The Arcane Formulas, or Mental Alchemy · 6 of 10

Lesson 6. The Excluded Middle

IN CLOSING the preceding lesson, we referred to the Secret of the Excluded Middle. This is one of the most ancient and fundamental formulas of the Secret Doctrine or Arcane Teaching of the ancient occult fraternities. It was regarded as the Keystone of the Mystic Arch. Those who grasp the inner spirit of this Secret are, as the Aphorism informs us, “well on the road to Mastery.” Let us refer you to Aphorism XX, at this place.

The Aphorism informs us that: “When a man attains Individuality-Egohood, he enters upon the plane of Will, and rises above the plane of Desire. Desire and Will are the opposite poles of the same principle—the Centre of Balance being Reason. On the plane of Will, though one remains under Law, yet he may learn to use Law instead of remaining passive to it. He may learn to oppose Law to laws. He may learn to create Desire by Will. Furthermore— and this is the greatest of all—he may learn to Will to Will. He may learn to complete the Circle of Will. He may learn the Secret of the Excluded Middle. When this last Secret is learned, man is well on the road to Mastery.”

We have seen, in the Arcane Teaching, that from the Cosmic Will, which is the Principle of Will, the Cosmos has been evolved. We have seen how this evolution has progressed under the Law of Orderly Trend and Logical Sequence, the active principle of which has been Desire, which is but the negative pole of Will. We have seen that there is an unbroken chain of Sequence extending from the Cosmic Will to the “I” which latter is but a focalized Centre of Will in the great Cosmic Will.

At the personal or individual end of this unbroken chain, we find the “I” or Individual Will But we find that this Individual Will is conditioned, restricted, bound and hampered by the accumulated sheath of evolutionary growth, to the extent of even doubting its own identity or nature. The idea of separateness has crept in, and the “I” fails to realize that it is identical in nature and substance with the great Cosmic Will, in which it is a Centre or Focal Point. So entangled is it in the bonds of Personality—so deluded by the illusions of the ‘John Smith” nature and characteristics; that it imagines itself to be a thing apart. It feels the personal conscious on all sides, and actually imagines that it, the “I,” is really this bundle of mental states, impressions and ideas that belong to “John Smith.” It has exchanged its Cosmic Birthright for the humble Mess of Pottage of Personality.

The Hindus tell a tale of one of the great gods—Indra—who, following a caprice, incarcerated himself in the body of a pig. He took unto himself a pig mate, and raised a brood of little pigs. He lost all sense of his own identity, and was thoroughly hypnotized with the idea that he was a pig. The fellow-gods, grieved at his illusion and his pitiful state, called upon him to come out of the pig-state, telling him that he was a great god and not a swinish creature wallowing in the mud. He grunted out a denial, saying: “I am a pig, not a god —let me alone!” They persisted, and he continued to repel them. They killed his pig-mate, and his little pigs, but he squealed out his sorrow and rage, and tried to destroy the gods in his wrath. Finally they killed his pig-body, as a last resort, and lo! Indra, the god, stepped forth in all his glorious power, and laughed in astonishment when he realized the extent and degree of his late illusion.” By this parable, the Hindu teachers impress upon their chelas the fact of their Real Self.

A well-known occult writer, in her little compilation of the ancient teachings, entitled “Light on the Path,” says: “Seek in the heart the source of evil (the illusion of Personality) and expunge it. It lives fruitfully in the heart of the devoted disciple, as well as in the heart of the man of desire. Only the strong can kill it out. The weak must wait for its growth, its fruition, its death. And it is a plant that lives and increases throughout the ages. It flowers when man has accumulated unto himself innumerable existences. He who will enter upon this path of power must tear this thing out of his heart. And then his heart will bleed, and the whole life of the man seem to be utterly dissolved. This ordeal must be endured; it may come at the first step of the perilous ladder which leads to the path of life; it may not come until the last. But, O disciple! remember that it has to be endured, and fasten the energies of your soul upon the task. Live neither in the present nor the future, but in the eternal. This giant weed cannot flourish there; this blot upon existence is wiped out by the very atmosphere of eternal thought. ... Each man is to himself absolutely the way, the truth, and life. But he is only so when he grasps his whole individuality (personality) firmly, and, by the force of his awakened spiritual Will, recognizes this individuality (personality) as not himself, but that thing which he has with pain created for his own use, and by means of which he purposes, as his growth slowly develops his intelligence, to reach to that life beyond individuality (personality). ... Seek it by making the profound obeisance of the soul to the dim star that burns within. Steadily, as you watch and worship, its light will grow stronger. Then you may know you have found the beginning of the way. And when you have found the end, its light will suddenly become the infinite light.”

The Paraphernalia, of Personality is the “Middle”—the connecting links between the Cosmic Will and the Individual Will—the One Being and the “I.” By excluding it, the “I” is merged in consciousness with the Cosmos—he attains Cosmic Consciousness. But this exclusion is only relative—it is merely an exclusion in consciousness, but a realization that this middle is fictitious and illusory in reality. When it is so regarded, then the “I” while remaining an individual, yet realizes its real nature and identity with the Cosmic Will, and is able to act according to the degree and strength of the recognition.

This process of exclusion is slow and gradual—it begins with an intellectual conception of the Truth, which then gradually evolves into a greater and broader experience and realization as the Neophyte progresses along The Path of Attainment.

By excluding the Middle or Personality, it is not meant that the Individual should cease using his personal instruments of expression and life. On the contrary, he only then begins to use them. For, previous to this realization, the things of Personality have used him, instead of he using them. As the old occult Aphorism informs us: “All things are good for the Individual to use— but none of them are good enough to use the Individual. The advanced occultist first learns to set aside the things of Personality—learns to do without them—learns that he does not need them to remain “I” Then, having freed himself, mentally, from them, he returns and uses them, intelligently and properly, and positively. This the difference between Mastery and Slavery. As Carpenter, the English poet, sings:

“To die—for this into the world you came.

Yes, to abandon more than you ever conceived as possible:

All ideals, plans—even the very best and most unselfish—all hopes and desires, ...

Modes of life, habits, predilections, preferences, superiorities, weaknesses, indulgences, ... in one word: To die-

For this into the world you came.

All to be abandoned, and when they have been finally abandoned,

Then to return to be used—and then only to be rightly used, to be free and open for ever.

§

Be not torn by desire: ...

Slowly and resolutely—as a fly cleans its legs of the honey in which it has been caught-

So remove thou, if it only be for a time, every particle which sullies the brightness of thy mind

Return into thyself-content to give, but asking no one, asking nothing;

In the calm light of His splendor who fills all the universe, the imperishable indestructible of ages,

Dwell thou—as thou canst dwell—contented. ...

In place all are to be used.

Yet in using be not entangled in them; for then already are they bad, and will cause thee suffering.

When thy body—as needs must happen at times—is carried along on the wind of passion, say not thou, ‘I desire this or that’;

For the ‘I’ neither desires nor fears anything, but is free and in everlasting glory, dwelling in heaven and pouring out joy like the sun on all sides.

Let not that precious thing by any confusion be drawn down and entangled in the world of opposites, and of Death and suffering.

For as a light-house beam sweeps with incredible speed over sea and land, yet the lamp itself moves not at all,

So while thy body of desire is (and must be by the law of its nature) incessantly in motion in the world of suffering, the ‘I’ high up above is fixed in heaven.

Therefore I say let no confusion cloud thy mind about this matter;

But ever when desire knocks at thy door,

Though thou grant it admission and entreat it hospitably, as in duty bound,

Fence it yet gently off from thy true self,

Lest it tear and rend thee.”

The Formulas already given the Neophyte, in connection with the intellectual perception of the Truth of the “I” and the Secret of the Excluded Middle, as well as the Formulas to follow, will bring about a gradual unfoldment of the realization of Cosmic Consciousness, and Recognition of the Identity of the “I” with the Cosmic Will. The following exercise, and others akin to it, will aid the Neophyte in unfolding into this consciousness.

Exercise.

The Neophyte, placing himself in a restful, calm, peaceful position and condition, should then meditate upon the great Cosmic Will, Essence, or Spirit. He should picture it as a great Ocean of Spirit, upon which and in which he rests as an Established Focal Point or Centre. He should picture the resistless force and power of this great Ocean of Spirit, and feel its waves and movements. He should realize that its thrill is perceptible in his inner being, and that in every way he is of it, and in it. Realize that you are Spirit (Will) and nothing but Spirit (Will). Realize that there is no real separation between you and the great Ocean of Spirit—and that there can be no such separation. In your meditation, mentally wipe out the paraphernalia of Personality—Exclude the Middle of Personality and let Spirit join Spirit— Will join Will. Realize that you are a Centre of Force in the great Ocean of Will—a channel for the expression of as much Cosmic Will as your growth and capacity will allow. Realize that as you grow and unfold, you will become a greater and still greater and grander channel for the inflow and outpouring of the Cosmic Energy and Life. Complete the Circle of Will. Bring about the Union of Spirit. Learn to Will to Will, by realizing that you are Will.