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Preface
5 Planes of Existence
Introduction
Five Planes of Manifestation
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SPIRIT
A symbol of the positive, energetic,
forceful, qualitative, and formative aspect of the Divine
outpouring, in distinction from the passive, receptive,
quantitative, form-taking aspect -matter. Spirit is the life-side
which imparts qualities and motion. Matter is the form-side which
receives qualities and motion. Spirit manifests in matter as the
life moulding the successive forms, more or less evanescent. Spirit
uses matter as a sheath which lies out-side and below it. Hence the
intense vibrations of Spirit gradually dissipate it and bring the
forms to nought. In their origin spirit and matter are eternal;
duality proceeds from Unity which is neither spirit nor matter, and
is the Ultimate Reality.
"The world is a living organism, which is not made through any cause
external to itself, but is formed and developed by means of an inner
principle, a principle which is at once operative power and
purposeful reason, at once real and ideal, and which consequently
appears in nature as a twofold substance, a spiritual and a bodily,
while these two nevertheless are finally traceable to one essence
and one root, and as regards substance are ultimately one and the
same (Bruno's Cosmology). - PFLEIDERER, Phil. of Religion, p. 26.
“The Active Principle, the Mind of the universals, is absolutely
pure, and absolutely free from all admixture. transcendeth virtue;
It transcendeth Wisdom; nay, It transcendeth even the Good Itself,
and the Beautiful Itself. The Passive Principle is of itself
soulless and motionless, but when It is set in motion, and enformed
and ensouled by the Mind, It is transformed into the most perfect of
all works-namely, this Cosmos."-PHILO, De Mund. Op., § 2.
“Pragâpati (lord of creatures) pro- duces a pair,-Matter (rayi) and
Spirit (prana), thinking that they together should produce creatures
for him in many ways. . . . The sun is Spirit, Matter is the moon, .
. . and Body indeed is Matter." - Prasna Upanishad, I. 4, 5.
From the Absolute there is emanated that Unity which becomes Duality
as Matter and Spirit, from the interactions of which all things in
every variety are produced. The Higher Self (sun) is Spirit, Matter
is its reflection as form, and form indeed is matter.
"I feel that the universe is spirit and nothing but spirit, and that
infinity and eternity are implied in the very existence of every
individual soul." - R. J. CAMPBELL, Thursday Mornings, p. 151.
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