CHAINS
As we have just seen, a chain consists of 7 globes, each of which has 7 periods of activity, so that 49 globe-periods make up 1 chain-period.
When the chain-period is completed, the globes which form it disintegrate, and the matter which composed them is re-formed to make 7 new globes. These 7 new globes then pass through 7 rounds of activity, precisely as before, and are then broken up, only to be re-formed once more into another set of 7 globes.
The individual globes, which are formed from the disintegrated matter of the preceding chain, although formed of the same ultimate material particles, are not composed of the same grades of matter. Diagram V makes clear what happens. The first chain is formed of
2 globes of âtmic matter,
2 globes of buddhic matter,
2 globes of higher mental matter,
1 globe of lower mental matter.
The second chain descends a step, in the order of its matter, so that it has
2 globes of buddhic matter,
2 globes of higher mental matter,
2 globes of lower mental matter,
1 globe of astral matter.
The third and fourth chains plunge still lower into matter, as indicated in Diagram V.
The diagram brings out several points of interest, which are worthy of note. Thus, out of the 49 globes in the whole series of 7 chains,
4 are âtmic,
8 are buddhic,
12 are higher mental,
12 are lower mental,
8 are astral,
5 are physical.
Thus only the first and seventh chains have purely âtmic globes; only the second and sixth have purely buddhic globes; all but the fourth chain have higher mental globes; all but the first and seventh have lower mental globes; only the third, fourth and fifth chains have physical globes.
The central plane of the five planes is the mental, and this plane alone is divided into two portions. Every one of the 7 chains has representative globes on the mental plane ; all but the fourth chain, in fact, having representatives on both the higher and the lower mental planes.
From this consideration, it is clear that the mental plane plays a part of great importance in man's evolution: for, of the whole 49 globes, 24, or nearly half, are on the mental plane. Hence the appropriateness of the occult definition of man as ”that being in the universe, in whatever part of the universe he may be, in whom highest Spirit and lowest Matter are joined together by Intelligence.”
The period between any two successive chains, during which the matter of the previous chain is in a state of disintegration, is known as the prâlaya of the chain, or the inter-chain prâlaya.
The whole series of 7 chains makes up what is called a Scheme of Evolution, or sometimes merely a Scheme.
We therefore now have this table:
7 globe-periods = 1 round,
49 - ” - = 7 rounds = 1 chain-period,
343 - ” - = 49 - ” - = 7 chain-periods = 1 Scheme ofEvolution.
We may note in passing that, as indicated in Diagram V, we are at present in the fourth chain of our Scheme of Evolution, and therefore at its lowest level of materiality. The precise point in that chain which we have now reached is, however, so important as to deserve separate consideration at a later stage of our study.
The 7 successive chains are sometimes spoken of as ”incarnations” of the chain. Chains are spoken of also as Planetary Chains.
A chain may be regarded as the Upâhi or vehicle of the Planetary Logos-an Entity who will be described in a later chapter. We may think of the Planetary Logos re-incarnating Himself in the 7 successive chains, each chain beginning with the fruitage of its predecessor, each handing on to its successor that which itself has made.
In the first 3 chains we may say Spirit or Life descends into matter; in the fourth chain Spirit and, Matter are interwoven and form innumerable relations; the last 3 chains are those of upward climbing, at the end of which all will return to the Planetary Logos, to merge into Îshvara with the fruitage of evolution.
No comments:
Post a Comment