Commentary on Rule XIV Part I of V

28 Rules Group

Commentary on Rule XIV Part I of V

R&I (285-292)

(All Highlighting, Bolding and Underlining—MDR)

Please read this Commentary with your book open or with reference to an electronic copy of the text. This will facilitate an appreciation of continuity.

RULE FOURTEEN

In this final rule for disciples and initiates, a great summation is embodied.

The summation for Rule XIV for Disciples and Initiates is extremely brief, just as is the summation for the last of the Rules for Applicants.
The brevity only adds to the profundity-

I would here point out again (as I have so frequently in the past) that the obvious meaning—no matter how elevated—is not that with which we shall deal.

This is the ongoing challenge to students throughout these more advanced Rules.

It is the significance behind the meaning which is ever the concern of the initiate mind.

DK is writing for the “initiate mind”. These Rules are to be interpreted in the light of the spiritual triad—the realm of “significance”. This task naturally demands a functional antahkarana.

Students would do well to remember the following sequence of words, embodying ideas: Symbol, Meaning, Significance, Light, regarding light as the emanating creative energy—the organiser of the symbol, the revealer of the meaning, the potency of the significance.

Light is the final term in this sequence of four. It is really an amazing sequence and reminds us of the ancient aphorism that “a word to the wise is sufficient”.
In this sequence, light is not only the final term, it is also the central term, like the “point within the triangle”.
Usually one would associate light with the World of Meaning and we would say that the symbol reveals light (which in one sense is true).
But here it seems that light is associated the Shamballa—with what has been called “unfettered enlightenment”.
The following planar associations can be made:
Symbol—the World of the Mind
Meaning—the World of the Soul
Significance—the World of the Triad
Light—the World of the Spirit
Light is not only accessed by a symbol. Rather, light becomes an organizing potency. This is a third aspect function. When, along the antahkarana, the higher light is contacted, it out-pictures itself in symbol.
Further, let us think of the antahkarana process. When the creative imagination is brought into play and the bridge is imagined, it is the light of the intuition which organizes the product of the imagination so that can truly be in contact with the reflect the intuition. Imagination has contacted something more than itself and the images produced are mysteriously altered.
When the light of the soul descends (and even more so, the higher light), it reveals meaning, or relationship within context. This is a second aspect function of light—the Light of Love.
When the higher light is contacted (even more the “Highest Light” through the Monad) it empowers the sense of willed-direction revealed within the World of Significance. The direction of the Will of God is revealed and things are shown in relation to that Will and its direction and not only in relation to the context in which they are embraced. This is a expression of the highest aspect of light—the “Light of Life”.
We can see that each of the three divine aspects—light, love and power—contains within itself a threefold expression.
So much, we see, can be contained in a significant series of terms.

We have studied the rules and have penetrated deeply into the world of significances.

We have thus penetrated could we but realize it.
These advanced Rules are meant to be revelatory of the spiritual triad.
In fact, DK is suggesting that all of the Rules are to be interpreted from the perspective of significance technically understood.

Most of you have not, however, passed beyond the stage of groping in the world of [Page 286] meaning.

That we grope means that we do not yet see. And in what manner do we no yet see? We do not yet see with the “wisdom eye”—the ‘eye of synthesis’ which is confirmed in its opening at the third initiation and which admits consciously into the realm of the spiritual triad.

The reason for this is that you have not yet taken the third initiation.

True vision of significances would come at this point.
The revelation of significance leads us onward according to the Divine Will.

I would ask you also to bear in mind that the world of symbols is that of the personal life, of the phenomenal world as that phrase covers the three worlds of human evolution; the world of meaning is the world in which the soul lives and moves with intention and understanding; the world of significance is the world of the Spiritual Triad, which only confers its freedom fully after the third initiation.

Here DK gives the meaning of the first three terms in a full yet concise manner.
The entire world of the personality is a symbolic outpicturing of higher patterns of meaning and significance.
The soul lives in a world of appreciated relationships. This type of consciousness prevails in the World of the Soul.
In the World of Significance (the world of the “Spiritual Triad”) destined objectives (destined for our planet by our Planetary Logos are revealed.) The potency of intended directionality is added to the revelation of meaning.
We might say that in the World of Significance, the Light of Shamballa lights the way for the higher will of man. The man can intuit and can think in such a way as to be responsive to monadic will which is an aspect of the Will of the Planetary Logos. As this Highest Light pours in, the direction in which the man’s spiritual will should be applied (and it is a direction significant of the Will which directs our planet) is revealed, confirmed and strengthened.
The World of Light is not discussed. The power aspect of light is fully realized on the monadic plane. We know how much the factor of light is to be associated with the second aspect of divinity. The monadic plane is the second of the cosmic physical subplanes.

The words dealt with in this Rule XIV are apparently so simple that they can be easily understood. I will attempt to show you that their real meaning is deep and esoteric to what you call the nth degree.

We are shown that the Tibetan intends to lead us ever more deeply into the possibility for esoteric realization.
On a number of occasions, when the Tibetan uses the word “esoteric”, He indicates the Spirit/Monad.

Rule XIV.

For Applicants: Listen. Touch. See. Apply. Know.

For Disciples and Initiates: Know. Express. Reveal. Destroy. Resurrect.

These are all words for deep meditation.
One point for meditative focus is the apparent overlap between series, pivoting on the word “Know”.
The series for Applicants ends with knowledge of the World of the Soul. The series for the Initiate begins there.

The following relationships should be noted, for the first is the seed of the other.

APPLICANTS INITIATES

Listen....Know

Touch....Express

See...... Reveal

Apply....Destroy

Know.....Resurrect

We see how the higher terms correlate with the lower.
We also see the relationship of these lower terms to the first three senses, though we could not convincingly go so far as to say that the final two of these terms for applicants correlated with the sense of taste and smell.
Also, we must remember that the true Ego or soul is the spiritual triad.
We can eventually interpret even the five words for applicants in a triadal manner, but this is the not the way in which they must be interpreted initially.
For instance, in elevating the meanings of the five terms for applicants, we could proceed as follows:
Through inner hearing we come to know the soul-as-Triad. This occurs in relation to the buddhic plane, though first we must hear the “Voice of the Soul”.
Through the refined sense of touch we learn to express the soul-as-Triad, though first we must touch and be touched by the soul.
Through the extension of the sense of sight we are able to reveal the soul-as-Triad. A higher type of realization attuned to the atmic plane is ours, though first we must learn to ‘see’ the soul in three forms of expression—as Angel, as lotus, as wheel.
We eventually learn to apply the higher will to destroy the “shroud of the soul” (the causal body). Initially, though, application involves the intelligent application to the three worlds of that which is known by the personality or of that which the personality knows of the soul.
Finally one learns to know the spiritual triad intimately and also becomes intuitively intimate with the post-triadal world of the Monad, though at first, and obviously so, one must know the soul on the higher mental plane.
These are simply a few faltering attempts to convey that which the higher terms could signify when related to the original five terms and understood to include the elevated expressions of these lower five.
DK will undertake the explanation of these terms according to the hierarchical perspective.

You will note that the applicant eventually arrives at knowledge and begins to know;

This knowing is of that which the World of the Soul (on the higher mental plane) reveals.
The final knowing of the applicant is not a knowing of the spiritual triad.

the disciple or the initiate starts with knowing,

DK is obviously not speaking of the probationary disciple, but of the disciple who is passing through the probationary initiations. It would seem that such a disciple must have taken at least the second initiation at which time the building and utilization (with effectiveness) of the antahkarana is a confirmed part of the program of spiritual development.

and through his ability to express esoterically that which he knowsis able to reveal the light,

DK has given us an excellent little summary of the manner in which the disciples or initiate is to demonstrate the five higher terms or, really, injunctions or commands.
When DK uses the term “esoteric” or “esoterically”, so often He is speaking in terms of the spiritual triad or even the Monad.

and by that light to destroy all illusion, glamour and maya;

It ´will be the light of the intuition (clearly a triadal form of light) which brings illusion, glamor and maya to an end.

he brings about resurrection upon the physical plane—a resurrection from the death which physical plane life inevitably confers.

This type of resurrection suggests the taking of the fourth initiation. It is a rising out of physical plane life and a transcendence of the need to return to it through the usual process of incarnation—i.e., physical birth.
There is also a higher type of resurrection associated with the seventh initiation and the logoic plane. Of this type of resurrection we can know practically nothing and what we ‘know’ will be only theoretical.

The five words as given to the applicant are indeed relatively simple.

Though even here the simplicity can be misleading…

Most aspirants understand their meaning [Page 287] to a certain extent.

Here DK will interpret the five words to applicants in terms of the soul.

They know that the listening mentioned has naught to do with the sense of physical hearing, and that the touch to be developed has reference to sensitivity and not the sensory perception of the physical vehicle.

The words do not refer to the utilization of the outer senses in the normal manner. The outer senses can, however, assist in the process of “spiritual reading” by means of which the world of phenomena can be interpreted in the light of the soul.
We note that the applicant to initiation must always be sensitive, which suggests a certain refinement of the astral body.

They know likewise that the sight to be cultivated is the power to see the beauty underlying form, to recognise the subjective divinity and to register also the love conveyed through the medium of symbols.

This is a wonderful sentence. We are definitely speaking of “spiritual reading”, which suggest the first of the soul siddhis activate on the higher mental plane, “spiritual discernment”. It is a seeing of that which is spiritual in all things.
“Spiritual reading” (“spiritual discernment”) is a second ray type of vision, for the second ray is the “Ray of Beauty in Relationship”, the “Ray of the Divine Pattern”.
Divinity is a term relating to the Spirit, and students are also to cultivate their sense of inner ‘sight’ in that direction.
How beautiful, as well, to consider that love is “conveyed through the medium of symbols”. Symbols reveal the beauty of the Divine Pattern formulated through pure reason, which is another term for love as expressed through the buddhic plane.
When we look upon the world of symbols (the three lower worlds), we must realize that this world is a presentation of the love existing on the “plane of harmony”, the buddhic plane. Symbols reveal the purely reasonable love(purely reasonable in the occult sense) which underlies the World of Archetypes—found especially upon the monadic plane but reflected on the buddhic plane. In these worlds, all things exist together in loving harmony.
So, in this injunction, we are asked to see with the eyes of the higher consciousness—beginning at first with the consciousness of the veiled soul upon the higher mental plane, and moving gradually into the consciousness of the spiritual triad and then, of the, Monad. The aspirant, per se, is not asked to see with these higher extensions of consciousness, but the initiate is.

The application of soul energy to the affairs of daily life and the establishing of those conditions which permit of soul knowledge are the elementary lessons of the aspirant. With these I need not deal, except in so far as they give the clue to the significance of the five words as given to the initiated disciple.

This is very straightforward. Through meditation one learns what the soul intends. Will these intentions remain theoretical only? Or will they be applied in practical service? This is the crux of the problem of every aspirant and probationer. In the section of text under consideration, the focus is upon only the “elementary” lessons of the aspirant; more advanced lessons are not considered.
We should note that DK is pointing not so much to the “meaning” of the five words given to the “initiated disciple” but to their “significance”. This again affirms that these five words are to be understood in the light of the spiritual triad.
Note as wellthat the five terms in the higher series is given to the “initiated disciple”. What is the meaning of that term “initiated disciple”?
Minimally, it suggests the second initiation. At that point one is a true disciple, almost certainly “accepted” in the technical sense of the term, but one is not yet the true initiate—a state of consciousness and of mind which beginsa the third initiation.
Yet, from a higher perspective, those who have taken the third initiation are still disciples, as are even the members of the Spiritual Hierarchy. And, we must remember that the last seven of the fourteen higher Rules are only really to be understood by the initiate consciousness.
So, perhaps we must conclude that the real significance of this higher series of five terms will only be understood by the initiate of the third degree and that, in this context, the “initiated disciple” is one who has taken the third degree.

Let us take each of these five words and seek to ascertain their significance.

Again, He repeats this word “significance” which means that we will be looking at thee words from a very high perspective.

But first of all, I would like to point out that here we are concerned with monadic signatures,

This is an interesting and very occult term. It hearkens back to the medieval doctrine of “signatures”—which are often curiously rendered line-diagrams (very much like a person’s signature). They were sometimes called “sigils” and were thought to invoke and embody the energy or presence of a higher or lower E/entity.
We might say we are dealing with concretized expressions revelatory of the identity of the Monad.
DK is trying to reveal the nature of our subject. He is trying to reveal something of that monadic nature and monadic presence which lies behind the use of the five higher injunctions.

with that which synthesises significances,

Amazingly occult. Significances are realized within the spiritual triad. Yet it is the Monad, as the "point within the triangle", which synthesizes significances realized within the Triad.
Really, Rule XIV is a very synthetic, monadically inspired Rule.

and with that which contributes vital significance to the initiated life.