Page 55 (part 11)

And if Bath-Kol, in Jewish mysticism, is an articulate praeternatural voice from heaven, revealing to the "chosen people" the sacred traditions and laws, it is only because Vach was called, before Judaism, the "Mother of the Vedas," who entered into the Rishis and inspired them by her revelations; just as Bath-Kol is said to have inspired the prophets of Israel and the Jewish High-Priests. And both exist to this day, in their respective sacred symbologies, because the ancients associated sound or Speech with the Ether of Space, of which Sound is the characteristic. Hence Fire, Water and Air are the primordial Cosmic Trinity. "I am thy Thought, thy God, more ancient than the moist principle, the light that radiates within Darkness (Chaos), and the shining Word of God (Sound) is the Son of the Deity." ("Pymander," § 6.)* Thus we have to study well the "Primary creation," before we can understand the Secondary. The first Race had three rudimentary elements in it; and no fire as yet; because, with the Ancients, the evolution of man, and the growth and development of his spiritual and physical senses, were subordinate to the evolution of the elements on the Cosmic plane of this Earth. All proceeds from Prabhavapyaya, the evolution of the creative and sentient principles in the gods, and even of the so-called creative deity himself. This is found in the names and appellations given to Vishnu in exoteric scriptures. As the Protologos (the Orphic), he is called Purvaja, "pregenetic," and then the other names connect him in their descending order more and more with matter. The following order on parallel lines may be found in the evolution of the Elements and the Senses; or in Cosmic terrestrial "MAN" or "Spirit," and mortal physical man: -- 1. Ether ... Hearing ... Sound. 2. Air ... Touch ... Sound and Touch. 3. Fire, or Light ... Sight ... Sound, Touch and Colour. 4. Water ... Taste ... Sound, Touch, Colour and Taste. 5. Earth ... Smell ... Sound, Touch, Colour, Taste and Smell. As seen, each Element adds to its own characteristics, those of its [[Footnote(s)]] ------------------------------------------------- * The opponents of Hinduism may call the above Pantheism, Polytheism, or anything they may please. If Science is not entirely blinded by prejudice, it will see in this account a profound knowledge of natural Sciences and Physics, as well as of Metaphysics and Psychology. But to find this out, one has to study the personifications, and then convert them into chemical atoms. It will then be found to satisfy both physical and even purely materialistic Science , as well as those who see in evolution the work of the "Great Unknown Cause" in its phenomenal and illusive aspects. [[Vol. 2, Page]] 108 THE SECRET DOCTRINE. predecessor; as each Root-Race adds the characterizing sense of the preceding Race. The same is true in the septenary creation of man, who evolves gradually in seven stages, and on the same principles, as will be shown further on. Thus, while Gods or Dhyan Chohans (Devas) proceed from the First Cause -- which is not Parabrahm, for the latter is the ALL CAUSE, and cannot be referred to as the " First Cause," -- which First Cause is called in the Brahmanical Books Jagad-Yoni, "the womb of the world," mankind emanates from these active agents in Kosmos. But men, during the first and the second races, were not physical beings, but merely rudiments of the future men: Bhutas, which proceeded from Bhutadi, "origin," or the "original place whence sprung the Elements." Hence they proceeded with all the rest from Prabhavapyaya, "the place whence is the origination, and into which is the resolution of all things," as explained by the Commentator. Whence also our physical senses. Whence even the highest "created" deity itself, in our philosophy. As one with the Universe, whether we call him Brahma, Iswara, or Purusha, he is a manifested deity, -- hence created, or limited and conditioned. This is easily proven, even from the exoteric teachings. After being called the incognizable, eternal Brahma (neuter or abstract), the Punda-Rikaksha, "supreme and imperishable glory," once that instead of Sadaika-Rupa, "changeless" or "immutable" Nature, he is addressed as Ekanaka-Rupa, "both single and manifold," he, the cause, becomes merged with his own effects; and his names, if placed in esoteric order, show the following descending scale: -- 1. Mahapurusha or Paramatman ... Supreme Spirit. 2. Atman or Purvaja (Protologos) ...The living Spirit of Nature. 3. Indriyatman, or Hrishikesa ..........Spiritual or intellectual soul (One with the senses). 5. Bhutatman ................................ . The living, or Life Soul. 6. Kshetrajna .................................. Embodied soul, or the Universe of Spirit and Matter. 7. Bhrantidarsanatah .........................False perception -- Material Universe. The last name means something perceived or conceived of, owing to false and erroneous apprehension, as a material form; but, in fact, only Maya, illusion, as all is in our physical universe. It is in strict analogy with ITS attributes in both the spiritual and material worlds, that the evolution of the Dhyan Chohanic Essences takes place; the characteristics of the latter being reflected, in their turn, in Man, collectively, and in each of his principles; every one of which contains in itself, in the same progressive order, a portion of their various " fires " and elements.