This is the second half of the tenth chapter of the book
"The Secret Doctrine of the Rosicrucians."
The body of the Rosicrucian
teachings includes very close and detailed instruction concerning the life of
the soul between incarnations, the phenomena of the Astral World, and similar
subjects, which would require many large books to record. In the present chapter
we shall attempt to present to the student a general idea of the teachings
concerning such subjects, without going into details which cannot be presented
at the present time in the space at our command.
Death
The moment of "death"
arriving for the person, the soul sloughs off the ordinary physical body, and
clad in the garments of the Elemental Soul it leaves the scene of the physical
body. At first, however, the separation is not complete, for the Elemental Soul
is still attached to the physical body by a thin slender thread or cord, which
finally breaks and allows the soul to proceed on its way. The garments of the
Elemental Soul are of course, in a sense, "physical" just as truly as
were the garments of the visible body which were just cast off by the soul. In
these new garments, however, the person is invisible to the ordinary sight of
men, and except in the case of clairvoyants its presence cannot be detected.
The astral plane
The disembodied soul passes then on
to what occultists know as the Astral Plane, which however is not a place in any sense of the word, but is
rather "a state or condition of being" having nothing to do with
space limitations. The Astral Plane manifests its phenomena by means of a
higher rate of vibrations than those concerned in the phenomena of the Earth
Plane. Different planes of being may occupy the same space at the same time
without interfering one with the other.
Reaching the vibrations of the
Astral Plane, the Newly disembodied soul falls into a deep sleep, or state of
coma, resembling the condition of the unborn child for several months before
its birth. This condition is necessary in order to prepare the soul for its
life on the new plane. The soul which has left the earth scene with calmness
and peaceful mental attitude soon drops into a dreamless slumber; but those
whose minds have been filled with strong desires connected with earth life
often experience what are called "astral dreams" in which they
revisit the scenes of earth life, and if possible may indulge in more or less
distorted and dreamy communications through "mediums" and others.
(This is incorrect since the masters explained
that it is the materialistic people who fall into a dreamless slumber, the others dream in the life they have just
left, and those who wake up in the astral plane are the ones who can
communicate with the mediums, although most of those contacts are with
elementaries.)
The strong desires and grief on the
part of those left behind on the earth scenes, also, sometimes act to set up a
"rapport" condition, and thus disturb the sleeping soul and interfere
with its needed preparatory rest. In this slumber state the disembodied soul is
fully protected from the influence or presence of other beings, and is as
secure as is the child in its mother's womb.
Some souls require a long period of
soul sleep on the Astral Plane before awakening into new activities, while
others require only a comparatively short time. The general rule is that the
higher the spiritual development of the soul, the longer is its period of soul
sleep.
(Conversely, more developed the person is, faster
she wake up on the astral after death.)
The period of soul-sleep bears a
close relation to the period of the sojourn of the soul on the Astral Plane — the
less developed souls rushing speedily to rebirth while the more developed ones
spend a much longer time on the Astral Plane between births.
(This is also incorrect since the period in
the astral plane corresponds to what the person lacked from living on Earth,
for example if she had intended to live 90 years, but died at sixty, then she
will spend 30 years on the plane astral.)
In the soul sleep a strange process
occurs, namely, the preparation for the sloughing off of the lower sheaths of
the soul, leaving it free to enter the life on the Astral Plane clad only in
the garments of its highest stage of spiritual attainment reached by it.
(This is also incorrect, and in fact the
person's astral body will move towards the astral sub-plane to which it tunes.)
Each soul awakens on the Astral
Plane prepared to dwell on the plane of its highest and best, leaving the rest
behind it. It awakens on the plane in which the highest and best in itself is
given a chance to develop and expand, and to make progress, for the soul may,
and does, make great progress in these between-births sojourns on the Astral
Plane.
(This is false since most people remain
asleep during their stay on the astral plane.)
On the Astral Plane there are
countless sub-planes, and divisions thereof, all of which are more or less
independent of each other. The distinctions between the planes are altogether
the result of differences on the rate of vibrations, and do not represent
distances in space. Each sub-plane or division thereof is inhabited by souls
exactly fitted to dwell upon it, by reason of their respective degree of
spiritual enfoldment. The great law of attraction operates in producing this
result, and each soul "feels perfectly at home" on the plane in which
it finds itself. The law works with unerring accuracy, and makes no mistakes.
By certain fixed natural laws each
soul is restricted to the realms of its own sub-plane or division of the Astral
Plane, except that it may, if it desires, visit the planes beneath its own — but
it cannot visit those higher than its own.
(You can visit higher sub-planes by raising
your vibrations.)
The law of vibrations acts as the
astral policemen in these matters. Disembodied souls may thus communicate with
and have converse and association with each other, but only by the higher soul
visiting the lower, and never the reverse.
The "scenery" and
environment of the various sub-planes of the Astral Plane correspond with the
ideas and beliefs of the souls occupying them. The Indian may find his
"happy hunting ground" much more truly than some people would have us
think. The thoughts and ideals of the soul is reflected upon the receptive
substance of the Astral Plane, and each soul, in a certain sense, is the
creator of its own environment and world — by its thought forms it builds
itself a congenial world.
The soul makes progress during its
sojourn on the Astral Plane, and prepares itself for a better and happier
environment upon rebirth. During that sojourn it assimilates and digests the
experiences of its last earth life, and learns the true lessons of such
experiences, and these are reflected in the new character which it is forming.
(This happens on the devachan, not on the
astral plane.)
Past mistakes are seen, and the true
meaning of many puzzling experiences are perceived. The soul thus "takes
stock" of itself and is better prepared to meet the conditions of its next
earth life.
On the Astral Plane the soul also
receives the aid and assistance of some of the great spiritual teachers of the
race, whose chosen occupation is to administer to the wants of the pained and
suffering souls who are striving to find the way out of their troubles and
mistakes.
(This is also false since the astral plane
is only a transit point between the physical world and the celestial world.)
Not only do these teachers
administer to the strictly spiritual wants of the souls seeking their help, but
in many cases the soul is given the advantage of great assistance in chosen
occupations, such as art, science, music, invention, etc., from advanced
congenial souls ready and willing to help strugglers on the path. Many an
artist, musician, writer, or inventory has come into rebirth greatly benefited
and improved by reason of contact with such helpers of the Astral Plane.
Finally, after the longer or short
period of sojourn of the soul upon the Astral Plane —the duration of which
depends upon the degree of spiritual development of the soul— there comes to it
the first dawn of a new state or condition, known to occultists as "the second
soul-sleep," or slumber, in which the soul is prepared for its new birth
on earth which is coming to it. A writer has well described this state as
follows:
« The second soul-sleep is
preceded by a transition state of gradually declining activity and
consciousness, and a corresponding desire for rest on the part of the soul. The
natural processes of the Astral Plane nearing their close, the soul begins to
experience a feeling of lassitude and weariness, and instinctively longs for
rest and repose. It finds that it has lived out the greater part of its
desires, ambitions, and ideals, and in many cases has also outlived them. There
comes to it a wistful feeling of having fulfilled the purpose of its destiny,
and a premonition of the coming of some newer phase of existence. The soul does
not feel pain at the approach of the second soul-sleep, but, on the contrary,
experiences satisfaction and happiness at the coming of something which
promises rest and recuperation. Like the weary traveller who has climbed the
mountain paths, and has delighted in the experiences of the journey, the soul
feels that it has well earned a restful repose, and, like that traveller, it
looks forward to the same with longing and desire. »
The same writer says:
« The soul may have passed by a
few years, or perhaps a hundred or a thousand years, of earth-time, on the
Astral Plane, according to its degree of development and unfoldment. But, be
its stay short or long, the feeling of weariness reaches it at last, and, like
many aged persons in earth-life, it feels that 'my work is over—let me pass
on.' So sooner or later the soul feels a desire to gain new experience, and to
manifest in a new life some of the advancement which has come to it by reason
of its unfoldment on the Astral Plane. And, from these reasons, and also from
the attraction of the desires which have been smouldering there, not lived out
or cast off; or, possibly influenced by the fact that some loved soul, on a
lower plane, is ready to reincarnate, and wishing to be with that soul (which
is also a form of desire) the soul falls into a current sweeping toward rebirth
and the selection of proper parents and advantageous environment. In
consequence whereof it again falls into a state of soul-slumber, gradually, and
so when its time comes it 'dies' on the Astral Plane, as it did before on the
material plane, and passes forward toward rebirth on earth. »
Rebirth
There is another fact concerned with
the awakening of the soul at rebirth, however, which is seldom mentioned by
writers upon the subject, and which is consequently not known to many persons
familiar with the other facts concerning rebirth. This fact is as follows:
Strictly speaking, the soul continues in a condition of partial slumber even
after it has been re-born in earth life. It does not fully awaken at once in
the body of the new-born child in which it has been reincarnated, but on the
contrary it awakens only gradually during the early childhood and youth of the
child.
A writer, speaking of the above
important fact concerning rebirth, says:
« A soul does not fully awaken
from its second soul-slumber immediately upon rebirth, but exists in a
dream-like state during the days of infancy, its gradual awakening being
evidenced by the growing intelligence of the babe, the brain of the child
keeping pace with the demands made upon it. In some cases, however, the
awakening is premature, and we see cases of prodigies, child-geniuses, etc.,
but such cases are more or less abnormal and unhealthy. Occasionally, the
dreaming soul in the child half awakes, and startles its elders by some
profound observation or mature remark or conduct. The rare instances of
precocious children and infant genius are illustrations of cases in which the
awakening has been more than ordinarily rapid. On the other hand, cases are
known where the soul does not awaken as rapidly as the average, and the result
is that the person does not show signs of full intellectual activity until
nearly middle-aged. Cases are known where men seem to 'wake up' when they are
forty years of age, or even older, and then take on freshened activity and
energy, surprising those who had known them before. »
Here we ask the student to carefully
consider another point concerning the need of and consequences of the second
soul-slumber. Just as in the first soul-slumber the soul underwent a period of
spiritual digestion and assimilation of the experiences of its earth-life, so
in the second soul-slumber it undergoes a period of digestion and assimilation
of its experiences on the Astral Plane.
(This is false since the postmortem stay is
a period of rest and assimilation, not activity.)
In both of these periods of
spiritual digestion and assimilation the soul converts the substance of the
experience into the solid flesh, bone, and blood of its "character."
It has outlived many things during its sojourn on the Astral Plane, and has
left many undesirable qualities behind it.
In moving on toward rebirth during
the second soul-slumber each soul goes to where it belongs, by reason of what
it is. There is no favoritism shown, nor any injustice done it. The soul is not
forced to reincarnate against its desires—in fact, it reincarnates because of
its unsatisfied desires. It is carried into the current of rebirth because its
tastes and desires have created bonds of attractions between it and the things
of earth. These desires and tastes can be satisfied only through another
experience of earth-life, amidst environment and conditions best suited to
allow it to manifest those desires and tastes. It hungers to satisfy its
desires and longings, and it moves in the direction in which such satisfaction
is possible. Desire is always the great motive power of the soul in determining
the conditions of rebirth, and the very fact of rebirth itself.
A writer on the subject has well
said:
« The soul, preserving its
desire for material things —the things of flesh and material life— and not
being able to divorce itself from these things, will naturally fall into the
current of rebirth which will lead it toward conditions in which these desires
will flourish and become manifest. It is only when the soul, by means of many
earth-lives, begins to see the worthlessness and illusory nature of earthly
desires, and it begins to become attracted by the things of the life of its
higher nature, and, escaping the flowing currents of earthly rebirth, it rises
above them and is carried to higher spheres.
The average person, after years of
earthly experience, is apt to say that he or she has no more desire for earth
life, and that his or her only desire is to leave the same behind forever.
These persons are perfectly sincere in their statements and beliefs, but a
glance into their inmost souls would reveal an entirely different state of
affairs. They are not, as a rule, really tired of earth life, but are merely
tired of the particular kind of
earth life which they have experienced during that incarnation. They have
discovered the illusory nature of a certain set of earthly experiences, and
feel disgusted at the same. But they are still full of another set of experiences
on earth. They have failed to find happiness or satisfaction in their own
experience, but they will admit, if they are honest with themselves, that if
they could have had things “just so and so,” instead of “thus and so,” they
would have found happiness and satisfaction.
The “if” may have been satisfied
love, wealth, fame, gratified ambition, success of various kinds, etc.,—but be
it what it may, the “if” is
nearly always there. And that IF is really the seed of their remaining desires.
And the longing for that IF is really the motive for rebirth. Very few persons
would care to live over their earth life in the same way. But, like old Omar,
they would be perfectly willing to remake the world according to their heart's
desire, and then live the earth life. It is really not the earth life at all
which is distasteful to them, but merely the particular experiences of earth
life which are disdained. Give to the average man and woman youth, health,
wealth, talent and love, and they will be very willing to begin the round of
earth life afresh. It is only the absence of, or failure in, these or similar
things, which causes them to feel that life is a failure, and a thing to be
joyfully left behind.
The soul, in its sojourn upon the
Astral Plane, is rested, refreshed and reinvigorated. It has forgotten the
weariness of life which it had experienced during the previous incarnation. It
is again young, hopeful, vigorous, and ambitious. It feels within itself the
call to action —the urge of unfulfilled desires, aspirations, and ambitions— and
it readily falls into the currents which lead it to the scene of action in
which these desires, are manifested. »
The same writer also says:
« Another point which should be
cleared up is that regarding the character of the desires which serve as the
motive power for rebirth. It is not meant that these desires are necessarily
low or unworthy desires or longings. On the contrary, they may be of the
highest character, and might be more properly styled aspirations, ambitions, or
high aims, but the principle of desire is in them all. Desires, high and low,
are the seeds of action. And the impulse toward action is always the
distinguishing feature of desire. Desire always wants to have things, or to do
things, or to be things. Love, even of the most unselfish kind, is a form of
desire; so is aspiration of the noblest kind. A desire to benefit others is as
much a desire as its opposite. In fact, many unselfish souls are drawn back
into rebirth simply by the insistent aspiration to accomplish some great work
for the race, or to serve others, or to fulfill some duty inspired by love.
But, high or low, if these desires are connected in any way with the things of
earth, they are rebirth motives and rudders. But in conclusion, let us say that
no soul which does not in its inmost soul desire to be reborn on earth will
ever be so reborn.
(That is false because if the person has
negative karma, no matter how much she do not want to be reborn, she will still
return to earth.)
Such a soul is attracted toward
other spheres, where the attractions of earth exist not. In that case, the law
of attraction carries the soul away from earth, not toward it. There are many
souls which are now on the Astral Plane, undergoing the final stages of the
casting off of the earthly bonds. And there are many souls now in earth life
which will never again return to earth, but which after their next sojourn on
the Astral Plane will rise to the higher planes of existence, leaving the earth
and all earthly things behind forever. At the present time we are nearing the
end of a cycle in which a very great number of souls are preparing for their
upward flight, and many who read these lines may be well advanced in that
cyclic movement. »
(That is false, since at the current level
that humans have, there is still a long way to go before the vast majority of
them can free themselves from the cycle of reincarnations, and at the moment only
happens in very isolated cases.)
OBSERVATIONS
This is not a Rosicrucian teaching but in fact it is a summary of the
concept that William Atkinson had about what happens after death and which he
elaborated from the theosophical and neo-theosophical teachings that he read,
but unfortunately he says many falsehoods about it. And the writer who mentions
so much is himself coping several extracts from his book "Life Beyond Death" where he
detailed much more on this subject, nothing more than in that book it was not a
"Rosicrucian" teaching but that it was a "Hindu" teaching,
which is also false since Hindus believe that the soul frequently reborn immediately.
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