The Third Ray

Wisdom Teachings
The Third Ray
Book: The Seven Rays

The Absolute God can never be understood in thought or in word. The Vedas refer to Him as Parabrahman or THAT, the background of everything. From out of this background, creation emerges as a triangular activity of the first, second and third Logos, Shiva, Vishnu and Brahma. This is also called the spiritual triad or the cosmic first, second and third rays. Master Djwhal Khul speaks of this as the triangle of will, love/wisdom and intelligent activity.

Everything that exists in creation is also present in man. Thus, we can see the three primary energy rays in us as Sahasrara, Ajna and Anahata. We can also understand the head centre as Shiva/Maheshvara, the heart centre as Vishnu and the solar plexus centre as Brahma. These three are not three different logoi, but one that expresses itself as three. We are the fourth one who expresses them.

In meditation we can connect with them by constructing a triangle on our forehead and visualizing the higher third eye of Shiva as its apex. It is below the hairline; it is the centre of the first ray, the 'Will of God'. We visualize the right eye as Love/Wisdom and the left eye as Intelligent Activity. Then we visualise our personal third eye as the centre of the triangle and from there we connect the three points or corners. The Ajna centre is the centre of the second ray and the pituitary is the centre of the third ray. All three rays have their origin in the inconceivable One that comes forth as universal consciousness. We meditate on that consciousness so that all three work in harmony within us.

In creation, the work of the third Logos, Brahma, is finished, for it consists in form-building. Brahma has done his work. We already have the form that enables us to experience the Love and Wisdom, so that later we can know the Will of God. Therefore, there are only a few temples consecrated to Brahma, which are more places of remembrance and also not very well known.

The third ray activity in our life depends on where we are at the moment. In the stage of life where we create more things useful for ourselves and others, we are still especially busy with the third ray. After that it is more about experiencing, and finally, the will to let go and also to take leave again from the body helps us. We cannot always be busy creating something. The earlier we come to an end, the sooner we can enjoy experiencing life.

In the Indian scriptures the colour of Shiva is white, the colour of synthesis. The colour of Vishnu is blue, the colour of Brahma is golden yellow. These are the three primary colours of the three major rays. These three rays are in the first place of the seven rays. Although one ray may prevail in our actions, any good activity should include the qualities of the three rays. All seven rays affect our activity at any given moment, but each person has a different mixture of rays. It is only a question of which rays are dominant.

The soul naturally carries the qualities of the three major rays within itself. As soon as it descends more into dense matter, the three rays are reflected by the mind and the personality manifests. The reflection in the personality causes certain distortions. The will distorts itself into desire. Divine love becomes personal, emotional and possessive love and divine knowledge crystallises into intellectual concepts and emotional understanding. The intelligent activity distorts into rational thinking and ends in selfish activity and conflict.

If the personality does not look to the soul for direction, then in the mundane human being, the soul remains deeply asleep. Every day we have to attune to the soul again; so the soul can communicate with and direct the personality. As we purify our bodies and our actions and stand within our be-ness, in the be-ness of the universe, the light shines through us, love flows and magnetises people, and the will manifests through us according to time and place. When we say, Love is Good Will in Action, all three forces are contained in the expression.

Any activity performed with the soul as the basis is a third-ray intelligent activity. However, over-activity of our mind creates obstacles, so that the potential of the soul cannot express itself freely. Overactivity prevents us from receiving wisdom and inspiration from the higher circles. The discrimination of the higher mind disappears through the busy lower mind. We become entangled in activities and feel their burden, but not the joy and bliss. Money that we spend unnecessarily creates the habit of stimulated activity and at the same time contributes to a crystalization. If we are overly mentally stimulated, our head becomes hard as concrete. At the same time, a concrete mind burns wildly and quickly. It burns things inside us and can lead to diseases like cancer.

We should not make ourselves slaves of activities, but be masters. The Masters of Wisdom suggest passive dynamism. The lower mind should be made receptive so that it becomes accessible to the higher mind and to the soul. Then intelligence guides the activity without becoming entangled. It is a highly intelligent activity in which the fire of thought is used as economically as possible, for the third ray works with the law of economics. It is the intelligent use of resources for the benefit of the surrounding life. The third ray wants to achieve the greatest possible benefit with a minimum of effort. Its intelligent use includes working for the welfare of others, serving them and even sacrificing oneself for them. Intelligent use also means not reinterpreting things subtly or diplomatically for one's own benefit. Acting for one's own profit is unintelligent and causes attachment. Actions for the well-being of others are intelligent and lead us to freedom with joy and bliss.

Money quickly accumulates around people who know how to use resources intelligently. They fill their homes with many things they do not need, while countless people live in scarcity and poverty. Master Djwhal Khul says, “If ten percent of what is wasted by rich nations is used in the right way, then there will be no more poverty on the planet”. We must help others within our means and redistribute the accumulated resources in an intelligent way; otherwise they will slowly condition and manipulate our mind. If intelligence is not marked by selfishness, the growth of money will bring proportionate comfort and will lead to satisfaction. Master CVV explains that it is all right to use the means to a comfortable degree for one's own purposes; he recommends comfort but not luxury. When we show a strong interest in helping others, more and more is entrusted to us, because the higher circles thus express their trust as a blessing.

Everything we do today is somehow influenced by the third-ray activity of money. This leads to marketing and selling everything. Humans are purchased, life is also purchased. The government could set limits to the domination of money, but even the governance is oriented towards money, not wisdom. The business world is about more profit, more gains; there are no other values. The business world has access to power over governments, and via governments to law. It determines the course of events. For wisdom, business is limited only to the optimum distribution of resources. Wisdom has to prevail over governance and, above all, over our activity.

What to do? The first step is to withdraw from an activity which is not in accordance with life. The second step is to orient to promoting life. This cannot be done by an individual. In the business world there are intelligent people who are able to set the direction. If they contribute to people's well-being in an intelligent way, a solution for a better society will be within reach. Change must also be driven by government. Power and governance have been entrusted to them to guide people better.

Intelligent action means, no skilful manipulation in speech and action. Intelligent people are able to use others for their own purposes. They praise others so that the latter do the work for them. The problem is that praise is used manipulatively. If those who are praised pass the praise on to the source, they are not affected by praise.

In the scriptures skilful manipulation is symbolically represented as a rat. The rat also stands for Mercury, the intellect and the ruler of the third ray. Its qualities are speed and cleverness. If the rat is left to itself, it runs around everywhere and steals. The elephant-headed Ganesha, the embodiment of love-wisdom, was able to mollify the rat with his second ray energy, so that it offered itself to him as a mount. Ganesha with the rat is worshipped as a symbol for the skilful application of wisdom. Ganesha is a son of Shiva, the divine will. Ganesha once told his father, “In wisdom there is no will.” He only expresses the will of the Father. Thus, Ganesha is a perfect manifestation of the first, second and third rays.

Sources used: K.P. Kumar: Mithila. The New Age School Syllabus. Div. seminar notes. The World Teacher Trust - Dhanishta, Visakhapatnam, India