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A Treatise on Cosmic Fire - Section One - Introductory Remarks - Fire in Manifestation
The third fire deals with:
  1. The evolution of spirit.
    Practically nothing can at this stage be communicated anent this evolution. The development of spirit can be only expressed as yet in terms of the evolution of matter, and only through the adequacy of the vehicle, and through the suitability of the sheath, the body or form, can the point of [50] spiritual development reached in any way be appraised. A word of warning should here be interpolated:
    Just as it is not possible upon the physical plane for the physical vehicle fully to express the total point of development of the Ego or higher self, so it is not possible even for the Ego fully to sense and express the quality of spirit. Hence the utter impossibility for human consciousness justly to appraise the life of the spirit or Monad.
  2. The working of the flame divine under the Law of Synthesis - a generic term which will be seen eventually to include the other two laws as subdivisions.
  3. The subsequent result of forward progressive motion - a motion which is rotary, cyclic and progressive.

The whole matter dealt with in this Treatise concerns the subjective essence of the solar system, not primarily either the objective or spiritual aspect. It concerns the Entities who indwell the form, who demonstrate as animating factors through the medium of matter, and primarily through etheric matter; who are evolving a second faculty, the fire of mind, and who are essentially themselves points of fire, cast off through cosmic friction, produced by the turning of the cosmic wheel, swept into temporary limited manifestation and due eventually to return to their central cosmic center. They will return plus the results of evolutionary growth, and through assimilation they will have intensified their fundamental nature, and be spiritual fire plus the fire manasic.

The internal fire of matter is called in the Secret Doctrine "Fire by Friction." It is an effect and not a cause, It is produced by the two fires of spirit and of mind (electric and solar fire) contacting each other through the medium of matter. This energy demonstrates in [51] matter itself as the internal fires of the sun, and of the planets and finds a reflection in the internal fires of man. Man is the Flame Divine and the fire of Mind brought into contact through the medium of substance or form. When evolution ends, the fire of matter is not cognizable. It persists only when the other two fires are associated, and it does not persist apart from substance itself.

Let us now briefly recognize certain facts regarding fire in matter and let us take them in order, leaving time to elucidate their significance. First we might say that the internal fire being both latent and active, shows itself as the synthesis of the acknowledged fires of the system, and demonstrates, for instance, as solar radiation and inner planetary combustion. This subject has been somewhat covered by science, and is hidden in the mystery of physical plane electricity, which is an expression of the active internal fires of the system and of the planet just as inner combustion is an expression of the latent internal fires. These latter fires are to be found in the interior of each globe, and are the basis of all objective physical life.

Secondly, we might note that the internal fires are the basis of life in the lower three kingdoms of nature, and in the fourth or human kingdom in connection with the two lower vehicles. The Fire of Mind, when blended with the internal fires, is the basis of life in the fourth kingdom, and united they control (partially now and later entirely) the lower threefold man or the personality; this control lasts up to the time of the first Initiation.

The fire of Spirit finally, when blended with the two other fires (which blending commences in man at the first initiation), forms a basis of spiritual life or existence. As evolution proceeds in the fifth or spiritual kingdom, these three fires blaze forth simultaneously, producing perfected consciousness. This blaze results in the final [52] purification of matter and its consequent adequacy; at the close of manifestation it brings about eventually the destruction of the form and its dissolution, and the termination of existence as understood on the lower planes. In terms of Buddhistic theology it produces annihilation; this involves, not loss of identity, but the cessation of objectivity and the escape of Spirit, plus mind, to its cosmic center. It has its analogy in the initiation at which the adept stands free from the limitations of matter in the three worlds.

The internal fires of the system, of the planet, and of man are threefold:

1. Interior fire at the center of the sphere, those inner furnaces which produce warmth. This is latent fire.

2. Radiatory fire. This type of fire might be expressed in terms of physical plane electricity, of light rays, and of etheric energy. This is active fire.

3. Essential fire, or the fire elementals who are themselves the essence of fire. They are mainly divided into two groups:

  1. Fire devas or evolutionary entities.
  2. Fire elementals or involutionary entities.

Later we will elaborate on this when we consider the Fire of Mind and deal with the nature of the thought elementals. All these elementals and devas are under the control of the fire Lord, Agni. When considering Him and His kingdom the subject can be taken up at greater length.

We might here point out, however, that our first two statements concerning the internal fires, express the effect that the fire entities have upon their environment. Heat and radiation are other terms which might be applied in this sense. Each of these effects produces a [53] different class of phenomena. Latent fire causes the active growth of that in which it is embedded and causes that upward pushing which brings into manifestation all that is found in the kingdoms of nature. Radiatory fire causes the continued growth of that which has progressed, under the influence of latent fire, to a point receptive of the radiatory. Let us tabulate it thus:

Systemic or Macrocosmic: The solar Logos or The Grand Man of the Heavens.
Latent or interior fire produces the internal heat which makes the solar system productive of all forms of life. It is the inherent warmth that causes all fertilization, whether human, animal, or vegetable.
Active or radiatory fire retains in life and causes the evolution of all that has evolved into objectivity by means of latent fire.

Planetary, or the Heavenly Men:
What is laid down anent the system, as a whole, can be predicated of all planets which in their nature reflect the Sun, their elder brother.

Human, or the Microcosmic Man:
Human latent fire, the heat interior of the human frame causes production of other forms of life, such as:

  1. The physical body cells.
  2. Organisms nourished by the latent heat.
  3. The reproduction of itself in other human forms, the basis of the sex function.

Human radiatory, or active fire, is a factor as yet but little comprehended; it relates to the health aura and to that radiation from the etheric which makes a man a healer, and able to transmit active heat.

It is necessary to differentiate between this radiation from the etheric, which is a radiation of prana, and magnetism, which is an emanation from a subtler body (usually the astral), and has to do with the manifestation of [54] the Divine Flame within the material sheaths. The Divine Flame is formed on the second plane, the monadic, and magnetism (which is a method of demonstrating radiatory fire) is therefore felt paramountly on the fourth and sixth planes, or through the buddhic and astral vehicles. These are, as we know, closely allied to the second plane. This distinction is of importance and should be carefully recognized.

Having, therefore, made the above statements, we can proceed to take up somewhat in greater detail the interior fires of the systems, microcosmic and macrocosmic. [55]
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