ASTRAL PLANE
星光层
(1) One of the most vital things every aspirant has to do, is to learn to understand the astral plane, to comprehend its nature, and to learn both to stand free from it and then to work on it. . . . The moment a man can “see” on the astral plane, and can achieve equilibrium and hold steady in the midst of its vibrating forces, that moment he is ready for initiation. . . .
每位寻求者必须要做的最重要的事情之一，就是学习理解星光层，理解其本质，学会从星光层中把自己解脱出来，然后在星光层开展工作…当一个人可以“看到”星光层时，他就可以达到平衡状态，并且在星光层混乱的振动之中保持稳定，从那一刻起，他就准备好接受启蒙了…
The appearance of the astral plane when first definitely seen by the “opened eye” of the aspirant, is one of dense fog, confusion, changing forms, interpenetrating and intermingling colours, and is of such a kaleidoscopic appearance that the hopelessness of the enterprise seems overwhelming. It is not light, or starry clear. It is apparently impenetrable disorder, for it is the meeting ground of forces.. ..
当寻求者“睁开双眼”，第一次去清晰地观察星光层的现象时，他看到的是浓雾般混乱、不断变化的形态、互相渗透交错的色彩，就像是万花筒那般，对于绝望无助的人来说，看起来是压倒性的混乱。星光层并不轻盈，也不是星光灿烂。它明显处于各种交织状态的混乱中，因为这里是各种力量的交汇之地…
. . . The astral plane is the plane of illusion, of glamour, and of a distorted presentation of reality. The reason for this is that every individual in the world is busy working in astral matter, and the potency of human desire and of world desire produces that constant “outpicturing” and form building which leads to the most concrete effects of astral matter. . . . Add to these forms that persistent and steadily growing scenario we call the “akashic records”, which concern the emotional history of the past, add the activities of the discarnate lives which are passing through the astral plane, either out of or towards incarnation, add the potent desire, purified and intelligent, [Page 26]of all superhuman Lives, including those of the occult planetary Hierarchy, and the sum total of forces present, is stupendous. All play upon, around and through every human being, and according to the calibre of his physical body, and the condition of his centres will be his response. Through this illusory panorama, the aspirant has to make his way, finding the clue or thread which will lead him out of the maze, and holding fast to each tiny fragment of reality as it presents itself to him, learning to distinguish truth from glamour, the permanent from the impermanent, and the certainty from the unreal. . . .
星光层是幻相、魅惑、扭曲实相的层面。其原因是这世界上的每个人都在星光物质中忙碌着，人类的欲望和整个世界的欲望产生的力量，形成了不断倾洒的色彩和变动的形态，这些是星光层组成物质的最具体的影响…星光层还有持续且稳定增长的场景，我们称之为“阿卡西记录”，它与过去的情感历史有关；还有那些尚未转世的生命，会短暂地在星光层停留，这些生命或许刚刚离开物质层面，或许是要转世进入物质层面；此外，所有那些超级人类的生命，包括地球秘法阶层的那些存有，他们拥有的那些强大的纯洁且智慧的意愿，也存在于星光层；所有的存在力量总和是惊人的。所有的这一切都会发生在每个人身上，或是围绕着、穿越每个人，这些取决于这个人物质身体的品质，以太体的脉轮中心会对这些力量做出回应。通过这些虚幻的场景，寻求者必须要找到他的路，去发现把他带出迷宫的线索或者道路，当实相呈现在他面前时，他需要紧紧地抓住每一个实相片段，去学习从魅惑中分辨真相，从无常中分辨出永恒，从虚幻中分辨出真实…
No glamour, no illusion can long hold the man who has set himself the task of treading the razor-edged Path which leads through the wilderness, through the thick-set forest, through the deep waters of sorrow and distress, through the valley of sacrifice and over the mountains of vision to the gate of Deliverance. He may travel sometimes in the dark (and the illusion of darkness is very real); he may travel sometimes in a light so dazzling and bewildering that he can scarcely see the way ahead; he may know what it is to falter on the Path, and to drop under the fatigue of service and of strife; he may be temporarily sidetracked and wander down the by-paths of ambition, of self-interest and of material enchantment, but the lapse will be but brief. (4 – 221/3).
如果一个人坚定地踏上了那条刀锋般的道路，那么魅惑、幻相不可能对这个人进行长久地作用，这条道路会穿越荒野、穿越茂盛的森林、穿越悲伤和痛苦的深渊、穿越牺牲自我之山谷、越过视野开阔的高山，到达解脱之门。他有时候可能会在黑暗中穿梭（黑暗中的幻相让他真切地感受到）；他有时也可能会在闪烁和迷惑的光芒中行走，甚至看不清前进的道路；他可能体验过在道路上蹒跚前行的感受，也知道在服务和辛劳中跌倒是什么感觉；他可能会暂时地偏离正轨，在野心、自利和迷恋物质的小路上徘徊，但是这些失误都是短暂的。
(2) There is no astral plane except in the consciousness of the fourth kingdom in nature, for man is “under illusion” in a sense different to the conscious awareness of any other kingdom – subhuman or superhuman.
只有进化至拥有人类意识（自然界第四王国）之后，才会体验到星光层，因为人类处于“幻相之中”，这在某种意义上不同于其他王国 —— 次人类和超人类领域。
I despair in making my meaning clear. How can one who is subject to the illusions of the senses, as are all human creatures, conceive of the state of consciousness of those who have freed themselves from the illusions of the astral plane, or realise the state of awareness of those forms of life which have not yet developed astral consciousness? It is the dual nature of the mind which causes this illusion. . . .
我竭尽全力地让自己的意思表达得清晰。一个受制于感官幻相的人，就像所有的人类那样，是如何去感知那些从星光层幻相中解脱出来的存有的意识状态？或者说，对那些尚未发展出星光意识的生命形态来说，如何去意识到他们尚未达到的觉知？产生这种幻相的原因，是心智的二元性本质…
Yet it is this very illusion which renders up to man eventually the secret password into the Kingdom of God, and brings about his release. It is this maya itself which serves to guide him into truth and knowledge; it is on the plane of the astral that the heresy of separateness has to be overcome. . . . The secret science of the Master of Wisdom is the secret of how to dissipate the fogs and mist and darkness and gloom, which are produced by the union of the fires in the early stages. The secret of the Master is the discovery that there is no astral plane; he finds that the astral plane is a figment of the imagination and has been created through the uncontrolled use of the creative imagination, and the misuse of the magical powers. (4 – 614/5).
然而，也正是这种幻相最终使人类获得进入神之王国的密码，带来人类的解放。正是这种幻相引导他进入真理和知识的领域；在星光层，必须要克服分离的挑唆…智慧大师的秘密科学，就是如何驱散合一之火燃烧的初级阶段所产生的迷雾、浓烟、黑暗和阴霾的秘诀。大师的奥秘是要去发现星光层是不存在的，他会发现星光层是想象力虚构出来的，是通过对创造性的想象力不受控制的使用和对魔法力量的滥用而创造出来的。
(3) I have said elsewhere, that there is no such thing as the astral plane or the astral body. Just as the physical body is made up of matter which is not regarded as a principle, so the astral body – as far as the mind nature is concerned – is in the same category. This is a difficult matter for you to grasp, because desire and emotion are so real and so devastatingly important. But – speaking literally – from the angle of the mental plane, the astral body is a “figment of the imagination”; it is not a principle. The massed use of the imagination in the service of desire, has nevertheless constructed an illusory glamorous world, the world of the astral plane. During physical incarnation, and when man is not upon the Path of Discipleship, the astral plane is very real, with a vitality and a life all its own. After the first death (the death of the physical body) it still remains equally real. But its potency slowly dies out; the mental man comes to realise his own true state of consciousness (whether developed or undeveloped), and the second death becomes possible and takes place. This phase covers the Process of Elimination. (17 – 409).
我在别处说过，没有星光层或者星光体这回事儿。就像组成物质身体的物质不被认为是宇宙中通用的物质那样，星光体 —— 就心智的本性而言 —— 也是属于这个类别的。这对你来说很难去理解，因为欲望和情感让你感觉很真实，而且很重要。但是 —— 从字面上来讲 —— 从心智层的角度来看，星光体是“想象力虚构的”；它在宇宙中不通用。通过大量地使用想象力，为欲望服务，结果却是构建了一个虚幻的魅惑世界，也就是星光层的世界。在转世到物质层面期间，当这个人踏上门徒修行的道路时，星光层的体验很真实，且拥有着自己的活力和生命力。在第一次死亡（物质身体死亡）之后，它仍然感觉真实。但是它的力量会慢慢消失；心智的思考者开始觉察到他自己真实的意识状态（不论是进化的意识状态还是非进化的意识状态），第二次死亡（星光体死亡）就成为了可能，然后就发生了。这个阶段涵盖了消除的过程。
(4) Even though there is no astral plane, from the standpoint of the Master, yet thousands of millions recognise it, and labour in its delusive sphere, and are there aided by the initiated disciple, working from the higher corresponding levels. (18 – 65).
从大师的视角来看，即便星光层不存在，但是仍然有千百万的人承认它的存在，并在虚幻的领域中进行工作，在那里，他们得到启蒙弟子的帮助，这些启蒙弟子在相对应的更高层面进行工作。
See also: “Astral Body” and (6 – 377).
