or Logos, of the Gnostics—but another name for the Universal Living Creative Principle, subordinate to the Higher Law.
Modern philosophers and thinkers have held to this idea of the Creative Principle, regarding it rather as a Life Principle than as a Being, however. Bruno held the existence of an anima mundi, or world-soul-principle; others have held to the Principle of "Nature"; Schopenhauer held to the existence of an Universal Will-to-Live, which manifested its life the universe of shape and form and variety; von Hartman held that there existed an "Unconscious," or Creative Principle, similar to that of Schopenhauer's "Will"; Wundt held to the existence of an "Universal Will"; Crusius held to an Universal Dominating Will; Balzac held to a "Universal Something, akin to Will"; Nietsche held to a "World-Will"; Maeterlinck holds to a Life Principle; Bernard Shaw postulates the existence of a Universal Creative Energy which he calls, "The Life Forces."
The Naturalistic school of philosophy postulates the existence of a composite something which it calls "Nature," which acts as the Universal Creative Energy; other thinkers speak of "Nature" in its metonymic sense, as "The agent, producer, or creator of things; the powers which carry on the processes of creation; the powers concerned to produce existing phenomena, whether in sum or in detail; the personified sum and order of cause and effect." Spencer postulates the existence of an "infinite and eternal energy, from which all things proceed,…which transcends our reason and even our imagination." In short, this Universal Living Creative Principle or Life-Principle, is found, under one name or another, in nearly all of the leading philosophies or schools of thought, ancient or modern. The highest reports of the human reason agree in this conception and postulate.
But the true philosophic conception must be distinguished from that of Pantheism, which at first thought seems to be the same. Pantheism claims that this Creative Principle is Deity; God; or The Absolute—that Deity and Nature are identical—that the Universe is God, and God is the Universe. Herein lies a great error, which true philosophers and true occultists vigorously oppose. The idea of an Absolute—of an Omnipotent, Omniscient (all-powerful; all-wise) Being—being compelled to work Its way up gradually, haltingly, with mistakes and stumbles, is absurd. Cudworth (quoted a moment ago) makes this point clear. And to claim that an Absolute Being is trying to "gain experience" in this way, is ridiculous. The idea that the Absolute is "trying to accomplish something" by the universal manifestation, is illogical—for if It has not been able to reach its goal in all the past of Eternity, It can not reach it in all the future of Eternity, for the one is equal to the other. Moreover, the Absolute must of necessity be self-sufficient, and can want nothing to perfect Itself. In short any attempt to postulate The Absolute; God; Deity or other Supreme Thing as being the struggling, striving, evolving Creative Energy, must end in failure or an illogical conclusion. It is only when it is assumed that this Creative Energy is subordinate to and ruled by an Absolute Sovereign Power, that it becomes logically thinkable. Pantheism, actual or implied, is illogical—even the idea of a Personal Deity is far more logical than is pure Pantheism. The Absolute and Nature can never be the same, try as men may to make it appear possible. Nature must always be relative, and subordinate to a superior and sovereign Power or Law, and the latter must be The Absolute.
Pantheism wears many masks and disguises, and is the underlying idea of many modern systems bearing high-sounding names. Any system which is based upon the idea of an Absolute which manifests as a relative—or of a Supreme Being which manifests as Nature, and natural things, is but Pantheism, though perhaps subtly disguised. Beware of this insidious error of thought. Apply these test-questions to any system, to puncture the bubble of Pantheism, if such is contained within it: (1) Why does your Absolute Being depart from Its absolute nature, and become relative, manifold, and divisible? (2) How can The Absolute lose its absolute nature and become relative? (3) What becomes of the absolute nature of The Absolute, when the latter transforms Itself into the relative? ( 4) How can the Unconditioned take on conditions and limitations? (5) How can the Immutable and Changeless manifest change? (6) How can the Indivisible divide and separate itself into parts? And if the teaching in question postulates in Absolute Being, the quality of Omniscience or Absolute Wisdom, ask also this question: (7) How can the Omniscient All-Wise Absolute Being lose Its wisdom, and display the comparative ignorance of the relative forms?
There are but two possible logical explanations of the Absolute and Relative, as follows: (I) That the Cosmos has no existence except in the imagination of The Absolute Being—either as a dream, meditation, reverie, or deliberate dramatic representation, lacking all reality; or (II) that the Universal Creative Principle or Energy is not Absolute, but is subordinate to a Sovereign Law. The first is the answer of certain Idealistic schools of Philosophy—the second is the answer of the Arcane Teachers of Atlantis, Chaldea, Egypt and Ancient Greece. Take your choice! But if you choose the former, then you must admit that The Absolute deliberately and wilfully creates the illusion for no reason except its own pleasure (for no real result or gain is thinkable in such case), for it is ridiculous to hold that The Absolute could be subject to Illusion, Ignorance, or Maya, for if such were so it would no longer be the Absolute. In either case Pantheism is "escorted to the frontier." Do not be deluded by Pantheistic subtleties, or casuistic false reasoning. Pantheism at best is but a half-truth—the other half lies in the recognition of the Absolute Law.
The Arcane Teaching holds that the Cosmic Will—the first-born of the Womb of Infinity—the Cosmic Egg from which hatches the Universe—is in its last analysis, SPIRIT. By "Spirit" is meant "ESSENCE"—remember this definition. "Essence" is a term derived from the Latin word, "esse," meaning "to be." Therefore Essence (or Spirit) means the "beingness" of Being. Spirit is the essence of the Cosmos. Spirit is that which is the first-born of the Infinity of Nothingness—the first thing to be. And from Spirit all the Cosmos proceeds—and at the last the Cosmos is all Spirit. Back of Spirit there is naught by the Infinity of Nothingness. And over and above Spirit there is naught but The Law. Spirit is Being; and Being is Spirit.
The Arcane Teaching uses the term "Cosmic Will" to indicate the creative activities of Spirit. Spirit is the essence of the Cosmic Will—the Cosmic Will is the outward activities of Spirit. But Spirit and the Cosmic Will are the same thing—in its the inner and outer aspects. By "Will" is not meant that human quality called "will"—this latter is but the mental quality which calls forth Will. Will is the principle of all activity—it is activity in itself. Life is one of the manifestations of the Cosmic Will. Will is the "lifeness" of Life. Will is the outward aspect of Spirit.
In the Cosmic Will are inherent the "Three Principles," viz., Substance; Motion; and Consciousness. In the infinitude of manifestation of these Three Principles by the Cosmic Will is found the explanation of the Cosmos or Universe. In their play, and interplay, is found the secret of shape, form, variety and degrees of Substance, Motion, and Consciousness. And from these arise Life. Therefore, in considering the Cosmos, in its activities and manifestations, we may now forget the deeper and more subtle metaphysical and philosophical terms which we have been compelled to consider—and, instead, let us see in universal operation and manifestation, a LIVING UNIVERSE or COSMIC LIFE PRINCIPLE, ever moving, changing, flowing, evolving, proceeding, desiring, attaining, seeking, accomplishing. This is The Cosmic Will of the Arcane Teaching—possessing all the attributes and qualities of the Universal Being of the Pantheists, except that of Absoluteness; for greater than the human imagination can conceive it though it be, yet it is subordinate to, and ever under, THE LAW.
In this teaching regarding the Cosmic Will, the Arcane Teaching gives us an intelligible explanation of that most perplexing idea of the One Life, or Universal Life, which has appeared in various guises and under various names in the philosophies of all times and peoples. That all Life, in the end, is One—that the individual lives are but manifestations of, and centres in, One Universal Life, has been the Truth taught by some of the greatest teachers of the race—the illumined of all ages. The majority of the schools make the fatal error of ascribing to the One Life the nature of The Absolute. The moment this is done the thinker is confronted with the paradox of the Absolute becoming Relative—a logical impossibility. The best
