Universal Life Principle

The Greeks always held to the existence of the Universal Life Principle, calling it by various names.  The very term, "The Cosmos," was used by the Stoics and others to represent the idea of the anima mundi or "world-soul." Heraclitus held to the "world-spirit" which he symbolized as flame. Pythagoras, in his exoteric or popular teachings taught the doctrine of the Life Principle, symbolizing it as light or flame. Other schools recognized the existence of this One Life Principle calling it "Being," a term which has persisted in modern philosophy.

By some schools, notable the Platonian, the Universal Life Principle was called "The Demiurge," the term literally meaning the "universal worker."  The Demiurge was held to be an exalted and mysterious agent, by and through whom The Absolute was supposed to have created the Universe--the life of the Demiurge flowed out into manifold forms, and became the Many.  This ideas was adhered to by the Gnostics of the early Christian church.

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 Universall Dominating Will; Balzac held to an "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 someting 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 ound, 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.

The Atlanteans, Chaldeans, and Egyptians held that this

Universal Life Principle subdivided itself into the many forms

of life and things, in obedience to an inner law of its being. The

ancient Hindus held that the One manifested as the Many, the

various schools giving different “reasons” for the manifestation

as follows: one school held that Brahman manifested as the

Many, in order to enjoy objective existence; another school

held that Prakriti, the Universal Principle of Substance, was

acted upon by the Purushas, or Soul‑Principles, which it had

attracted to itself, and manifestations arose by reason thereof;

another school held that Brahman was merely a subordinate

creative principle, which was caused to create universes by the

power of Para‑Brahm; another school held that all manifestation

was merely an illusory dream of Maya (the Creative Principle),

in the mind of The Supreme Being; the Buddhists held that

manifestation was caused by tanha or “thirst,” in the Universal

Will‑to‑Live which arose from the Void of Nothingness; other

schools held ideas akin to those mentioned, or variations or

combinations of them.

The Greeks always held to the existence of the Universal

Life Principle, calling it by various names. The very term, “The

Cosmos,” was used by the Stoics and others to represent the

idea of the anima mundi or “world‑soul.” Heraclitus held to

the “world‑spirit” which he symbolized as flame. Pythagoras,

in his exoteric or popular teachings taught the doctrine of the

Life Principle, symbolizing it as light or flame. Other schools

recognized the existence of this One Life Principle calling it

“Being,” a term which has persisted in modern philosohy.

By some schools, notably the Platonian, the Universal Life

Principle was called “The Demiurge,” the term literally meaning

the “universal worker.” The Demiurge was held to be an exalted

At the last analysis, the report of the illumined of the race

will be found to agree with the highest report of the human

reason—the report that the Universal Life can be but Relative;

governed by a Sovereign Absolute Law; and subject to the Laws

of Rhythm and Cyclicity—having its Ebb and Flow; its Action

and Reaction; its Rise and Fall; its Days and Nights; its Periods of

Creative Activity, and Creative Rest. And the Arcane Teaching

squares fully with these requirements—for it is founded on

Cosmic Truth.