face to face, on level ground. The symbol of the "World-Brain" is sure to come into general use in the science of the future.
And now for the inevitable question—the question which punctures the philosophical and metaphysical bubble of the Pantheists: "Why does this Cosmic Will manifest this energy, activity, desire, longing, striving, seeking and evolution?—what is the necessity of it all?—what is the end sought for? As difficult as this question may be—and though it has repeatedly been styled "unanswerable"—the Arcane Teaching does not shrink from its consideration; but gives the logical and only answer, for the answer exists. Listen to the Aphorism!
APHORISM XI. The Cosmic Will, as the World-Brain, seeking Consciousness through its appropriate Principle, manifests the natural phenomena of the universe. From a state of Unconsciousness, through many stages of Semi-Consciousness—through many degrees of Simple Consciousness; Self-Consciousness; Super-Consciousness; and states still higher in the scale, undreamt by mortal mind, on toward the highest states of Cosmic Consciousness—Spirit conscious of Itself; the Cosmic Will proceeds. Consciousness, in all of its phases, proceeds through Change—Consciousness depends upon Constant Change. Consciousness always produces Activity, and manifests Motion. Consciousness always manifests objectively in Change and Motion in Substance—in substantial shape and form. In this, then, is to be found the explanation of the phenomena of the involution and evolution of the Cosmos, with all the incidents thereof—in this is found the answer to the Ultimate "Why."
The above is one of the most important of the Basic Aphorisms—the one which explains the "Why" of the Manifest Evolving Cosmos. The answer is understandable only through the symbol of the "World-Brain." The Cosmic Spirit or Will, awakening from its sleep of Unconsciousness, during the Cosmic Night in the Infinity of Nothingness, seeks Consciousness. Consciousness is the "livingness" of Life—therefore the Cosmos seeks Life itself. The Cosmos manifests in order to gain Conscious Life. Like the mortal awakening from a profound sleep, almost death-like in its intensity, the Cosmos begins its task of regaining Consciousness, which is the "livingness" of its Life. And as to the mortal sleeper, such Consciousness comes to it slowly.
In order to fully appreciate the meaning of the Aphorism, we must regard the nature and meaning of "Consciousness." Consciousness means "awareness," and, of course, is purely mental in principle. The Aphorism says: "Consciousness in all of its phases, proceeds from Change—Consciousness depends upon constant Change." Is this borne out by modern psychology— let us see! The best authorities in modern psychology agree to this statement. To them, Consciousness is a stream of changing mental states, with their corresponding physical changes. The text-books say: "Every act of consciousness involves a change from a past state to a present." A leading authority says: "Consciousness is in constant change"; also : "No state once gone can recur and be identical with what it was before"; also: "Consciousness does not appear to itself chopped into bits.…It is nothing jointed; it flows. A ‘river' or a ‘stream' are the metaphors by which it is most naturally described. In talking of it, let us call it the stream of consciousness." Another authority says: "Consciousness results from perpetual change. It is impossible to maintain a uniform conscious state. A uniform sensation of pressure becomes quickly unnoticeable—the pressure must perpetually vary or the sensation will cease, and this is true of all conscious states whatsoever." All the best authorities agree in the above position. The Cosmic Will which is embodied in the Cosmic Substance, just as is the will of man embodied in his brain-substance, must constantly manifest changes within that substance in order that it may be Conscious. It must do this constantly and perpetually, else it becomes Unconscious. When it is remembered that states of consciousness are always accompanied by corresponding material and physical changes—that thoughts become brain-things—then we can see the explanation of the constant change in the physical world, which we call natural phenomena.
The Aphorism also says: "Consciousness always produces Activity, and manifests Motion." Modern psychology also bears out this statement. Prof. William James has brought out this point most forcibly in his works. He says, among much else on the same subject: "All Consciousness is Motor"; also: "Using sweeping terms and ignoring exceptions, we might say that every possible feeling produces a movement, and that the movement is a movement of the entire organism, and of each and all its parts.…In short, a process set up in the centres reverberates everywhere, and in some way or other affects the organism throughout, making its activities either greater or less." Is it not plain that, granted the existence of the Cosmic Will in its aspect of a World-Brain, then every state of consciousness within it must produce activity and motion within it; and must also manifest the corresponding physical and material changes in its substance and organic structure? Does not this, coupled with the fact that consciousness depends upon constant change, give us, in the words of the Aphorism, "the explanation of the phenomena of the involution and evolution of the Cosmos, with all the incident! thereof? Does not this explain to us the workings of the Law of Sequence?
This then is the cause behind the involution and evolution of the Cosmos as told by Modern Science. In awakening into Consciousness the World-Brain creates centres of material shape and form within itself. Then by slow degrees more complex form, and combinations appear. Upon the created worlds appear the material appropriate for the manifestation of organic life. Then Life, as we know it, appears. Then higher forms come. Then man. Then, as on certain of the worlds, being much higher in the scale than man, appear. And then on, and on, and on, ever in an ascending scale of Life and Being; shape and form; combination and degree.
In the World-Brain, there are many planes of consciousness, just as there are in your own brain-mind. There are the instinctive planes, and those still below—the sub-conscious, and those above—and the super-conscious, and other stages of which man does not as yet dream. Just as the various brain-cells perform their several functions, varying in the degree of importance and function—so do the various centres in the World-Brain play theirs, in the same varying importance and degree. Each is a part of the All. And there is a relationship and interdependence between all. None is alone and separate. Separateness is an illusion. All is One. The part played by Man—by You—in this great Cosmic Drama, will be considered in the succeeding parts of this series of lessons. Therein will be taught the lesson of "Man, Know Thyself!"
In considering the World-Brain, do not make the mistake of the average student, in thinking merely of this speck of dust called the Earth, as being all that is included in the Cosmos. In the Cosmos are contained an infinitude of infinitudes of universes; of suns, and planets. Space itself must be exhausted before the universes are exhausted. Number itself must be exhausted, before their number is exhausted. Remember, they are the products of Infinity, and consequently their number, degrees, and variety is infinite in extent and possibility.
Nor, should you make the mistake of explaining of the Cosmos in the terms of Time, except as a convenience in thinking. Conceptions of finite time or space have no place in the consideration of the Cosmos—that is, the mind is unable to think of a period of time sufficiently great to cover even one phase of the Cosmic Process. The Cosmic Day is unthinkable in figures. The highest figures possible to the mind of man would not represent the year-periods involved in a single second of the Cosmic Day. We are still in the Dawn of the Day, and yet that which men would call an Eternity has passed in the present Cosmic Day. Thought fails us. We are dealing in terms of Infinity. The Symbol is ∞.
In this lesson we have heard the answer to the Ultimate Question of the "Why" of the Cosmos. We have seen that that Answer is "Necessity and Law." It is the Law of the Cosmos that the Cosmic Will should desire and will to live; and, that in order to live, Consciousness (the "livingness of Life") is necessary; and that in order to gain consciousness, continual and constant change is an actual necessity. And this constant change produces the phenomena of the Manifest Cosmos. In a nutshell: The Cosmos manifests in order to Live—and it Lives because Life is a Necessity of its nature under the Laws, and subordinate to The Law. This is the Arcane Answer to the "Unanswerable Question" of the philosophers of the schools.
And in the Arcane conception of the
