BASICS OF ESOTERICISM:

The Bridge of Light
by Aart Jurriaanse

Repeated reference has been made in previous articles to the 'Bridge of Light'.
This important subject needs some amplification. Spiritual contact is essential
to attain the unfoldment for which the aspirant yearns. For this purpose an
unobstructed flow of energy must be ensured, firstly from soul levels to the
three lower bodies, and at a more advanced stage from the Monad, via the
Triad, to the threefold personality.

The reason the beginner cannot contact his Higher Self, and even less the
Monad, is because there exists a wide gap in consciousness between each of
these three centres of energy, the Monad — the Soul — and the Personality,
and these two gaps must first be bridged before there can be an effective and
even flow of energy between the centres. This bridging must first be effected
between the Soul and Personality, and when firmly established and
functioning satisfactorily a beginning can be made with the building of the
more advanced bridge between the soul-infused Personality and the Triad, the
lower reflection of the Monad.

It should be kept in mind that the building of the Bridge of Light is merely a
symbolic representation to simplify the understanding of a vague concept.
The Bridge of Light is therefore not an actual channel between the soul and
the personality, or between the soul-infused personality and the Spiritual
Triad, but only a state of awareness — a living thought-form created by the
disciple. But although this bridge may be entirely of a spiritual nature, it is
none the less effective, and will serve as a line of contact, and a subjective
thread along which the flow and interchange of vital energies will be
conducted. The Bridge of Light will therefore finally serve to link the Monad,
as the originating source of spiritual Will, Love and Intelligence, with the soul
and personality, synthesizing them into one vibrant whole, providing another
useful and active piece of equipment for the direct contact between the Logos
and Humanity. From now on this threefold personality will become purely an
instrument and channel of service to the Monad, and the appearance assumed
by the form will depend solely on service requirements.

The Rainbow Bridge is sometimes also referred to as the 'Thread of
Consciousness' in contrast to the 'Thread of Life'. An apt way to distinguish
between these two vital channels of energy is to describe the 'Thread of Life'
as working from above (from the Spirit) downward to the form, while the
Forces of Consciousness are constructed upwards, from the world of
phenomena to the world of subjective realities — the 'Path of Return'.

First essential

In the construction of the lower part of the bridge between the personality and
the soul, the first essential is that the physical, emotional, and mental bodies
should be firmly integrated in the personality in order to establish a sound
foundation for the bridge. This first span should form a clear channel of
communication between the soul, via the concrete mind on the mental plane,
and on to the physical brain. Work on the first span should be steadily
pursued until the third initiation is attained.

After the third initiation the construction of the bridge is rapidly continued,
and during this process the three aspects of the Spiritual Triad become
perfectly linked and blended with their triple lower reflection in the
personality. The world of inspiration and the field of service are thus being
united into a single and efficient flow of activity on behalf of the Plan. This
contact between lower and higher mind will be demonstrated in the disciple
by intense devotion to that much of the Plan as can progressively be
discerned and understood. The clarity with which the Plan is visualized, and
the extent to which it is effectively served, will depend on the efficiency with
which the Lighted Way has been constructed.

During the early stages of spiritual development, the building of the Lighted
Way usually takes place automatically, and the aspirant remains unaware of
the process. The later stages, and especially the bridging of the higher gap
between the personality and the Triad, is an enterprise which the disciple
must, however, undertake with full awareness and determination. Many
disciples are subject to some form of mental lethargy and inertia, and seem to
sit back and wait for further development to come from outside. This,
however, is the wrong approach and will result in loss of valuable time and
opportunity. 'Before the man can tread the Path, he must become the Path
itself.' Through meditation and concentration, deliberate efforts should be
made to establish the first tenuous threads of contact with the Triad, and
through sustained exertion ever stronger light should be focused on the Way,
till this bridge becomes the way of least resistance, and a constant and smooth
interrelation and interchange of energy is ensured.

One of the most reliable techniques for erecting the supports of the Bridge of
Light is the rendering of selfless service to our fellow men. Such altruistic
work will assist in esoterically 'repulsing' the hold of the personality — it is
this hold by the lower worlds which must systematically be broken down to
set free the impeded soul.

The completed Bridge of Light also becomes the way of escape from all
forms of pain. This results from the consciousness being focused in the Triad
and no longer in the physical and emotional bodies where pain is normally
registered. When the consciousness is automatically centred at these higher
levels after the third initiation, pain and other negative astral sensations of the
lower worlds will steadily be transcended and eventually transmuted into joy
and bliss!

Retaining of identity

The retention of individuality by the evolving human entity contains some
apparent anomalies. On the one hand the Tibetan clearly states that 'identity
ever remains', but on the other hand all esoteric study is based on the premise
that each human Monad is just 'a spark of the One Life' — a spark which has
been separated from the One to undergo experience in the physical world and,
after being enriched with what has been gained, is returning on its way back
to union with the Father.

Another approach is that each human being is but a cell in the manifested
body of our Planetary Logos, and that our planetary Deity in His turn
represents only a minute atom of the Greater Universe, the SUPREME
BEING. But although there is this merging with entities of ever increasing
dimension and complexity, and on ever higher spiritual level, the Ancient
Wisdom teachings nevertheless maintain that identity is never lost and that
each individual for ever remains a separate unit of consciousness within the
greater Whole.

In the course of his evolution man becomes aware of the fact that he forms an
intrinsic and sentient part of a more comprehensive Entity. As his
development proceeds during successive incarnations, he slowly begins to
grasp something of the intent and purpose of the Whole, consciously
identifies himself with that greater Purpose, swinging himself in to the rhythm
of that Whole of which he only forms a small part. This adaptation and
merging with the greater rhythm involves the individual in the synthesized
purpose and activity, resulting in enhanced experience and progressive
spiritual enrichment, but without detracting from self-awareness.

Aart Jurriaanse, wrote a number of compilations from the books of Alice A. Bailey. Among these are: Of Life and other worlds; Prophecies; Ponder on this; Serving Humanity; The Soul; The Quality of Life; and he is also the author of Bridges which is a Commentary on these teachings.   

Directory of articles by Aart Jurriaanse

"The future will see right relationships, true communion, a sharing of all things  (wine, the blood, the life and bread, economic satisfaction) and goodwill; we have  also a picture of the future of humanity when all nations are united in complete  understanding and the diversity of languages - symbolic of differing traditions,  cultures, civilizations and points of view - will provide no barrier to right  human relations..." 
The Tibetan

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