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A Treatise on Cosmic Fire - Section Two - Division A - Manas or Mind and its Nature
5. Manas is the Synthesis of five Rays

One other definition might be given even though its abstruseness may prove but a bewilderment to the student.

Manas is the united faculty of four of the Heavenly Men, synthesized through a fifth Heavenly Man on the third plane of the system. These five Heavenly Men were the logoic embodiment in an earlier system and achieved the fullness of manasic life. Their synthetic life is that which is primarily understood when we speak of Brahma, that cosmic Entity Who is the sumtotal of logoic active intelligence. For lack of better terms we call Them the Lords of the four minor Rays, Who find Their synthesis through the third Ray of Activity. They have been called in an endeavor to express the principles which They embody:

  1. The Lord of Ceremonial Magic.
  2. The Lord of Abstract Idealism, or Devotion.
  3. The Lord of Concrete Science.
  4. The Lord of Harmony and Art.

These four function through the fourth cosmic ether, and have vehicles of buddhic matter. They merge into the greater life of the Lord of the third Ray of Aspect on atmic levels, and these four (with the one synthetic Ray), are the totality of manasic energy. They are the life of the five lower planes. They are the five Kumaras, and two remain, making the seven Kumaras or Builders of the universe; these five have been called the five Mind-born Sons of Brahma. (S. D., I, 119, 493; II, 111, 112.) Manas, therefore, is the psychic effect of Their united group work, and shows forth in different ways according to the units involved, the forms [337] animated, and the planes concerned. They demonstrate predominantly on the five lower subplanes of each plane, and this factor should be remembered in connection with the major initiations of manas. Nevertheless - as They are the sumtotal of the third or Brahma aspect - Their main sphere of influence is on the lowest or third division of the manifested universe or on the mental, astral, and physical planes.

I would here suggest a third division of the major planes of the system which will hold much of interest for the real student of occultism.

  • First Logos - Mahadeva - Will Aspect - First plane.
  • Second Logos - Vishnu - Wisdom Aspect - Second, Third, Fourth.
  • Third Logos - Brahma - Intelligence - Fifth, Sixth, Seventh.

In these five definitions of manas we have suggested scope for thought and much has been hinted at for those who have ears to hear. Many more explanatory words might be spoken but we aim to start students thinking for themselves, and seek to see them defining these ideas in their own words.
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