A very comforting fact known to the Masters is that the Creator has so constructed man that he is able, when properly informed and trained, to place himself in conscious communication with the entire universe. At first thought, this would appear but a flight of fancy, but it is literally true. It can be done. This is so because of the way man has been constructed. And this is why we speak of
man as a microcosm, a little world. He is, in fact a replica of the entire universe of universes on a very small scale, and for that very reason he is able to reach consciously the entire universe lying outside of himself. It is because he has in himself a definite something which bears a special relation to every separate part of the outlying universe. This is a marvelous thing. It is so very wonderful that we approach it with deep reverence. Men do not ordinarily imagine that they are so remarkably endowed. They feel themselves to be shut off from the rest of the universe - those vast unknown regions inhabited by numberless hosts of beings like ourselves or superior to us: But it is nevertheless a fact that we may get in touch with the whole of that outlying universe if we choose to do so.
And as said before, in order to fit us for such conscious communication, we have been organized, put together and adjusted by the Creator so as to constitute a small universe within ourselves, with certain parts or centers which correspond with certain portions of the outlying universe. Hence man himself, taken as a whole, is a true microcosm, a little world or universe. We are indeed 'fearfully and wonderfully made'. We need not go into detail here. The student may do so if he likes. Let this be his clue: Every individual part of man, of his physical or astral or causalbody, holds a definite relationship with some particular part of the outlying universe. This is the key. This relationship is the key to all possibilities. In every man there is a center more 'subtle than the physical, invisible to the physical eye, which is so adjusted that it may serve as a means of communication with a corresponding section of the macrocosm, the great world. And this is our opportunity, our one and only means of contacting those subtle worlds. If we had not these centers within ourselves, we could never know that those regions existed. Every student would do well to pause here and think. For the sake of emphasis, let us repeat a portion of what we'have just said. The whole thing must be made so plain, so clear,that no one can fail to comprehend it.
Microcosm means 'small world', and macrocosm means 'large world'. Man is the microcosm, and inside of man are several other still smaller microcosms, each one of which has a definite relation to some portion of the outlying universe. We are not isolated from the big world as we feel ourselves to be. We have the ability, when our faculties are awakened, to actually hold conscious communication with the most distant heavens, to explore the utmost regions of space. This applies not only to all physical worlds of starry galaxies, but to all the astral and the higher spiritual regions. There is no limit. What marvels are in man! How little does the average man realize his noble inheritance!
The entire existence of man is wrapped up in a larger being. He himself is but a cell in the body of the cosmos. 'Yet, taken as an individual, man is a small universe. More accurately speaking, man, all within himself, is a cluster of universes. Take his nervous system alone, for example. A scientist says that the cerebral substance contains more than twelve thousand million cells. These are associated several trillion times in a manner most complicated by means of fibrils. Every smallest particle of this vast system works in harmony with every other part, so that the entire mass behaves as one single unit. And this complicated system of brain and nervous threads is the instrument of thought on the physical plane of consciousness.
But this gentleman is not aware that the marvelous play of thought is upon a plane just above the physical and can be seen by a finer instrument of vision. He knows it cannot be seen with the physical eye. If only he could weigh thought with his laboratory scales! But there is a way for him to actually see thoughts, The Masters see them. The dynamic energy of thought is derived from a source which cannot be standardized in the laboratory. Yet the working of thought forces is plainly visible to the Master, even to many who are not Masters but who have awakened this faculty.
The scientist speaks of the mind as "the most colossal power in the world." And in this he is in perfect accord with the teachings of the Masters. Little do men suspect the colossal-ness of that power. Yet the great scientist asks with simple naivete if thought is produced by the cerebral cells, like insulin from the pancreas. Of course, he doesn't understand the mechanism of thought because he has no knowledge of the constitution of man above the physical plane. This is a pity, for such a great student of nature would go far on the path if he once gave himself to it. Could such a colossal force, as he declares mind to be, arise from the physiology of the brain? That noble scientist has, we believe, one foot upon the doorstep of the temple of wisdom. Many other earnest students are timidly approaching that temple. They have reached the limit of present ability in material research, and so they stand amazed, wondering if there may not be something beyond the reach of their material instruments, something which transcends in value all that they have thus far achieved.
Man is indeed the microcosm, complicated and wonderful in structure. In him lies hidden the sum total of 'all universes. How true it is that the greatest study of mankind is man! The pity is that so few have ever taken the advice of the sages. If, as scientists say, the average man of today does not use more than one-millionth part of his brain cells, it is equally true that man has not yet explored a millionth part of those numberless worlds which lie out before him, to whose riches and beauties he is still a stranger. But he may make such explorations if he finds the method.
As intimated above, man is not only a living microcosm, related to the whole vast universe, but he is himself a whole system of universes: Each cell in his body is a still smaller universe, and each atom in each cell is a still smaller one. Note the nucleus of each atom, surrounded by its electrons. The relative distances between those electrons, when compared with their sizes, are quite as great as those between any central sun and its planets. Thus the body of man is a vast and complicated system of universes, even millions of universes, clustered together in a single unit. And at last, this single unit itself is but an electron in the great macrocosm of the heavens. Man is indeed a complete replica of the vast system outside of himself. In that fact lies a great hope. It is a gracious promise.
This marvelous microcosm has been offered to the soul, not haphazardly, but so scientifically adjusted that he may take hold of it and through it come into possession of his noble inheritance. He can do this by the study of self, not by dissecting the body of his colleague. He must go inside of himself and see what is there. This will awaken all his sleeping faculties and liberate his latent powers. Doing this, he will then come into conscious touch with the entire system of worlds, both physical and subtle, filling endless space. The exact process by means of which this is to be accomplished will be revealed by the Master to each of his students. The Master himself has accomplished this stupendous task, and he is now in a position to guide others who wish to do the same thing. Most men are entirely ignorant of this great gift with which a benevolent nature has endowed them, but everyone may become conscious of it if he wishes to and will take the right steps. He has only to look for a living Master to open the way for him.
The important point for us now is that because of this marvelous construction of man himself, he is able to open conscious communication with the entire universe of worlds, both physical and spiritual. This any man may do, if properly guided, and if he is willing to do the work required. It is simply the method which he needs, and that he can get only from a living Master. Each and every man, when properly trained, is able to detach himself from the physical body while still living in that body in perfect health, and then travel ,to all parts of the outlying universe. Everyone has this ability whether he is conscious of it or not.
During long ages and many successive births in regions of coarse matter, the majority of men have lost the knowledge of how this is done. They have now to relearn the lost art from the Master. They may regain all the forfeited prerogatives. The inner faculties must now be reawakened and their proper functions restored. As the physical brain, is in touch with all parts of the body through its nervous system, just so there are in the astral body certain important centers by means of which the intelligence may get in touch with the entire astral world. In like manner, other centers act as points of departure for communication with their corresponding higher and finer worlds. This contact is established, and the proper centers awakened, by means of concentrated attention at the point or center chosen under the direction of the Master. And this is the secret of all yoga, the objective of all occult exercises. By concentrated attention at any given center, the consciousness is awakened at that center, and from there the awakened consciousness moves upward toward those subtle worlds which are correlated to that center.