As promised in Chapter VI, we now come to describe more in detail the
hierarchies of beings, of various grades of power and intelligence, who build the universe, and help the Monads to undertake their vast pilgrimage through the worlds of matter.
The information at present available is somewhat fragmentary and ill defined whilst recognising that this is so, we must endeavour to make the most of such few facts at our disposal.
We have already seen that the One Existence, the Supreme, from Whom all manifested life proceeds, expresses Himself in a threefold manner, as the Trimurti, the Trinity. This of course, is recognised in practically every religion, under many names: e.g.., Sat, Chit, Ananda: Brahma, Vishnou, Shiva:
Ichchha,Jnana, Kriya: Cochma, Binah, Kepher: Father, Son and Holy Spirit:
Power, Wisdom, Love: Will , Wisdom and Activity, etc.etc.
Around the primary Trinity, in the light coming forth from Them, we find Those who are called the Seven. The Hindu speaks of the seven sons of Aditi: they have been called the Seven Spirits in the Sun: in Egypt They were known as the
seven Mystery Gods: in Zoroastrianism they are named the seven
Amshaspends,: in Judaism they are the seven Sephiroth: among Christians and Muhammedans, they are the seven Archangels, the seven Spirits before the Throne. In Theosophy they are usually termed the seven Planetary Logoi, each administering, His own department of the solar-system. They have ever been identified with the seven sacred planets, the planets being their physical bodies.
Round the Seven, is a wider circle, there come the Creative Hierarchies, as they are called: the Twelve Creative Orders of the Universe. These are headed by the Twelve Great Gods, that appear in ancient stories, and that are symbolised in the familiar Signs of the Zodiac. For the Zodiac is a very ancient symbolic
conception, in which the plane of the solar system is written.
When it is said that a planet "rules" or is Lord of, one of the Signs of the Zodiac, the meaning is that the Planetary Spirit or Logos has dominion over one of the twelve Creative Hierarchies which, under His control and direction build up, His Kingdom, and help the Monads to evolve.
The Twelve Creative Hierarchies are thus intimately concerned with the building, of the universe. These Hierarchies of Intelligence have, in past kalpas or
universes, completed their own evolution, and thus become co-workers with the One Will, with Ishvara, in the shaping of a new universe, or Brahmanda. They are the Architects, the Builders of the solar systems. They fill our solar system, and to them, we human beings owe our evolution spiritual, intellectual and physical. It is they who awaken the consciousness of the Monad and his Ray to the "dim sense of others", and of "I", and with this, a thrill of longing for a more clearly defined sense of the "I" and of "others", this being the "individual Will-to-live", which leads them forth into the denser worlds, wherein alone such sharper definition is possible.
At the present stage of evolution, out of the Twelve Creative Hierarchies, four have passed onward into liberation, and one is touching the thresh hold of liberation. Thus five have passed away from the ken of even the greatest and most developed Teachers of our world. There remain, therefore, seven only, with whom we have to deal.
Part of the work which some of them do, viz., the attaching of the permanent atoms , has already been described in Chapters VI and VII. This will now be repeated for the sake of completeness, with such few further particulars as are available, the whole work being classified into the departments for which each of the remaining seven Hierarchies is responsible.
A- THE ARUPA CREATIVE ORDERS
1. The First of the Arupa, or Formless, Creative Orders, is described by words connected with fire. They are known as Formless Fiery Breaths, Lords of Fire, Divine Flames, Divine Fires, Fiery Lions, Lions of Life. They are described also as the Life and Heart of the universe, the Atma, the Kosmic Will.
Through them comes the divine Ray of Paramatma, that awakens Atma in the Monads.
2. The Second Order is twofold in its nature, and is known as the "twofold units", representing Fire and Ether. They stand for Kosmic Buddhi, the Wisdom of the system, manifested Reason.
Their function is to arouse Buddhi in the Monads.
3. The Third Order is know as "the Triads", representing Fire, Ether and Water.
They stand for Mahat, the Kosmic Manas or Activity.
Their function is to awaken Manas in the Monads
B- THE RUPA CREATIVE ORDERS
4. The Fourth Creative Hierarchy consists of the Monads themselves.
At first sight, it may appear curious that the Monads themselves should be classed with the other Orders, but a little thought will show that the classification, is a proper one , the Monads clearly having a great deal to do with their own evolution. It is by no means outer agencies alone that determine their involution and evolution. Let us briefly recapitulate some of the factors due to the Monads themselves.
[1] Being of the First Logos, His will to manifest is also their will: they are self-moved
[2] It is the Monads who "shine forth" sending out their life, which builds the Ray or Higher Triad, and works through it.
[3] It is the Monads who choose the type of permanent atoms which are to be attached to them.
[4] The Third Outpouring, resulting from which the Causal Body is formed, comes through the Monads themselves.
[5] The Monads themselves pour down their life into and vivify the spirillae In the atoms, both permanent and other.
[6] The Monads, as evolution proceeds, steadily pour down more and more of their lives, gradually getting more closely into touch with their Rays—the Individuality, and also through the Individuality, with the personality.
5. The Fifth Creative Hierarchy is named that of Makara, and has for its symbol, the pentagon. In them the dual spiritual and dual physical aspects of nature appear, the positive and negative, at war with each other. They are the "rebels"
of many myths and legends. Some of them are known as Asuras, and were the
fruits of the First Chain. They are beings of great spiritual power and knowledge.
Deep within themselves they hide the germ of Ahamkara, the I-making faculty which is necessary for human evolution.
The Fifth Hierarchy guides the vibratory wave from the Aspect of Atma of the Monad to an atom of Atma, which it attaches as a permanent atom.
6. The Sixth Creative Hierarchy contains some who are known as Agnishvattas, and also as the "sixfold Dhyanis". They are the fruit of the Second Planetary Chain.
This Hierarchy includes also great hosts of Devas.
They guide the vibratory wave from the Wisdom aspect of the Monad to the Buddhic permanent atom.
Further they give to man all but the Atma and the physical body, and so are called the "givers of the five middle principles" . They guide the Monad in obtaining the permanent atoms [including of course the mental unit] connected with these principles, i.e.., Buddhi, Manas, Lower Manas, Kama, and the Etheric Double.
They have especially to deal with the intellectual evolution of man.
7. The Seventh Creative Hierarchy contains those known as Lunar Pitris, or Barhishad Pitris,: these are the fruit of the Third Chain.
They have to do with the physical evolution of man.
Also belonging to the Seventh Hierarchy, are vast hosts of Devas, the lower Nature Spirits, who have to do with the actual building of the body of man.
For the convenience of the student, a tabular statement of the Creative Hierarchies is appended.
THE SEVEN CREATIVE HIERARCHIES