Nature of the Soul: Lesson 1

Nature of the Soul: Lesson 1

Lucille Cedercrans

In any attempt to understand the Soul, it is wise to consider first that which creates the Soul. In occult terminology they are known as the Will aspect and the Intelligence aspect of Divinity. Orthodox Religion defines them as the Father, and the Holy Ghost, while the scientific mind recognizes them as a Positive Pole and a Negative Pole. All are correct, and yet all fail to convey understanding. The purpose, quality and ｅxpression of Divinity are far beyond man's present mind development. His comprehension cannot grasp so great a Truth, and yet, as he evolves he will gradually absorb more and more of this Truth, until he becomes himself, Truth.

The Soul is a term given to consciousness. The interplay of energy between the Positive Pole and the Negative Pole creates conscious awareness. Divine Will impregnates the Intelligence of substance, and so the Soul, or Son aspect comes into being; consciousness is born.

This consciousness contains within itself Divine Will, which is the motivating impulse for evolution, the Will to be, to progress forward; Intelligent Activity, which is the form-building aspect for ｅxpression; and Divine Love which is the quality of that ｅxpression.

The Soul is in reality one Soul manifesting in myriad forms. To be more explicit we can classify those forms which we recognize as being the mineral kingdom, the vegetable kingdom, the animal kingdom, the human kingdom and the Spiritual Kingdom, or the Kingdom of conscious Souls incarnate.

This latter classification is not known by many, so I will take this opportunity to clarify it. When the Soul has evolved over a long period of time, out of the three planes of human endeavor, into conscious awareness of reality, it then reincarnates in a physical form. It retains it's grasp of reality, it's knowledge of one Source, and it's ability to manifest it's three innate characteristics; Divine Will, Divine Love and Divine Intelligence. Into this kingdom pass all the illumined sons of man, and eventually all of humanity will reach this glorious consummation. Then we will have a race of conscious Souls incarnate in form, manifesting perfection in form.

Because of the differentiation of form, and the apparent difference in the evolution of the Soul within different forms, it is difficult for the unenlightened to grasp this concept of oneness. The Soul in all forms regardless of seeming differentiation, is one Soul with one purpose and one goal. It is the nature of the Soul to build many forms, each one created for the purpose of evolution and ｅxpression. Each form, then, conveys a type of Soul ｅxpression.

Differentiation in the Soul itself can be explained in the following manner. An individual Soul is an atom in the body of the one Soul, which has acquired conscious awareness of itself. It is not in the beginning conscious of the whole, but because of it's inherent characteristics, it is swept into incarnation to develop it's awareness and to aid the Oversoul in it's evolution. All of this time the Whole is aware of the new birth of awareness and aids it in it's long period of growth, until it too, becomes conscious of the Whole.

The purpose of evolution, as far as man's mind has been able to grasp, is At-one-ment, complete with individuality.

I would like to take this opportunity to explain something to the earnest student in regard to his understanding of the teaching. I realize the difficulty presented, particularly to the beginner, in grasping the concept of Truth which is projected. He is confronted with a bewildering array of new and meaningless terms, with concepts new and startling, and with the answers to the reason for his being, which he had never expected to find. If he is not very careful at this stage, he is liable to become so confused as to what is truth, that he may delay his own growth un-necessarily long.

First let me advise - examine very carefully your motives. For what and why are you seeking? What will you do with this teaching once you have grasped it? Do you have the betterment of mankind in mind, or do you seek for self-glorification?

Remember, the conscious Soul is part of the whole. His desire is the evolution of that in which he lives, moves and has his being. Any activity in which the Soul is engaged is in service to his brothers.

If there are any of you who seek attainment for the glorification of the separated self, it would be better if he dropped out, if he waited until such time as his motives become pure. They will, as he learns through painful experience the emptiness of the illusion about him; the inevitability of change, the dissatisfaction when a long-sought goal is finally reached, the inability to find fulfillment. All of these painful experiences finally cause man to seek fulfillment in service. His motives become pure, and he is at last ready to begin his long climb up the mount of initiation.

This path of initiation is strewn with many obstacles, constituting the baser nature of man himself. He must see himself as he is. He must find and overcome those negative qualities within himself which have been acquired in the world of illusion, and are revealed in the light of the Soul. It takes great courage to meet, see and overcome that which constitutes the separated self; it takes courage to cut away that part of ones self which separates him from the Soul, and that courage is born of right motive.

The student who does not consider these things, who is not honest with himself, but continues to seek motivated by the selfish purpose of the little will, only brings upon himself great suffering. The keynote of the earnest student is harmlessness. See to it that you cultivate this quality if you would escape the pitfalls that encompass so many. There are certain rules which, if followed, will aid the student who is honest with himself, and who sincerely desires to learn, for the sake of others.

I will here set them down:

1. Flexibility of consciousness; this is more commonly known as an open mind, and it is an attitude of the greatest importance to the aspirant. It is impossible to know all there is to know about any one subject. All truth is relative to a man and his present state of consciousness. Whenever he thinks he has arrived at full and exact knowledge of any one thing, then he has become crystallized in his thinking and there is nothing that can be done for him. Get the feel of a great field of knowledge which man has not even touched lying back of all things considered factual.

2. Accept only that which evokes a response from the very core of your being. Do not try to accept something which you cannot feel as being truth; neither accept a statement as truth merely because it comes from so-called authority. Do not be blind in your acceptance, but accept that which you see with the inner eye, and feel with the heart as truth.

3. Do not look at that which you cannot accept as something false. Remember that for the other it may be the greatest of truth. Simply allow that which you cannot understand and cannot accept to go by. Do not make an issue of it; wait, and later you will see it in the light of your own Soul and recognize it's place in the scheme of things.

4. Transference of concepts. This is difficult at first, and extremely important. Remember that a word, or a grouping of words is not the concept which it is attempting to convey. It is a door through which the aspirant may pass into greater understanding. The word attempts to convey reality, but it is not reality itself. An abstract concept cannot be contained in a word or a grouping of words. The mind must be free to pass through the door into the fullness of the meaning. Therefore, do not imprison the mind in the description. Attempt to feel the meaning, to sense the depth of that meaning and to grasp a realization of some understanding of it. Then gradually the intuition will be awakened and you will become receptive to the transference of concepts. This will eventually supersede the need for words.

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