Antahkarana

Antahkarana
Antahkarana or Antaskarana Alice A. Bailey uses the word Antahkarana 347 times and Antaskarana 47. Why the variation, I do not know for both seem to be describing the same principle.

The antahkarana is basically a bridge between the higher and the lower. But higher and lower what may be the question.

Ultimately, for the individual it is the bridge that will connect our regular waking consciousness with the Monad. Before this happens one must first build the link to the soul and the higher mind. This is the beginning of the antahkarana.

Basically one can say that the antahkarana is the scientific means of establishing soul contact and more.

The antahkarana is often called a bridge and even a "rainbow bridge." Why is the rainbow brought into the picture? Because the differentiation of the seven colors, or seven rays, must be synthesized into the one great white light for the bridge to be perfected.

DK tells us that "When man is polarized in his mental body, he begins to bridge the antahkarana. A Treatise on Cosmic Fire, P 1160

It is therefore important for the seeker to dominate his emotional self with logic, reason and common sense.

In addition to there being an individual antahkarana there are group ones. There are antahkarana, which connect humanity to the Hierarchy and the Hierarchy to Shamballa and higher. Then there are antahkarana for higher lives still.

Here is a good quote on the rainbow bridge. Think in these terms today if you can, and begin to grasp somewhat the significance of the truth therein embodied. In the beautiful Eastern symbology, "The Bridge of Sighs" which links the animal world with the human world and leads all men into the vale of tears, of woe, of discipline and of loneliness, is rapidly being replaced by the radiant Rainbow Bridge, constructed by the sons of men who seek pure light. "They pass across the bridge into the Light serene which there awaits them, and bring the radiant light down to the world of men, revealing the new kingdom of the soul; souls disappear, and only the soul is seen." Discipleship in the New Age, Vol II Page 408

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Some quotes from Djwhal Khul:

This involves the construction of what is technically the antahkarana, the rainbow bridge. This is built by the disciple-in-training upon the basis of his past experience; it is anchored in the past and firmly grounded in the highest, rightly oriented aspect of the personality. As the disciple then creatively works, he finds that there is a reciprocal action on the part of the Presence, the Monad - the unity which stands behind the Door. He discovers that one span of the bridge (if I might so call it) is being built or pushed forward from the other side of the gulf separating him from experience in the life of the Spiritual Triad. This Spiritual Triad is essentially, to the initiate, what the threefold personality is to the man in physical incarnation. The Rays and the Initiations, P 43

This New Group of World Servers is an aspect of the world antahkarana and it gives students of the antahkarana a sound example of the intent and purpose of the Rainbow Bridge which each disciple is endeavoring consciously to build. It is composed of those who have penetrated in consciousness //upward// to such an extent and height that their ascension has become invocative and has produced a descent from the Hierarchy which meets and merges with the energies of the ascending group reflection. Words here are apt to hinder, but the visualization indicated will prove helpful. Discipleship in the New Age II, P 204

See you, therefore, the necessity of eventually organizing a group in the world which will be so constituted and so carefully chosen and interiorly related that all its members are initiates, all have created their own "rainbow bridges" with understanding and accuracy, and all can now work in such complete unity that the group antahkarana becomes a channel of unimpeded communication direct from Shamballa to the group //because// every member of the group is a member of the Hierarchy. In this manner the three planetary centers arrive at the needed relationship, and another great triangle reaches true functioning activity. When this takes place, a revelation undreamed of will be manifested upon the Earth; a new divine quality, of which no knowledge at present exists, will make its presence felt, and the work of the Buddha and of the Christ, and the work of the coming Avatar, will be superseded by One for Whom both Shamballa and the Hierarchy have unitedly waited and of Whom the doctrine of the Messiah and the doctrine of Avatars have been and are today only the dim distant symbols. They preserve this concept of the Great Revelation in the consciousness of men, in the expectancy which the Hierarchy evidences, and through the "preparatory work" now being undertaken at Shamballa. The Rays and the Initiations, P 257

//The abstract mind.// This reveals itself most completely under the influence of the first Ray of Will or Power, reflecting the higher aspect of the will of divinity or of the atmic principle; it summarizes in itself when fully developed the purpose of Deity, and thus becomes responsible for the emergence of the Plan. It energizes the will petals until such time as the eternal life of the soul is absorbed into that which is neither transient nor eternal but which is endless, boundless and unknown. It is brought into conscious functioning through the building of the antahkarana. This "radiant rainbow bridge" unites the illumined personality, focused in the mind body, motivated by the love of the soul, with the Monad or with the One Life, and thus enables the divine manifesting Son of God to express the significance of the words: God is Love and God is a consuming Fire. This fire, energized by love, has burnt out all personality qualities, leaving only a purified instrument, colored by the soul ray and no longer necessitating the existence of a soul body. The personality has by this time completely Absorbed the soul, or to put it perhaps more accurately, both soul and personality have been fused and blended into one instrument for the use of the One Life. The Rays and the Initiations, P 262

"They pass across the bridge into the Light serene which there awaits them, and bring the radiant light down to the world of men, revealing the new kingdom of the soul; souls disappear, and only the soul is seen." Discipleship in the New Age II, P 407

You are, in your small way, making your adjustment to the Hierarchy through a steady construction of the antahkarana, and in so doing are aiding in the construction of the antahkarana which unites Humanity and the Hierarchy - the first few strands of which were established through the sacrifices of certain of the Sons of God when the Hierarchy was founded on Earth. The Externalization of the Hierarchy, P535

Today, the first faint hints as to the use of the antahkarana, and its purpose in relation to the personality and the Spiritual Triad, are being studied by a few students in the world, and their numbers will steadily increase as both personality and soul establish contact and fusion and more people take initiation. The //purpose,// consequently, for the very existence of the fourth kingdom in nature (as a transmitting agent for the higher spiritual energies to the three lower kingdoms) will begin to appear, and men, in group formation, will consciously begin this work of "saving" - in the esoteric sense, needless to say - these other grouped lives. The Macrocosm with its purpose and incentives will for the first time begin to reflect itself into the human kingdom in a new and more potent manner, and this in its turn will become the macrocosm of the three lesser states of conscious lives - the animal, the vegetable and the mineral kingdoms. Esoteric Healing, P 586

Again, as the antahkarana is built by individual man between these two points, so - again in a planetary sense - is a channel being built by collective man on this planet to its primary, Venus. Esoteric Astrology, P 684

The fourth kingdom in nature is, in its turn, a bridging kingdom between the three superhuman kingdoms and the three subhuman. Again, the fourth plane (which must be reached by the bridge of light, the antahkarana) is the link between the three higher worlds of spiritual being and the three lower worlds of human endeavor and experience. Discipleship in the New Age I, P 70

Visualization is literally the building of a bridge between the emotional or astral plane and the mental level and is, therefore, a personality correspondence to the building of the antahkarana. Discipleship in the New Age I, P 91

Hierarchy, responsibility, group interplay, and forgiveness or sacrifice - these are the four categories of recognition which will enable each person to do his part and take his share in bridging between person and person, between group and group, and between nation and nation, thus establishing that new world of recognized corporate relationships which will eventually produce the civilization of light and love which will be characteristic of the Aquarian Age. It is these four concepts which lie behind the Science of the Antahkarana, the Science of Meditation, and the Science of Service. Their connotations have to be interpreted in no sentimental sense, or in the coin of current ideas, but always from the angle of a trained intelligence and of a spiritually developed consciousness. Education in the New Age, P 130

The Science of the Antahkarana is the science of the triple thread which exists from the very beginning of time and links individual man with his monadic source. The recognition of this thread and its use, consciously, as the Path and the means of ever expanding contacts, comes relatively late in the evolutionary process. The goal of all aspirants and disciples is to become aware of this stream of energy in its various diversifications and consciously to employ these energies in two ways: interiorly in self-unfoldment, and in the service of the plan for humanity. Education in the New Age, P 143 (an entire section devoted to the Science of the Antahkarana is available beginning on this page)

When man has constructed the antahkarana (which he does during the final stages of his evolution in the three worlds) that gulf is bridged and the Monad and the Ego are closely linked. When man is polarized in his mental body, he begins to bridge the antahkarana. A Treatise on Cosmic Fire, P 1160

The building of the antahkarana only becomes genuinely possible when the creative life of the aspirant shifts from the sacral center into the throat and is becoming factual and expressive. Of this connecting "bridge," the neck itself is the symbol, as it relates the head - alone and isolated - to the dual torso, consisting of that which lies above the diaphragm and that which lies below - the symbol of the soul and the personality united, fused and blended into one. Esoteric Healing, P 153

Comments from readers:

Matthew writes: Antahkarana: Ancient symbol of healing

Alice Bailey and several other authors of Tibetan philosophy have some knowledge of the Antahkarana which you can find in a number of books. They describe the Antahkarana as a part of spiritual anatomy. It is the connection between the physical brain and the Higher Self. It is this connection that must heal and develop if we are to grow spiritually. The Antahkarana symbol depicted and described here represents this connection and activates it whenever you are in its presence.

This symbol is multi-dimensional. From one perspective it appears to be two dimensional, being made-up of three sevens on a flat surface. The three sevens represent the seven chakras, the seven colors and the seven tones of the musical scale. These three sevens are mentioned in the book of Revelations as the seven candle sticks, the seven trumpets and the <span class="yshortcuts" style="-moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; cursor: pointer;">seven seals.

It is clear that the Tibetans did not originate the symbol and there is no written record as to its true origin.* However, through clairvoyent perception the symbol was first given to the people of Earth during Lemurian times over 100,000 years ago. This was the same time Reiki was first brought to Earth by the <span class="yshortcuts" style="-moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; cursor: pointer;">Holy Spirit. The Antahkarana was created by a counsel of Ascended Masters who are watching over the evolution of the Galaxy. They saw that the people of Earth were in trouble and needed help in re-establishing their connection with the Higher Self. They created the symbol and using a decree, imbued it with its own consciousness. Now anyone who uses it will have the connection between the physical brain and the Higher Self strengthened. It is the Higher Self that creates and guides the benefits of the symbol and that is why it can never be used for harm.

Ref: http://www.reikiweb store.com/ ProductPage. cfm?ProductID= 297

This symbol is said to aid in dispelling internal negative energy and pain. At first glance I see the three 7's then when I enlarged the image it looks like a cube separated by three sections of the number 7 also showing three more cubes This is looks like JJ's illustration in the "Molecular Relationship" of the human molecule. Using this symbol it seems possible to expand the human molecule. It could be used to heal and then in turn once healed to build and expand the spiritual man forward in evolution toward that which is good.

The man who is attempting to master his lower nature and has the goal of expressing his innate divinity requires a GOLDEN THREAD whereby he can find his way out of the caverns of bewilderment and the areas of speculation and enquiry. This process of investigation, deduction and proof, the Science of Esoteric Astrology and it's subsidiary sciences will eventually provide. The foundation is already laid. What I here give can provide another step forward and further light. It might here be stated that until the ANTAHKARANA (THE BRIDGE OF LIGHT BETWEEN THE HIGHER AND LOWER MINDS, BETWEEN THE SPIRITUAL TRIAD AND THE THREE FOLD PERSONALITY) is being definitely constructed, these sciences will remain obscure to the AVERAGE intellect. Once however the intuition can come into action via the ANTAHKARNA, light will gradually begin to pour in.

The world must begin to accept and give weight to the conclusions of it's intuitives; They have ever taken the first needed steps in the unfoldment of the human consciousness. It is the complexity of DETAIL, which is primarily responsible for the confusion. The intuition (as the philosopher understands it) is the ability to arrive at knowledge through the activity of some innate sense, apart from the REASONING or LOGICAL processes. It comes into activity when the resources of the lower mind have been used, explored and exhausted. Then and only then, the true intuition begins to function. It is the sense of synthesis, the ability to think in wholes, and to touch the world of causes. When this becomes possible, the investigating astrologer will find that the complexities of the problem will disappear and the DETAILS fall into obvious position and in such a manner that the sum total will appear in a blinding light of surety. At present students cannot see the wood for the trees, as the proverb says, and that proverb is right.

<span class="yshortcuts" style="-moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; cursor: pointer;">Definition : Antahkarana Esoteric Astrology page 516 & 517 DK <span class="yshortcuts" style="-moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; border-bottom: 1px dashed #0066cc; cursor: pointer;">Alice A. Bailey

In short this the bridge that we all have to build to achieve soul contact. The next step will just exactly how to design and build the bridge from the lower self to the higher self, soul.

Ruth writes:

The Antaskarana is the bridge which connects the higher with the lower, and serves the Purpose by being a "connective principle" elevating the lower, step by step, through evolution.

I wondered why you used the particular term Antaskarana, and why the Sanskrit is Antahkarana. Why is the S substituted by the H? Unless the S is used when there is a plural meaning to the bridge(s), rather than one bridge.

e.g. Antas would be like "interiors" perhaps.

I like to play around a lot with words, as words are also symbols. Such as Ant-ASK-arana and Ant-AHK(arc) -arana. Or "Ah" may or may not be symbolic of something spiritual. Oh, and An-task-arana.

Then there is the term we use as the "ah-ha" moment...... .in relation to truth and spirit, and ha is the reversal of ah, so the "ah" is like perhaps a spiritual symbol and is reversed to the "ha" in the physical form, like Abram became AbrAHam. AHab (King of Israel) AHaz (King of Judah). AHmose, IsaiAH, rAHotep, Interesting. ...?

"Ah" in the Dictionary means... Expressing joy, sorrow, surprise, entreaty.

"Ah-hi (Senzar) A group or class of celestial or spiritual beings known in different countries under various names:"

> Antahkarana (Sanskrit) [from antar interior, within + karana sense organ ]

Interior organ or instrument; defined variously as the seat of thought and feeling, the thinking faculty, the heart, mind, soul, and conscience. In Vedanta philosophy, it is looked upon as a fourfold inner instrument or intermediary between spirit and body, with mind being the go-between or bridge. One could say that there are several antahkaranas in the human septenary constitution: one for every path or bridge between any two monadic centers. Man is a unity in diversity, and the antahkaranas are the links of vibrating consciousness- substance uniting these various centers (cf OG 5). Blavatsky describes it as "the path that lies between thy Spirit and thy self, the highway of sensations, the rude arousers of Akankara" (the sense of egoity); and that when the two have merged into the One and the personal sacrificed to self impersonal, then the antahkarana vanishes because no longer useful as a functioning bridge between the two. Further, the antankarana is "the lower Manas, the Path of communication or communion between the personality and the higher Manas or human Soul. At death it is destroyed as a Path or medium of communication, and its remains survive in a form as the Kamarupa -- the 'shell' " (VS 56, 88-9).

Antahkarana also has the general sense of an intermediary between something or someone that is low to one that is high. Every messenger of truth and light is an antahkarana between the Masters of Wisdom and mankind. Likewise every great and good man or woman is an antahkarana between humanity and the spiritual essence of his or her own inner god. A person living in the noblest and loftiest part of his being, becomes such a bridge between the spiritual realm he is in touch with and all other entities and things contacted by him which belong to human life."

http://www.theosoci ety.org/pasadena /etgloss/ anj-arc.htm

"The accurate realization by the physical brain of what the Ego is seeking to convey concerning the work to be done only becomes possible when two things are realized:

o The pineal gland. o The pituitary body. o The alta major center, or that nerve center at the top of the spine, where the cranium and the spine make approximate contact. When this congery of nerves [962] is fully developed, it forms a center of communication between he vital energy of the spinal column (the kundalini fire) and the energy of the two head centers above enumerated. It is the physical correspondence to the antahkarana on higher levels."
 * Direct alignment.
 * The transmission of the egoic energy or will to one or other of the three physical centers in the head:

A Treatise on Cosmic Fire - Section Two - Division D - Thought Elementals and Fire Elementals b. Physical Brain Impression

> The Antaskarana is the bridge which connects the higher with the lower, and serves the Purpose by being a "connective principle" elevating the lower, step by step, through evolution.

As an afterthought, it could possibly be the bridge or connection between the Christ consciousness within, which is raised up through that bridge, which can in turn raise you up or connect you with the Father (Monad), the lower bridge dissolving away when a physical connection is made, but there are probably higher bridges throughout the evolutionary process or realms in which one can create or build and in which would enable the Soul/Spirit/ Monad to always maintain that bridge between the dualities, or Spirit and Matter throughout the realms or reflections of God.

If I was the One God and wanted to reflect myself out into zillions of reflections, then logically, I would need a sustainable "bridge" or link back towards myself, so that none of these reflections or "experiences" are lost. They may become disconnected from the original link, or lose their way, but eventually, these lower bridges would be used and re-created, created? and appear before Spirit and Matter so that endless link is always re-established, rather than totally lost in the ethers of God as a reflection.

I think that the only reason we can build or create this Antaskarana is because it was always there in the original blueprint of Purpose and Intelligence and it is probably much more electrical or stronger at each level of creation via the mind and/or soul connection.

So it seems that if you build a higher connective bridge, then you build through the higher mind and devas, and this in turn, then sets you on a course through higher realms and evolution.

Ruth

"DK gives this interesting piece of information concerning them:

The black brother carries the evolution of the senses on to a stage inconceivable to man now and this sixth mahatic sense is of vaster extent and service to them than it ever is to the white Adept. Therefore, it will be apparent that for a long cycle of time, the black magician can persist and develop his powers because one-third of the force of the egoic lotus is his and he knows well how to utilise it to the best advantage. He builds also an antaskarana, but of quality and objective different to that of the student of the white magic. It is called "the path of manasic evil," and bridges a gap between the mental unit of the magician concerned, and certain correspondences on mental levels in the vehicles of the devas of that plane. Through this medium, and through identification with the devas, he can escape from the three worlds to spheres of evil incomprehensible to us. The point to be remembered here is that the black magician remains ever a prisoner; he cannot escape from substance and from form. There is no need to enlarge further on this subject. Treatise on Cosmic Fire, Pg 1126"

Duane writes:

The Antahkarana is probably one of the most important symbol with which the disciple must learn to visualize and work. The post I added here a few days ago has an expanded commentary attached to the opening images and is full of visuals and animations that may through new light on The "Rainbow Bridge" and how it is built. Blessings to you, Keysters and all the groups who work for World Peace and the Reappearance of the Christ. Duane @http://www.light-weaver.com/raycharts/page1.html