacharya: The Seven Rays. The World Teacher Trust - Dhanishta, Visakhapatnam, India