The problem of duality
by Aart Jurriaanse
Aart Jurriaanse, undoubtedly one of the foremost experts on the Alice A.
Bailey books, discusses several subjects from the esoteric viewpoint. In
previous issues [of Share International magazine] he has dealt with the 
etheric body, the senses, the third eye, the kundalini fire, the astral body, 
and so on.
Unity, duality or triplicity — all facets of the same concept, and merely a
question of different approach and point of view, and which will be
determined by the unfoldment of consciousness.
From the standpoint of the awakening aspirant, all is seen as duality — for
instance: personality and soul; matter and spirit; the Son and the Father.
Manifestation may, however, also be regarded as a triplicity: 'Life-Quality-Form'
or expressed in different terms, as 'Spirit-Soul-Body'. But all these are
merely inadequate attempts to express in words various aspects of Deity, of
which man is vaguely aware, but which he will never really be able to
comprehend. These triplicities are therefore only facets of a Unity which man
has identified under the inclusive name of GOD.
But regard the world from the standpoint of the aspirant. To him everything
could be interpreted in terms of duality or opposites, and these pairs of
opposites meet on the emotional or astral plane, where they act and interact,
and where these clashes may develop into major conflicts. In reality the battle
is a struggle for dominance waged between the soul and its vehicle, matter,
manifested as the personality. The average man, however, remains unaware
of this underlying conflict and of the issues involved; he is only concerned
with the lesser or secondary activities, such as the struggle between light and
darkness, good and evil, pleasure and pain, freedom and suppression, poverty
and riches, and many more.
Before a disciple can begin to work with world forces and problems, he first
has to balance the opposites in his own system. When this equilibrium has
been achieved to some extent, he has entered the Path and can become a co-worker
in the wider field.
To the little evolved there are as yet no problems of duality, being unaware of
anything beyond the world of matter. The aspirant, however, becomes aware
of opposites, and this leaves him stranded, vague and uncertain somewhere 
in between, being pulled hither and thither by the dual poles. 
The man who is thus becoming aware of the presence of the soul realizes 
that he is suspended between two forces — the attraction of
matter and form, as opposed to that of the soul. It is this double attraction,
accentuating the many dualities, which brings the aspirant to recognize that
his own divine will, as opposed to the selfish will of his personality,
constitutes the deciding factor. Through the light he has found, he has become
aware of the darkness; he sees the good as his ideal, but the urge of the flesh
draws him towards evil; he experiences hell on earth, and thus visualizes a
spiritual heaven as his sanctuary.
Two streams of energy
These dual forces may be seen as two streams of energy, or two paths leading
in opposite directions — the one back to material, selfish desire, associated
with the dreary cycle of rebirth, and the other to the freedom of the world of
souls.
For the aspirant who has made relatively only recent conscious contact with
his inner guide, there usually follows years of severe strain and struggle. He
has repeatedly to face the opposites, and decisions and choices have to be
made. He comes to realize that he can no longer continue along the way of
least resistance. From time to time he obtains flashes of insight and new
visions appear to him, only to be engulfed again by the requirements of
everyday life and the selfish desires and demands of the personality. Another
consideration which may play an appreciable role is the fear of ridicule of
relations and friends who have not yet become aware of these deeper
perceptions, or else refuse to acknowledge these experiences. It may require
very strong convictions to overcome such fears or even active opposition, and
to proceed calmly along the way, disregarding all disparagement and
opprobrium.
Once the disciple has reached the point of decision, and has turned his
footsteps to the Light, he will find that active support will be forthcoming
from both the soul and certain subjective Entities who are always ready and
willing to reach out a helping hand. Should his resolve, however, weaken or
his energies flag, then he will temporarily revert to the old habits and
conditions of the unawakened man, with the murky clouds and glamours of
the astral plane settling over him again. This only means that these same
battles will have to be waged anew, until he finally succeeds in meeting these
challenges.
Paradox
To speak of 'final attainment' and 'final destination' is of course paradoxical,
because everything in our Universe is relative and 'finality' can never be
achieved in an infinite Universe. Progress only means moving from one point
of attainment to the next, from initiation to initiation, from one plane of
consciousness to a higher, and so for ever on and on, higher and higher,
until...?!
But to return to Earth — should the aspirant's path lead him to higher levels,
then this will mean new expansions of consciousness, fresh revelations,
deeper understanding, a more comprehensive grasp of the realities of life, and
simultaneously new challenges to be surmounted. New powers and capacities
will be evoked, and new fields of experience and service will be disclosed to
him, and all this will be attended by increased responsibilities.
While embracing the inner relationships and subjective attitudes of the higher
aspects of a dual life, the candidate remains faced with the fact that he is still
standing in the outer physical life, with certain commitments and responsibilities 
which may not be lightly ignored. His problem is to stand spiritually free while 
surrounded by his worldly obligations; to function in subjective realms, and 
yet to continue his activities in the world of human experience; to attain true 
spiritual detachment and still to render due service to his fellow men.

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.   

 
"To wash one's hands of the struggle between the poor and rich is not to be
neutral. It is to side with the rich."    (Brazilian educator Paulo Freire)

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