A Study from the "Secret Doctrine"
by G.R.S.Mead, F.T.S.
Originally published in "The Theosophist "
and reprinted in "Theosophical Siftings" Volume -5- 1892-1893
As the present paper is little more than a compilation,
it should be understood that it is simply put forward as a study from the first two volumes of the Secret
Doctrine, and as such, is devoid of all merit in itself. The book referred to, however, is by no means meant
to be a categorical exposition of the occult teachings on cosmogony, but rather a series of hints as to their
general outlines, supported, however, by a wealth of evidence from antiquity and from the latest discoveries
in Science, to prove that such a Doctrine has always existed, and has been the Central Sun from whence the
rays of the world-religions, and the philosophies and sciences of antiquity, have shone forth. Yet these
hints, few as they are when compared to the facts of the stupendous problems which have to be solved, are
of so wide reaching, if not universal, a character, that they will be found to afford almost inexhaustible
food for thought.
It is proposed in dealing with our planetary chain to treat first of all of the general evolution of a sidereal
body, then of a planet, and finally of our own earth: but it must be remembered that the general evolution of
a sidereal body is at a stage of growth far antedating the evolution of our own physical globe, and that if the
two are brought into too great proximity in thought, great confusion will arise. It is, however, necessary to
briefly run over the constitution of the solar system in order to localise in thought the position of a planet
in the evolution of the Universe.
It is one of the postulates of ancient science that there is a Central Sun of the Universe, the heart of the
great body of Cosmos. This may be called the nucleole of the universal germ-cell, and just as the germ-cell
granulates and evolves into the perfect form of its type, so does the universe, on its own stupendous scale,
differentiate and evolve into its component systems. Strange though it may seem, the study of the development
of an insignificant germ-cell will teach the student of nature the genesis of a world or even of a universe: "As
above so below". And just as the germ-cell requires a certain energy to develop into a plant, an animal
or a man, so does every sidereal body require an energy to evolve it into its present stage of manifestation.
This energy is called Fohat, the electro-vital force of the universe. Bearing then the facts of a Central Sun
and Fohat in mind, we shall be able to understand the following from an ancient scripture.
.
"The Central Sun causes Fohat to collect primordial dust in the [Page 13] form
of balls, to impel them to move in converging lines, and finally to approach each other and aggregate . . . Being
scattered in Space, without order or system, the world-germs come into frequent collision until their final aggregation,
after which they become wanderers (i.e., comets). Then the battles and struggles
begin. The older (bodies) attract the younger, while others repel them. Many perish, devoured by their stronger
companions, those that escape become worlds." (I..201.)
Here we are introduced to a veritable "War in Heaven", in which the "Struggle for Existence" and
the "Survival of the fittest", play their respective parts. These "Battles of the Gods" have
been fabled in every mythology of antiquity, when the children of the past listened with awe to those grand
allegories that veiled the truths of initiation. Whereas in this enlightened nineteenth century, our own less
reverent age laughs at our Scandinavian forefathers, who sang of the "Battle of the Flames when the sons
of Muspel fought on the Field of Wigred"; and while for six days in the week we treat with lofty scepticism
the Revelation-Myth of Michael and his Hosts battling with the Dragon when a third of the stars were hurled from
Heaven, we are content on the seventh "to take it as read". These earlier stages of the manifestation
of Cosmos at the beginning of a "Great Age" are graphically and symbolically represented by a ceremony
at the Feast of Fires in India, which is thus described in the Secret Doctrine (1.203)
"Seven ascetics appear on the threshold of the temple with seven lighted sticks of incense. At the light
of these the first row of pilgrims light their incense sticks. After which every ascetic begins whistling his
stick round his head in space, and furnishes the rest with fire. Thus with the heavenly bodies. A laya-centre
(that is to say, a world-germ) is lighted and awakened into life by the fires of another pilgrim, after which
the new centre rushes into space and becomes a comet. It is only after losing its velocity and hence its fiery
tail, that the 'Fiery Dragon' settles down into quiet and steady life as a regular respectable citizen of the
sidereal family".
Let us, however, bear in mind that we are dealing with a metaphysical rather than with a physical universe, for
the worlds we see are but the gross physical molecules of the outer shell of Cosmos, just as the physical body
of man is but his outer "coat of skin", and not the real man.
Now the universe and everything in it is septenary, that is to say, is composed of seven interpenetrating States
of Substance, — three of which are spiritual and four material. This one substance, if anything,
is LIFE, and its constituent particles or atoms are the Lives which "live and have their being by
consuming each other". Hence they are called the "Devourers" — these are the builders of
everything in the Universe. (Il 250.) Now the lowest, or outer, and most material state of this substance is
that visible and objective universe which we cognise with our physical senses; its other [Page
14] states are therefore metaphysical and subjective, or outside
the range of our normal and physical perception. We have, however, only to deal with the four lower and material
planes of this substance, the three higher, or innermost, being of a spiritual nature, and entirely formless,
and therefore, — as far as material consciousness
is concerned, — ineffable. These are the seven great cosmic elements or "rudiments", which must
not be confused with the elements of the ancients, much less with the elements of our modern science. For while
even the elements of the ancient Grecian physicists were all on the lowest of these seven planes, or, in other
words, were subdivisions of the seventh cosmic element; while even of these they only knew four, viz.,
their so-called Earth, Water, Air and Fire, with a problematical fifth called the quintessence; — the gross
elements of our present science are all on the lowest of these sub-divisions again in their turn. For the Earth,
Water, Air and Fire even of the "Philosophers" were "subtle elements" compared to the modern
molecular army which Professor Crooke's is fast sweeping into the scientific dustbin.
Remembering then that we are dealing with processes which, as far as our solar system is concerned, occurred
thousands of millions of years ago, the genesis of a sidereal body can be traced along a line of evolution, which
may be described as follows: "As soon as a nucleus of primordial substance in the Laya (i.e., undifferentiated)
state is informed by the freed principles of a just deceased sidereal body, it (the new centre) becomes
first a comet, then a sun, to cool down into a habitable world." (I. 203.) We have now to deal with a planet,
as a thing itself, independent of any connection with the other bodies in its system, and remembering that the
term "Planetary Chain" has nothing whatever to do with the physical planets, which are the "younger
brothers" of the sun, but rather with the "six sisters" of each of them.
We have, therefore, to trace the evolution of a planet from its emergence from the laya or homogeneous
state, through its various transformations, until it involves into the laya state again, " which
is the eternal and the normal condition of substance, differentiating only periodically, and being during
that differentiation in an abnormal state — in other words, a transitory illusion of the senses". (I.
567.) For just as the universe is out-breathed and in-breathed, so does the planet emerge from its world-germ
to return again to its primordial state, after completing its spiral and cyclic path of evolution and involution.
Like everything else in the universe, this planetary cycle is of a septenary nature, consisting of seven root
changes of state, which may, for convenience, be called "globes", but should not be imagined to occupy
different places in space, but rather be thought of as images to represent changes of state caused by the information
of the nebulous and ethereal [Page 15] planetary
matter, which evolves from, and involves into, itself. These seven globes interpenetrate one another, although
they are divided each from the other in degree, or state, just as the seven principles of man or the seven planes
of consciousness, are separated. What is to be remembered, however, is that it is a separation of state and not
of locality. In order to understand this idea more clearly, we may with advantage turn to the following passage
(S. D., I. 605), where, treating of such interpenetrating and invisible worlds in general, it says:—
"Occultism refuses (as Science does in one sense) to use the words 'above' and 'below', 'higher' and
'lower', in reference to invisible spheres, as being without meaning. Even the terms 'East' and 'West'
are merely conventional, necessary only to aid our human perceptions. For, though the earth has its two fixed
points in the poles, north and south, yet both east and west are variable relatively to our own position on the
earth's surface, and in consequence of its rotation west to east. Hence when 'other' worlds are mentioned — whether
better or worse, more spiritual or still more material, though both invisible — the occultist does not
locate these spheres either outside or inside the earth, as the theologians and the poets
do; for their location is nowhere in the space known to, and conceived by, the profane. They are as it
were, blended with our world — interpenetrating
it and interpenetrated by it. There are millions and millions of worlds and firmaments visible to us; there
are still greater numbers beyond those visible to the telescopes, and many of the latter kind do not belong to
our objective sphere of existence. Although as invisible as though they were millions of miles beyond
our solar system, they are yet with us, near us, within our own world, as objective and material to their respective
inhabitants as ours is to us. But, again, the relation of these worlds to ours is not that of a series of egg-shaped
boxes enclosed one within the other, like toys called Chinese nests; each is entirely under its own special laws
and conditions, having no direct relation to our sphere. The inhabitants of these, as already said, may be, for
all we know, or feel, passing through and around us as if through empty space, their very habitations
and countries being interblended with ours, though not disturbing our vision, because we have not yet the faculties
necessary for discerning them. Yet, by spiritual sight, adepts, and even some seers and sensitives, are always
able to discern, whether in a greater or smaller degree, the presence and close proximity to us of Beings pertaining
to another sphere of life. Those of the (spiritually) higher worlds communicate if
only with those terrestrial mortals who ascend to them, through individual
efforts, on to the higher plane they are occupying".
Thus, in dealing with the evolution of a planet, we have the conception [Page 16]
of what is called a "Planetary Chain", or succession of seven globes each within the other, deploying
on the four material planes of Cosmos. For convenience, and remembering that a figure is at best a very misleading
guide, if not used judiciously, — we may represent this process by a diagram as follows: —
Let a, b, c, d, e, f, g, represent the seven globes. Then bearing in mind the idea of outbreathing and inbreathing, or evolution and involution, we shall be compelled to portray the cyclic manifestation of a planet on the four lower planes of Cosmos, represented on a plane surface, by a curve or circle. Thus we shall find that globes a and g are on the highest of the four planes; globes b and on the second: globes c and e on the third; and globe d on the fourth, where it stands alone, for it is the balance or turning point between the descent into matter and the ascent into spirit.