Fifteen-year-old Raman and his eleven-year-old sister, Raya, were walking home after attending a
ceremony at one of the mystery schools in the Inner Circle.
Raya, who was famed for her psychic gifts, began to describe to her
brother all the weird and wonderful beings she could see in the forest – in the undergrowth, in the
trees and in the air. Gnomes and elves and salamanders – some had humanlike shapes, while others
looked like clouds or balls of light, dancing and playing and darting through the air.
‘Wait here a minute, Raman, I want to join the fairy circle dance.’
‘Oh dear, here we go again,’ Raman thought to himself. ‘Well don’t be
long,’ he said crossly. ‘Mother and father will be wondering where we’ve got to.’
Little did he know that neither of them would be seeing their parents
again for one whole year.
Raya was skipping round in a circle, her arms outstretched as if
holding the hands of beings next to her. She danced around to the right, then to the left, laughing and
bubbling with joy.
‘I’m afraid I have to go now,’ she said to her invisible companions
after ten minutes, ‘but I’ll be back again tomorrow.’
She sat down beside her brother, panting heavily.
‘Talking to your friends again, I see,’ he said. ‘They probably exist
only in your imagination.’
‘How dare you suggest such a thing!’ she replied. ‘You get more and
more like an outer-circler every day!’
‘Raya!’ Raman exclaimed crossly. ‘There’s no need to be
insulting!’
As they continued on their way, Raya kept remarking on the beauty of
the nature-sprites she could see around her. At one point, she stopped to pick a posy of flowers, then
laid it on the ground by a pond, where she said she could see a silvery undine sitting on a lotus.
‘Yes, yes, no doubt you’re right,’ sighed Raman. He wished he could
see such things himself.
‘You’ll be able to see them one day,’ said his sister, ‘when you’ve
advanced far enough.’
‘Raya!’ exclaimed Raman crossly. ‘You’ve been told not to
read other people’s thoughts. You know it’s forbidden. I shall have to report you to your teacher if you
do it again.’
‘Oh please don’t,’ said Raya. ‘I didn’t do it on purpose, honest. I do
my best not to intrude on other people’s thoughts. It’s not always easy, you know, being what I am. I
sometimes wish I was more like you.’
‘Strange,’ Raman thought to himself. ‘I sometimes wish I was
more like you.’
He studied his sister’s face carefully to see whether she’d heard his
thought. Apparently she hadn’t. She stared down at the ground dejectedly as they continued on their
way.
Finally her brother decided she’d been punished enough. ‘Come on,’
he said, ‘I’ll race you to the obelisk.’
Raya’s face lit up and off they ran.
They soon reached the towering obelisk, which stood in the middle of
a flower-strewn clearing. A bell was suspended from the top and was rung only on special occasions.
Raya had once had the privilege of ringing it herself.
They were about to head off in the direction of their village when Raya
suddenly said:
‘Wait, Raman. An elf is trying to tell me something. He wants us to
follow him.’
Raman followed his sister towards a rocky outcrop partly covered with
moss.
‘Look!’ said Raja. ‘Some vandal has written all over this lovely
rock with chalk. I wonder who it could have been.’
Raman pulled a face at her. He was famous for drawing diagrams
and scrawling equations on whatever rock or other surface was to hand, using a piece of chalk drawn
from a seemingly inexhaustible supply in one of his pockets, either to amuse himself or to illustrate a
point he was trying to make.
‘It’s no big deal, it’s just a rock,’ he said. He took his sister by the
hand and began to lead her away.
Suddenly they heard a high-pitched whistling sound behind them.
They turned and saw nothing. Then Raya pointed to something on the ground.
‘Heavens ablaze!’ she cried. ‘Look at that beautiful
crystal, Raman.’ She picked it up. ‘I wonder where it came from.’ It was a
stunning, sparkling crystal, seven inches long and five inches wide, and very
lightweight.
Raman examined it carefully. ‘It’s incredible!’ he said. ‘We’ll take it to
the mystery school tomorrow and try and find out more about it. Let’s take it home with us.’ He put it
into a small bag he was carrying over his shoulder and started to walk off.
‘Wait!’ said Raya. ‘The elf is trying to tell me something else.’ She
stared in front of her. ‘Oh I see,’ she said to herself.
She pressed the palm of her hand against a certain part of the rock.
Nothing happened.
‘Come on, Raya, we’re late enough as it is. You’re just messing
around.’
He took her by the hand and they started to walk away. Suddenly
they heard a loud rumbling sound, like a distant peal of thunder, and felt the ground trembling. They
turned to see the huge rock rolling slowly aside.
‘In the name of the gods!’ cried Raman. ‘It’s a secret entrance to the
cavern world!’
‘The elf wants us to follow him,’ said Raya.
‘I don’t think we should. We haven’t got permission from anybody –
our parents, our teachers, or the masters.’
‘Come on, we’re not doing anything wrong. We’re obviously being
invited inside.’
She led her brother into the bright tunnel. As they advanced towards
the first bend, they again heard the rumbling noise. They turned to see the rock rolling shut behind
them. There was a dull thud that resounded around the tunnel.
‘Holy shit! We’re locked in!’
‘Holy what!?’ said Raya. ‘That’s not
an inner-circle expression. Where did you learn that?’
‘Oh it’s something I picked up from Jintar the last
time I saw him. He got it from Sahula, who learned it from a boy in the outer
circle.’
‘I see. Now, come on, let’s follow the elf. Heavens
ablaze!’
‘What’s wrong?’
‘It’s disappeared.’
‘Well we can’t get out this way. I suppose we’ll just have to follow the
tunnel and hope we can find another exit.’
The tunnel led down and down and down. Neither of them had ever
been this deep into the cavern world before. Eventually they arrived in a large open space.
‘Look, there’s a fairy circle in the middle,’ said Raya.
Raman could see a faint circular outline on the floor, where the rock
was slightly discoloured.
‘Give me the crystal,’ she said. ‘And a piece of chalk.’
Raman thrust a piece of chalk into her hand. Raya traced round the
circle and then placed the crystal at its centre. She knelt before it and told her brother to keep
absolutely quiet.
Raya closed her eyes and a long silence followed. Raman began to
wander around the cave. The next time he looked, his sister was slumped over the crystal. He was
feeling increasingly apprehensive. No one knew where they were. And what on earth was his sister
up to? She had never behaved like this before.
Eventually she awoke from her trance.
‘Have you found an escape route for us?’ Raman asked hopefully.
‘Come and sit down in the circle. I’m afraid you’re not going to like
what I have to say.’
Raman feared the worst – but was quite unprepared for what Raya
now told him.
‘We are to go to the outer circle!’
‘You’re joking! It’s absurd! In fact it’s forbidden. Anyway it’s impossible
– we don’t know the way.’
‘Nevertheless it’s true. We are to take the crystal to the outer circle. I
don’t know exactly how yet, but we’ll be guided, if we both have enough faith in our mission. The
crystal was given to us for a reason, and now we have to do our duty.’
‘Raya, you’re babbling nonsense. You must have been hallucinating.
Our first duty is to let the elders know where we are. And to stop trespassing in this secret
cavern.’
‘No one can trespass in the cavern world without the
Great Masters knowing. They’ll have a word with our parents.’
‘How do you know you weren’t dreaming what you wanted to
dream?’
‘Is the crystal a dream? Or the elf that revealed the secret
entrance?’
‘That could just have been chance or coincidence or a piece of
luck.’
‘Oh Raman! I’m surprised you don’t want to come and
meet the outer-circlers. You already talk like one!’
‘Raya!’ exclaimed her brother crossly. ‘I’ve told you not to insult me
like that! I’m just being cautious.’
Raya stood up and started walking.
‘Wait! Where are you going?’
‘To the outer circle.’
‘And how are you going to cross the zero-gravity barrier? Have you
thought about that?’
‘I don’t know what you’re talking about.’
‘Precisely! Your “mission” is doomed. Do you know which way is up
and which is down?’
‘That’s easy. My head is up and my feet are down.’
‘And where’s the outer circle?’
‘Down, beneath my feet.’
‘And which way do the outer-circlers’ feet point?’
‘Down.’
‘And their heads?’
‘Up.’
‘Do their heads point towards the earth or away from it?’
‘They live on the outer surface, so away from it, into space.’
‘So do their feet point towards us or away from us?’
‘Towards us.’
‘Do you see the problem?’
‘No.’
Raman knelt down and took out a piece of chalk. He drew a large
circle. ‘This is the outer circle.’ Then he drew a slightly smaller circle within it. ‘This is the inner circle.
The area between them is the earth’s outer shell. The outer-circlers walk on the surface of the outer
circle, like this . . .’ He drew a matchstick man to represent an outer-circler standing on
the outer surface. ‘And the inner-circlers live on the concave surface of the inner circle like this
. . .’ He drew a matchstick man to represent an inner-circler. ‘Do you now see the
problem?’
Raya began to laugh. ‘How funny! The heads of the outer-circlers and
inner-circlers are pointing in opposite directions!’
‘So how are we going to make the change from walking our
way up to walking their way up?’
Raya struggled to find an answer. ‘How am I supposed to know?’ she
asked, looking flustered. ‘I suppose that at some point we’ll have to start walking on our hands!’
Raman burst into laughter.
‘Stop laughing at me!’ cried Raya.
‘I’m not laughing at you. It’s just a very funny situation. But I’ll
explain it to you,’ said Raman patiently. ‘It has to do with gravity. Actually gravity doesn’t really exist –
but we’ll deal with that in the next lesson, perhaps with the help of some equations.’
‘Oh good,’ said Raya pulling a face.
‘Now, as we descend into the cavern world, gravity
will get weaker and weaker. And if we descended into the earth from the outer circle,
gravity would also get weaker and weaker. In other words, at some point gravity
must become zero. And that is where “up” and “down” have
no meaning. If we continue to descend beyond that point, what we now
call
“down” will be “up”. So we’ll actually no longer
be descending but ascending towards
the outer circle. As we do so, gravity will steadily increase again.’
‘So we’ll still be standing on our feet,’ said Raya, ‘but our feet will then
be pointing in the opposite direction to the direction they’re pointing in now.’
‘Precisely!’
‘That’s just as well,’ said Raya with a laugh, ‘because I’m not very
good at walking on my hands.’
‘Now,’ Raman continued, ‘the thickness of the earth’s solid shell is
eight hundred miles. Or at least that’s what we’re told. Actually, my own calculations suggest the real
figure is slightly higher. But if you like we’ll deal with that in a subsequent lesson.’
‘With the help of some more equations no doubt,’ said Raya pulling a
face.
‘If you like,’ said Raman. ‘Now, we are one
hundred miles from the circle of zero gravity – the circle of weightlessness
or circle of rest, as it’s also called. And the outer-circlers are
seven hundred miles from it. But I haven’t a clue how we’re going to
cross the boundary of zero gravity.’
‘Nor have I,’ said Raya. ‘But don’t worry. We’ll cross that circle when
we come to it.’
She turned and walked off. Raman shrugged his shoulders and
followed.
They descended. And descended. Down and down. Day after day. It required little effort, and there
was fresh water and edible fruit and berries in abundance. Raman seemed to need more time to rest
and sleep than Raya, who often spent the rest-periods singing and dancing and playing with her
invisible companions. She seemed to be tapping into a source of energy that was forbidden territory
to her brother.
Raman was very concerned about what lay ahead. At the pace they
were going it could take years to reach the outer circle. If they ever did. For they could easily get lost
in the cavern world and have to spend the rest of their lives there. Raman hoped he would at least be
able to find a fresh source of chalk. And if either of them had a bad accident, who would they turn to
for help? He would just have to put his faith in his sister’s unseen guides.
‘Here it is,’ said Raya.
‘Here’s what?’
‘The light chute I told you about. We’ll be carried
hundreds and hundreds of miles in a beam of light.’
‘That’s impossible.’
‘Why?’
‘Because there’s no way we can fall further than the
circle of weightlessness. After that we’ll need an extra energy source as
we’ll be working against gravity. So how are we going to manage that?’
‘I don’t know. Are you coming?’ she asked.
‘Do I have a choice?’
They were standing beside a hole filled with dazzling
light. Raman assumed it went straight down. He picked Raya up and she put
her arms around him.
‘Ready?’ he asked.
‘Ready.’
Raman stepped to the edge of the hole. Then he edged
back and put Raya back on the ground.
‘Are you really sure you’ve understood your guides
correctly? What if the hole is only a few hundred yards deep and we’re splattered
against the bottom?’
‘Oh Raman! Stop wasting time!’
He picked up his sister, took a deep breath, and leaped
into the chute.
Raya let out a squeal of excitement as they plummeted
into the unknown. Raman had the impression that they were moving diagonally
rather than straight down.
‘Look at all the glorious angels of light carrying
us along with them. Oh, what a marvellous sight!’ called Raya.
Had Raya spoken aloud or had he heard her telepathically?
Raman was not sure what was happening anymore. There was no way to measure
their speed, or keep track of time. It was just one crazy headlong flight
through a chute of light.
At one point they passed through a sheet of blackness.
But almost at once they were sailing through light once again, downwards,
or upwards, or diagonally – he was not sure what. But how were they going
to stop? Oh what did it matter! He submitted to the flow. Let the light carry
them to where they must be . . .
Raman opened his eyes. He must have lost consciousness. He was lying on
solid rock. Had it all been a dream? He stood up and looked around him. He
caught sight of his sister skipping merrily round a hole in the ground. It
looked like the magic chute they had just jumped into.
‘You fell asleep I think,’ said his sister. ‘And you
missed the best bit. We slowed right down and then a magnificent angelic being,
absolutely enormous, gathered us up in its arms and lifted us straight up
out of the hole and placed us gently on the ground.’
‘In my opinion we’ve just travelled through an artificially-engineered
inverse-gravity channel,’ said Raman. ‘I’ll try and work out the equations
for you when I get the chance.’
‘Don’t feel you have to rush,’ said Raya.
‘Do you know where we are?’ asked Raman.
‘In the cavern world, I presume. Do you want to come
and play with the nature-sprites?’
‘I can’t see them. I might tread on their feet.’
‘I think they like you, even though you don’t really
believe in them.’
‘Of course I do! It’s only the forms you give to them
that I have my doubts about. Obviously some force has just carried
us hundreds of miles beyond the circle of rest, towards the outer circle.
Or at least that’s what I suspect has happened. Do your guides say we have
to ascend or descend?’
‘Ascend, of course.’
‘That confirms that we’ve crossed the zero-gravity
barrier,’ said Raman, ‘and probably by a very long way. Notice how the luminosity
is still very strong here but of a different quality.’
‘Yes, the air tastes different. But I don’t
feel any heavier yet.’
‘Well you will do before we reach the outer circle,
if we ever get there.’
They continued on their way, trusting that whatever power had helped them
get this far would not abandon them now. Raya could still see beings of various
types pointing them in the right direction and showing them the easiest trail
to follow.
For several weeks their journey continued. Sometimes
they travelled along the flat, sometimes they climbed up steep, winding paths.
The going was getting more difficult, and Raya was clearly beginning to feel
the strain. But she didn’t complain, still buoyed up by her invisible companions.
All at once the most amazing spectacle came into view.
Looming in the distance, they saw a magnificent crystal palace radiating light
in all directions, a spectacular structure of scintillating translucent rock.
They excitedly started to discuss who could have built
it and what its purpose might be. Suddenly Raya stopped talking and said:
‘Raman, my friends think we have company.’
‘Company?! Who could we possibly meet down here?’
‘Maybe it’s a group of outer-circlers. What a pity
we didn’t bring gifts for them, to show we come in peace.’ She gazed into
the distance. ‘Or maybe it’s a group of inner-circlers. Let’s find
out.’
Suddenly they were startled by a loud cry that rang
out and echoed around the immense cavity in which they were standing.
‘You’re right!’ exclaimed Raman. ‘It even sounded
like Senzar. Shout something back.’
‘I’ll shout out a greeting,’ she said. She put her
hands to her mouth and yelled: ‘Om shambha prajnambha, om shambha prajnambha!’
The echo died away. Then came the response: ‘Om shambha
prajnambha, om shambha prajnambha.’
Soon the cavity was filled with cries, echoing back
and forth.
Raya and Raman started running towards the crystal
palace. Then they stopped and looked.
‘Over there!’ yelled Raman, pointing. ‘I can see someone.’
They marched down the centre aisle of the palace,
lofty pillars towering up all around them. A young man was approaching . . .
‘It’s Jintar, it’s Jintar, it really is!’ cried Raya.
The three of them embraced one another. Never in their
wildest dreams could they have imagined anything so unexpected!
They quickly caught up on one another’s news. Jintar
was fascinated to hear about the light chute they had travelled through. They
compared the crystals they were carrying and found them to be almost exactly
identical.
Two pairs of eyes were watching the three inner-circlers from a vantage
point high up near the roof of the cavern.
‘Our three intrepid explorers have successfully rendezvoused,’
said Sahula.
‘Yes, everything has gone fairly smoothly,’ said Dazak.
‘Raya is a reliable transmitter of the forces of light, thanks to her purity
and innocence. To bring her gifts under her full conscious control will take
quite a struggle. But that lies in the future.
‘The project at hand is proceeding according to plan.
We are realigning on a small scale the crystal resonances of the earth. This
has been done by our Brotherhood at regular intervals for millions of years.
Humans are an integral part of the earth, and human migrations are part of
the earth’s ever-changing energy flows, though their effect is not always
harmonious. And we make a minor but positive contribution to the process by
using selected individuals to strengthen existing pathways of power or open
up new ones.’
‘Is my own sister part of that?’
‘It would seem so. If she’d been killed by the man
with the axe someone else would no doubt have taken her place. I didn’t know
for sure what the outcome would be. Our master knew what he was doing when
he instructed you to observe your sister that day but not to actively intervene
in anything that might happen.’
‘Yes, I was very tempted to immobilize the man. I
could hardly bear the thought of my mother having another of her children
murdered.’
‘If that was the karma which the higher self of your
mother and sister had chosen to work out in this life, that is what would
have happened, and any attempt by you to prevent it would either have helped
to precipitate your sister’s death, or would have temporarily deferred it,
only to lead to a more terrible tragedy later on.’
‘That was the conclusion I drew in those few unbearable
seconds. And no sooner had I resigned myself to witnessing my sister’s murder
when the doorbell rang – thanks to two lads having a bit of fun! Nor was
it me who made her win the lottery. And it wasn’t my idea for the man to steal
the crystal or to have an epileptic fit.’
‘It wasn’t mine either, though it was of course me
who told Sushila to keep the crystal. Nature can take care of herself, and
we, as part of nature, merely try to work with her. Cruel and terrible
things will continue to happen on this planet for countless cycles to come,
for the karmic forces set in motion by past human misdeeds must do their work
of destruction until all their energy has been expended. But balance and harmony
will ultimately be restored. Anyway, let us leave our explorers to their task
and check that all is as it should be in the outer circle, as we move towards
the consummation of our project.’
‘How are we going to get to the outer circle before
Jintar and his friends? Or do you have another light chute up your sleeve?’
‘No, but the cavern world has many surprises.’
‘It certainly does. It was very “lucky” you found
that curious little device lying on the ground – the one you placed on Jintar’s
body to make it lighter; that certainly made him easier to carry and speeded
up our journey.’
‘You mean the degravitator. Someone must have
discarded it down here long ago. If it had been working properly we could
have literally floated Jintar through the air. It’s a very handy gadget if
you happen to be building pyramids or other megalithic structures. To get
to the outer circle as quickly as possible we’re going to use something even
more “spectacular” – a conveyance that our three colleagues will probably
end up using later on, once Raya decides to reveal her little secret.’
Jintar, Raman and Raya were sitting in a circle on a carpet of moss.
‘Oh please, Jintar. Please tell us more about the outer rounds. It’s
such a beautiful subject,’ said Raya.
‘Well ok then. Now, as you know, the monads or consciousness-centres
evolving on earth are grouped into ten kingdoms or life-waves. These life-waves
pursue inner rounds through the twelve globes that make up the earth
planetary chain. We, of course, are currently living on the lowest
and densest of these globes, while its eleven companion globes are located
on six higher cosmic planes. But in the course of each of the seven rounds
of the earth’s evolution – of which we are currently in the fourth – we
inhabit each of the twelve globes in turn. After a period of seven rounds
the earth dies and, after a long rest-period, reembodies. We remain attached
to the earth for seven planetary reembodiments, each lasting several trillion
years.’
‘Don’t you mean billion years?’ asked Raman.
‘Isn’t that what I said?’ asked Jintar.
‘No, you said trillion.’
‘Oh, I’m sorry. I was lapsing into my old ways. Anyway, after this long
period on earth we move on to the next planet, and these journeys through the sacred planets are
known as outer rounds.’
‘Since there are seven sacred planets in addition to the earth,
does that mean we visit eight planetary chains during the outer rounds?’ asked Raman.
‘No, twelve. But don’t ask me about the other
four because I don’t know anything about them, except that they’re not physically
visible. It’s important to remember that there are two types of inner
and outer rounds: major and minor. The major inner and outer rounds
are made by the life-waves collectively at great intervals of time,
while the minor inner and outer rounds are made by individual
monads during sleep, after death and during initiation – in other words,
for much shorter periods.’
‘Oh how marvellous it must be to be able to bring
back memories of all these wonderful journeys,’ said Raya. ‘But what parts
of us pursue these adventures? It obviously isn’t our personalities – the
Raya or Raman or Jintar part of us.’
‘No, it’s our higher human monad, or chain-monad,
which undertakes the inner rounds from globe to globe. And on each globe it
emanates a globe-monad, which clothes itself in the life-atoms belonging to
the globe concerned. Our personalities and their astral-physical bodies are
merely the outermost covering around that monad. During the ten planetary
embodiments that we spend on earth, we evolve from the lowest elemental kingdom
to the highest spiritual kingdom, developing in each kingdom more of the sevenfold
qualities within us.’
‘I think it must have been fun being an elemental,’ said Raya. ‘They’re
very inquisitive and sometimes a bit mischievous. I can see them gathering round and listening right
now. I don’t know if they can understand but they seem to be soaking up the lovely colours
accompanying Jintar’s words.’
‘Thank you, Raya. Now, after completing our evolution on this
planetary chain we move on to the next one. The monad that travels from planetary chain to planetary
chain during the outer rounds is our spiritual or solar monad. On each planet it is
represented by a different chain-monad, whose life-atoms are constantly present on the different
globes of that chain.’
‘So really we’re everywhere!’ Raya exclaimed. ‘We’re present on all
the other beautiful planets simultaneously.’
‘Yes, and each of the seven vibratory qualities of the human
constitution, from physical to divine, resonates with one of the seven colour-frequencies or qualities of
the seven sacred planets.’
‘What was the last planet we were on during the outer rounds, before
we arrived on earth?’ asked Raman.
‘The last planet was Venus.’
‘And before that?’
‘Jupiter, and before that Vulcan – the first in the series. At least, as far
as I understand these things – and there’s a lot I don’t understand.’
‘And where will we go after graduating on earth?’ asked Raman.
‘To Mercury, then Mars, then Lilith, the planet hidden near the
moon.
‘Why’s it hiding?’ asked Raya.
‘Because it’s on a different subplane, I think. Like Vulcan, the planet
between the sun and Mercury.’
‘When we get to the outer circle will we be able to see the seven
sacred planets for real?’ she asked.
‘Some of them, if it’s not too cloudy.’
‘Knowing Raya, she’ll be able to see every single
one of them, even if it is cloudy. Including Lilith and Vulcan!’ said
Raman.
They all laughed.
‘So much for the major inner and outer rounds,’
said Jintar. ‘Now let’s have a look at the minor inner and outer rounds.
When we’re asleep, our higher monads flash very briefly to the other earth-globes
and the other planets, whereas after death the visits may be longer in duration.
It all depends on the individual concerned. As you know, the death of the
physical body is followed by a second death in which our lower astral nature
is cast off. The human soul is withdrawn into the aura of its monadic essence
and sinks into a blissful sleep.
‘The chain-monad then passes through the ascending
globes of the earth-chain, pausing in each one to shed the life-atoms native
to that sphere. It projects a portion of its consciousness which temporarily
embodies in an appropriate vehicle, but the human monad as a whole is not
aware of what is going on around it to any appreciable extent. An exception
to this – in varying degrees – is formed by advanced fourth rounders,
fifth rounders and sixth rounders, including those undergoing initiation. During
initiations, the inner self not only wings its way to the other globes of our
planetary chain and gains first-hand experience there, but also visits the other
planets and the sun.’
‘To visit the sun! Just imagine it!’ exclaimed Raya. ‘Our divine Father,
Mother and Elder Brother, radiant with spiritual splendour. I’m so looking forward to seeing it when we
get to the outer circle!’
‘Are our masters fifth rounders or sixth rounders?’ asked Raman.
‘Most are advanced fifth rounders – in other words, they’ve achieved
a state of consciousness similar to that which we will all eventually attain in the next round. But the
very highest, such as Gautama Buddha, are sixth rounders.’
‘How lucky we are to be able to mix freely with the glorious Masters in
the Inner Kingdom. Does that ever happen in the outer circle?’ asked Raya.
‘Only on a very small scale. The masters generally find it advisable
not to advertize themselves openly. But cycles of spiritual barrenness and spiritual light succeed each
other at regular intervals, and there will no doubt come a time when the masters will be able to show
themselves more openly again, just as they did in the distant past.
‘Anyway, during the after-death journey the monads follow the
magnetic pathways known as the circulations of the cosmos, which correspond to the circulations of
blood and electro-vital force in the human physical and astral bodies. Of course, the length and
nature of the postmortem outer round are determined by the quality of the last earth-life.
‘The monad passes through the entire planetary
chain of each of the sacred planets. On each globe it produces a ray from
itself, a temporary soul, which embodies in a suitable vehicle in order
to gather experience. This process is repeated on each planet, until finally
it enters the solar chain – its native spiritual home.
‘The monad is then attracted back to the earth-chain.
On the way, it passes through the same planets in reverse order and gathers
up the life-atoms it had previously cast off. Likewise, as it descends through
the earth-chain, it remains briefly on each globe to recollect its life-atoms.
Finally, the reincarnating soul, the ray of the human monad, projects its
own ray into the appropriate reproductive cells, which in time will fuse,
then multiply and grow into the body of the new-born child.’
‘Ah, such incredible mysteries!’ cried Raya. ‘There’s an infinite
amount to learn, and an eternity in which to learn it!’
‘How right you are!’ Raman remarked.
‘So, to sum up,’ said Jintar, ‘we began the present solar cycle on the
earth-chain as unselfconscious god-sparks and it will take us ten chain-reembodiments to raise
ourselves to the status of self-conscious gods. By analogy, the same process will have to be gone
through on each of the planetary chains during the grand outer rounds, so that we can become
masters of life on each one. The outer rounds through the sacred planetary chains of the solar
system are repeated seven times. And in addition to the outer rounds from planet to planet, there are
also outer rounds from solar system to solar system, undertaken by the divine or
galactic monad. And over even longer periods of time there will be outer rounds from galaxy to
galaxy, megagalaxy to megagalaxy, etc. etc.
‘And just as the chain-monad pursues its rounds from globe to globe,
so the life-atoms of our bodies pursue their “rounds” in and through the various layers of our
constitution. For everything is relative, and there are inner and outer rounds at every level and on
every scale. Theosofia – the ageless divine wisdom – therefore paints a magnificent panoramic
picture of our evolution. We are not worms of the dust, doomed to live a single meaningless life on
earth, but children of the cosmos, sparks of divinity, on an eternal evolutionary adventure through the
infinite fields of space and time.’
The three of them sat in silence, contemplating the wonders of our
evolutionary pilgrimage.
Jintar, Raman and Raya had just bathed in a subterranean lake and Raya was now combing her two
companions’ hair with a makeshift comb.
‘Have you any idea what depth we’re at here,’ Raman asked
Jintar.
‘My hunch is that we’re about fifty miles from the
outer surface. For some time now gravity seems to have been greater than it
is in the inner circle – unless I’m just getting tired.’
‘If we could weigh ourselves I could calculate the exact depth for you,’
said Raman. ‘I’m currently doing a project on electrogravity and the earth’s structure, and I’ve written
some equations. Look I’ll show you.’
Raman took a piece of chalk and started to scribble some equations
on the rocky floor, making it impossible for Raya to continue combing his hair.
‘He’s training to become an outer-circler,’ she whispered to Jintar.
Raman looked up at her crossly. ‘Raya! I’ve told you not to say things
like that!’
‘Interesting,’ said Jintar. ‘When we get back to the inner circle I’d like
you to explain it all in more detail. It was never one of my best subjects.’
‘I’d be happy to,’ said Raman. ‘The mathematical regularities and
geometrical structure of nature are truly fascinating. I’ll give you a little example if you like. Watch very
carefully.’
Raman drew a circle on the ground with chalk. ‘This circle represents
the earth – which has an average radius of 3960 miles.’ He then drew a square around it, touching it
at four points. ‘The square enclosing the circle obviously has a perimeter of 31,680 miles.’ Around the
first circle, he then drew a second circle, intersecting the square in eight places. ‘If this circle has a
circumference equal to the perimeter of the square, its radius will be 5040 miles – or
1080 miles more than the smaller circle.
‘Like I said, 3960 miles is the radius of the earth. And, as
you’ve probably already realized, 1080 miles is the radius of the moon! In other words, the
relative dimensions of the earth and moon square the circle!’
‘Holy shit!’ exclaimed Jintar.
‘Heavens ablaze!’ said Raya. She reached out her arm to start
combing her brother’s hair again, but already he had moved and was drawing again.
‘And I’ll tell you something else,’ he said. ‘If we draw a further circle
within the earth-circle such that the perimeter of a square enclosing it is equal to the
circumference of the earth, the difference in radius between the two circles will be equal to the
thickness of the earth’s solid outer shell.’
‘Incredible!’ said Jintar.
‘Perhaps numbers are not quite as boring as I thought,’ said
Raya. ‘And now will you please come and sit still, Raman. I can’t allow you to go the outer circle
looking like a tramp!’
Their journey continued. Raya led the way, assisted by her seemingly infallible guides. But the ascent
was becoming increasingly demanding, as they had to work against the ever-growing force of
gravity.
‘At this rate it could take us many more months to reach the surface,’
said Raman. ‘If only there was a quicker way.’
‘And who says there isn’t?’ asked Raya.
‘What do you mean?’
‘What I say: how do you know there isn’t a quicker
way?’
‘Well do you know of one or don’t you?’
‘Maybe I do. Maybe I don’t.’
‘Well if you do, tell us what it is! Why didn’t you tell us before?’
‘You never asked. And anyway I didn’t think you’d believe me.’
‘Tell us more, please,’ said Jintar.
‘Well it’s possible to ride on a magic seat that will fly us through the
winding tunnels. The elementals will carry it on their backs.’
‘Oh Raya!’ said Raman in exasperation. ‘That’s silly! Elementals don’t
have backs. They’re formless, shape-shifting energies.’
‘You see! I knew you wouldn’t believe me! Ok then, we’ll just have to
walk.’ She wearily set off again.
‘Wait!’ said Jintar. ‘I’d like to know more. The seat you mention can’t
be any more fantastic than the flying discs I’ve travelled on.’
‘Oh have you been on the discs?’ asked Raya.
‘What do you know about flying discs?’ said Raman.
‘I’ve seen them. Just like I saw the light chute. And the magic
seats. And boats. And all sorts of things actually, but there’s no point telling you as you’re
about as open to new ideas as the most narrow-minded outer-circler!’
‘Raya!’ exclaimed Raman crossly. ‘You’ve insulted me yet again!’
‘No I haven’t.’
‘Yes you have.’
Jintar intervened: ‘Alright you two, stop arguing please. Raya, where
can we find one of these “seats”? Are there any nearby?’
‘All we have to do is materialize one.’
‘How do we do that?’ asked Jintar.
‘Easy. Chalk please, Raman.’
Raman thrust a piece of chalk into her hand, and Raya proceeded to
draw a series of complex geometrical figures, incorporating several sacred symbols.
Raman began to look interested. ‘Raya, where are you getting all this
from? It’s forbidden to draw some of these shapes without special permission. Some of them are very
powerful. They attract particular elemental energies and a very powerful force can be created.’
Raya smiled at him. ‘Excellent, Raman. You’re beginning to talk like
an inner-circler again! I’m simply tracing in chalk round the shapes that the gnomes have
drawn in light.’
Finally Raya was finished.
‘Now we all have to sit equal distances apart on the outer circle
I’ve drawn. Raman should enjoy that,’ she said to Jintar.
Raman frowned but kept quiet. When they were all in position, he
asked: ‘So where’s the seat?’
‘It’s right in front of your eyes. Surely you can see it!’
Raman shook his head.
‘What about you, Jintar?’ asked Raya.
Jintar narrowed his eyes and peered inquisitively into the air in front of
him.
‘Sorry, I can’t see it yet. Could you possibly make it a bit more
physical?’
‘I’m afraid I don’t know how. Anyway, it looks perfectly solid to me.’
Raya stood up and walked to the centre of the circle. Then she sat down – seemingly on nothing –
lifted up her legs and leant back. She seemed to be suspended in mid-air!
‘You see! It’s really very solid. I’m surprised you
can’t see it. Maybe you should both have your eyes tested.’
Raman and Jintar were on their feet feeling the air in front of
them.
‘It’s incredible!’ said Raman. ‘It really is solid,
even though it’s invisible. It’s L-shaped, like a simple plank with a back-rest,
and just wide enough for the three of us to sit on. Raya, you’re brilliant!
We obviously have more in common than I thought.’
He sat down on her left and put his arm round her. ‘Let’s hope it
doesn’t dematerialize in mid-flight,’ he said.
‘Well the bit I’m sitting on won’t,’ said Raya, ‘because I believe
in the elementals. But I wouldn’t be surprised if your part did.’
‘Thanks, that’s reassuring.’
‘Jintar, you have to sit at the other end, and you must both hold
the crystals in your hands.’
When they were all seated, Jintar asked: ‘How do we steer? And start
and stop? And things like that?’
‘I don’t know. Just trust the elementals, and their leader.’
‘Their leader?’ asked Jintar.
‘Yes. Don’t tell me you can’t even see their leader! He’s huge and
very bright and actually rather shapeless – I’m sure Raman would approve of him. But he radiates
such power. Ah, I think we’re about to set off.’
The invisible seat jerkily lifted up higher. Then it lurched forward, so
that the heads of the three passengers were thrown backward.
‘There’s obviously no gravity shield around this device,’ said Jintar.
‘Though some force seems to be pushing us against the seat – which is just as well as there are no
belts or other supports to hold us in. In fact I don’t think this contraption would meet Shambhala safety
standards! I think it’s going to be an exciting ride.’
They sped off at a terrific pace, leaving them breathless.
They hurtled down a narrow winding tunnel and swept round several sharp bends.
Then they found themselves racing through the air, through a series of vast
caverns and over huge forests and lakes. Sometimes the seat sped along high
in the air, and at other times it almost skimmed the ground.
The amazing journey was accompanied by endless yells, screams,
laughs and shouts. The passengers often found themselves ducking instinctively as they passed
beneath rock arches, and pulling in their legs as they passed low over the ground or raced around
corners. The incredible accelerations and decelerations, abrupt changes of direction and extremely
rapid vertical ascents often churned their stomachs, provoking hysterical squeals and leaving them
gasping for breath. But always some unseen force kept them pinned tightly in place. One mistake by
whatever incredible power was controlling the seat and they would be dashed to pieces, but they put
their whole trust in it, feeling privileged, protected and secure.
As they ascended swiftly through the cavern world, the luminosity
surrounding them decreased and finally turned to darkness. But the crystals being held by Raman
and Jintar filled their immediate surroundings with light.
For several hours the incredible roller-coaster of a journey continued.
Finally the magic seat slowed and came to a standstill. Raya dismounted and walked a short distance
to her left on her wobbly legs. Then she knelt down and bowed her head in heartfelt gratitude. Her
two companions felt it appropriate to do likewise, thanking the unseen power for their exhilarating
journey.
As they sat on the rocky ground recovering from their thrilling experience, Raman put his hand into
the shoulder bag he had been carrying since the start of the journey and took out some sheets of
paper.
‘Hey!’ he exclaimed with a startled expression. ‘Where did this
detailed map come from? It wasn’t here before!’
He showed the page to Raya and Jintar.
‘Aha!’ said Jintar. ‘I bet you that’s where we’re headed!’
‘What do you mean?’ asked Raman.
‘It’s a map of a very famous island in the Pacific Ocean that has a
long and fascinating history. Sahula once told me about it. I’m certain that’s where we’re being guided
to.’
Raya nodded. ‘Yes we are going to a small island. Did I forget
to tell you? And I can see that it will only take us a few more days to get there.’
And if Raya could see it, her two companions were confident
that it would be so.
Warrior of the Soul - 3: Part 5