# “In the pure rays of light ...”

*This phrase was created in early 1906 and was given in the Esoteric School until about 1914.*

Early in the morning, soon after waking up, when no other impressions have yet entered the soul, a meditation exercise should be done. You must divert all your attention from external impressions – you will then be completely still and inwardly peaceful in your soul. During this time, all memories of everyday life must also be silenced, and in particular all the worries and cares of life must disappear from your soul for the duration of your concentration. To make it easier to achieve concentration, first think of a single mental image, e.g. Peace; then, when you have achieved this, concentrate your entire consciousness on this single mental image, let this image disappear from your consciousness and then, for 5 minutes, live only the following 7 lines in your soul:

> In the pure rays of light  
> Gleams the Godhead of the world  
> In pure love for all beings  
> Shines the Godhead of my soul  
> I rest in the Godhead of the world  
> I will find myself  
> In the Godhead of the world.

After these 7 lines have lived in your soul for 5 minutes, concentrate your consciousness with a strong will on the point between and slightly behind your eyebrows, as if you were living only in this point and everything else, including your own body, had disappeared. In this concentration, think of something you want to do. Then let this thought disappear from your consciousness and think of nothing else but “I want”; while doing so, maintain your concentration on the aforementioned point at all times.

Then do exactly the same thing, except that the concentration is not focused on the aforementioned point, but on your feet. This second part of the meditation should also last 5 minutes.

Then devote 5 minutes to devotional devotion to your divine ideal.

In the evening: review the day. In reverse order. Without regret.

Try to practice:

> 1st month: Concentration of thoughts. —

Early in the morning after waking up, establish complete inner peace; divert your attention from all external perceptions; then remove all worries and concerns from your soul.

Then immerse yourself (briefly) in the word “peace.”

Then let go of this mental image and live for 5 minutes in the following 7 lines:

> In the pure rays of light  
> Gleams the Godhead of the world  
> In pure love for all beings  
> Shines the Godhead of my soul  
> I rest in the Godhead of the world  
> I will find myself  
> In the Godhead of the world.

Then spend 5 minutes immersing yourself in a mental image:

> In the first month: *Self-confidence*  
> In the second month: *Self-control*  
> In the third month: *Perseverance*

Then 5 minutes: Devotional contemplation of your own divine ideal.

In the evening before going to sleep:  
Review the day's experiences and deeds. Without regret. Only with the intention of learning from life. From backward to forward. —

Read my *Theosophy*

In another exercise with the same title (archive no. 3059), the following individual formula is given after the saying:

During the day:

> Week 1: How do I gain self-confidence?  
> Week 2: How do I gain self-control?  
> Week 3: How do I gain presence of mind?

Main exercise

In the morning: Rest.

> In the pure rays of light  
> Gleams the Godhead of the world  
> In pure love for all beings  
> Shines the Godhead of my soul  
> I rest in the Godhead of the world  
> I will find myself  
> In the Godhead of the world.

Calmness in strength Strength in calmness; then *fade away* without thinking.

Devotionally immerse yourself in your own divine ideal

Evening: Review of the day: From backward to forward

Main exercise in the morning:

Rest:

then 5 minutes:

> In the pure rays of light  
> Gleams the Godhead of the world  
> In pure love for all beings  
> Shines the Godhead of my soul  
> I rest in the Godhead of the world  
> I will find myself  
> In the Godhead of the world.

then 2½ minutes: Light clarity

Then 2½ minutes thinking of nothing, but letting the words “light and clarity” fade away.

Then: Devotion to your own divine ideal.

In the evening:

> I rest in the Godhead of the world  
> I will find myself  
> In the Godhead of the world  
> I will find myself

Review the day's experiences, pictorially from back to front. In the morning:

5 minutes

> In the pure rays of light  
> Gleams the Godhead of the world  
> In pure love for all beings  
> Shines the Godhead of my soul  
> I rest in the Godhead of the world  
> I will find myself  
> In the Godhead of the world.

5 minutes

> I breathe in  
> I breathe out.

5 minutes

> Independence Week 1  
> Steadfastness Week 2  
> Confidence Week 3

Evening: Review of the day.  
Without regret. From backward to forward.

[Morning:] Rest

5 min:  
From backward to forward.

> In the pure rays of light  
> Gleams the Godhead of the world  
> In pure love for all beings  
> Shines the Godhead of my soul  
> I rest in the Godhead of the world  
> I will find myself  
> In the Godhead of the world.

Inhale I  
Hold your breath I  
Exhale CH

Devotional devotion to one's own ideal.

[Evening:] Review of the day's events. Figurative.

In the morning, before any other daily activity, in a state of complete inner calm and with your consciousness distracted from external impressions, contemplate the following seven lines:

> In the pure rays of light  
> Gleams the Godhead of the world  
> In pure love for all beings  
> Shines the Godhead of my soul  
> I rest in the Godhead of the world  
> I will find myself  
> In the Godhead of the world.

This contemplation should last about 5 minutes, but not according to the clock, but according to how you feel.

Then imagine the image of a plant coming into being, how the seed is there at first, how it gradually unfolds into a stem, leaves, flowers, etc. This mental image should be such that the plant emerges very slowly in your mind, so that it takes you 5 minutes (again, not according to the clock, but according to your feeling) to bring the whole image of the plant out of the seed.

Then, for another 5 minutes, devote yourself completely to your own divine ideal.

Evening: Review of the day's life. Figuratively. From back to front.

In addition, during the day  
the accompanying supplementary exercises. - [see p. 55]

Morning: Morning:

10 min:  
Week 2: Life between death and birth.

> In the pure rays of light  
> Gleams the Godhead of the world  
> In pure love for all beings  
> Shines the Godhead of my soul  
> I rest in the Godhead of the world  
> I will find myself  
> In the Godhead of the world.

God within me.

*During the day:* Slowly concentrate on the growth and decay of a plant.

Evening: Week 1: The nature of the human being.

Review of the day's activities. Visual. Retrograde.

[The references “The nature of the human being” and “Life between death and birth” refer to the corresponding chapters in the book “Theosophy,” GA 9.]

Morning: Rest

> In the pure rays of light  
> Gleams the Godhead of the world  
> In pure love for all beings  
> Shines the Godhead of my soul  
> I rest in the Godhead of the world  
> I will find myself  
> In the Godhead of the world.

Mental image  
1.) Plant in the making  
2.) Plant in decline.

Three times:

> Inhalation - I  
> While holding my breath, I distribute throughout my body  
> Exhalation CH.

Evening:

1.) Read a short passage from “Theosophy” and spend about 15 minutes reflecting on it in your own way.  
2.) Devotional surrender to your own divine ideal.  
3.) Review. Pictorially, from back to front. —

In the morning:

Pour peace into yourself. Then immerse yourself in the following 7 lines:

15-20 minutes, not according to the clock, but according to how you feel.

> In the pure rays of light  
> Gleams the Godhead of the world  
> In pure love for all beings  
> Shines the Godhead of my soul  
> I rest in the Godhead of the world  
> I will find myself  
> In the Godhead of the world.
> Then consciously inhale I(esus) seven times  
> Exhale CH(rist...)
> Then meditate on the Gospel of John (continuously). Keep the first 14 verses for each day.

During the day, concentrate your thoughts for 5 minutes. Focus your thoughts on an insignificant object and hold them there for 5 minutes. (Use the same object for a longer period of time).

Evening:

Review the day's experiences. Vividly. From back to front; from evening to morning.

Morning: Main exercise: Rest

> In the pure rays of light  
> Gleams the Godhead of the world  
> In pure love for all beings  
> Shines the Godhead of my soul  
> I rest in the Godhead of the world  
> I will find myself  
> In the Godhead of the world.

Find myself in the universe  
Want myself in the universe  
Shape myself in the universe  
Create myself in the universe

Inhale deeply [1 time unit]  
Exhale deeply [2 time units]  
Hold your breath [3 time units]

With the first breath, think:  
“I recognize” in the feet  
On the second breath, think:  
“I am” in the front of the head  
On the third breath, think:  
“It thinks” in the area of the larynx  
On the fourth breath, think:  
“She feels” in the arms and hands  
With the fifth breath, think:  
“He wills” in the whole body.

Devout contemplation of one's own divine ideal.

Evening: Slow, calm review of the day's experiences. From back to front.

Evening: Review.

🕈

Live under the after-effect.

Morning: 🕈

> In the pure rays of light  
> Gleams the Godhead of the world  
> In pure love for all beings  
> Shines the Godhead of my soul  
> I rest in the Godhead of the world  
> I will find myself  
> In the Godhead of the world.

living in the after-effects

6 qualities: study.[^1]

For 5 minutes, concentrate on the words to establish the balance of the soul forces:

I am.

With the soul forces thus brought into balance, bring the mental image of the

🕈

with all the feelings and sensations indicated in *Occult Science*. Then, as if radiating from the Rosicrucians, receive the following soul contents:

> In the pure rays of light  
> Gleams the Godhead of the world  
> In the pure weaving of wisdom  
> Divine being experiences itself  
> I am resting in the Godhead of the world  
> I am alive in the will  
> I am.

Let this mental image flow back into the 🕈 and then remain in a calm state of mind for a period of time, which will initially be short but gradually become longer, allowing no external impressions or memories to arise.

Evening: Mental images of some of the day's experiences, in precise detail but in reverse order.

Transition to 🕈

Receive the same impressions (7 lines above) as in the morning.

Remain calm inside, if possible until sleep comes.

As a secondary exercise, acquire the six qualities described in *Occult Science*.

Evening:

1.) Review. Pictorial. In reverse order, 5–6 min.

2.) A day's experience in such a way that it becomes self-assessment.

3.) While pure rays of light shine on my spirit, the Godhead of the world: 10 min.

🕈

In the pure warmth of my heart  
The Godhead of humanity shines upon my soul  
I rest in the Godhead of the world  
My self takes hold  
Holding fast to the Godhead of the world  
(Soul peace)

Morning: 🕈

15 min.

I rest in the Godhead of the world  
My self grasps itself  
Holding on to the Godhead of the world

(Peace of mind)

6 exercises: *Occult Science*.

[Two further versions of the saying]

1908 Archive No. 3432

> In the pure rays of light  
> Gleams the Godhead of the world.  
> In the pure fire of the ether  
> The high power of the self shines forth.  
> I rest in the Spirit of the world,  
> I will always find myself  
> In the eternal Spirit of the world.

1908 Archive No. NB 337

> In the pure rays of light  
> Gleams the Spirit of the world  
> In the pure warmth for all beings  
> The soul of a life shines  
> I rest in the Soul of the world  
> I will find myself  
> In the Spirit of the world.

---

[^1]: This refers to the supplementary exercises in the book “An Outline of Occult Knowledge,” p. 306 in the first edition of 1910, see notes p. 527.