By George A. Boyd ©2010
On
pole one, there is no conative force—only the state of existence or
being. This is the state of
experiencing the ensouling entity.
The
ensouling entity enters into expression through its vehicles of consciousness
on pole three. It anchors its manifestation via will through its integration centers in the personality, the ego
and the Self. In the Superconscious
mind, it functions through the
higher octaves of volition, which are anchored in key vehicles of consciousness
and nuclei of identity. Will operates the activities of its vehicles of
consciousness; at the grossest level, it governs the movement of the physical
body.
Conation
on pole two arises from the spirit, through the faculty of the wish. This wish may be focused as a
commitment, such as a vow or sacred promise. It can appear as devotion, a
yearning to be with God or the spiritual Master. It can take the form of worship,
giving rise to spontaneous praise and gratitude. It can emerge as surrender and
obedience to the Master’s will or the Divine Will. It is a force of faith, of
courage and powerful inner commitment. This force wells up out of the spiritual
heart’s core of love and devotion.
Conation
on pole four comes from the attentional principle. It is called intention. Intention can be visualized as
a beam of thought that can be directed to different objects. It can “strike” an
object of meditation, like when you use intention to activate a
transformational mantra. It can “pull” attention to it, such as when you use
the directed beam of intention in tratakam to focus attention at a specific
focal point or upon a particular spiritual essence. It can also be used to
“pull” its own form of consciousness (purusa) upward into higher focal points
of the Superconscious mind, as is utilized in direct projection.
A
helpful exercise that will enable aspirants to make this subtle distinction
between the will, the wish, and the intention is consciously shifting the
attention from the conative force on pole two, to pole three, and then, pole
four. This can be done by
meditating on the force of the wish in the spirit and its different avenues of expression,
the octaves of the will, and the ways that the faculty of intention operates.
Once
aspirants can make this distinction, they can correctly select the appropriate conative
force to utilize for a particular project. For example, they will learn to use
intention to activate their transformational mantra or to focus their attention.
They will use volition when working or doing service. They will broadcast their
wish to the spiritual Master, when they seek to receive Divine Grace and obtain
assistance in their journey back to God on the Path of the Nada.