Appendix X. The First Experiential Trinity

   

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APPENDIX X

THE FIRST EXPERIENTIAL TRINITY

Members of the Trinity Ultimate

Nature of Trinity

Evolution of Membership

Status, Functions, and Unification

Unification of the Trinity Ultimate

Footnote: Trinity and Triunity Gestalts

Footnote: Trinity and Personality

The factual emergence of the First Experiential Trinity introduces a new and a unique factor into the growth of the master universe. The original Trinity, the Paradise Trinity, is existential; this new trinity, the Trinity Ultimate, is experiential.(15.7) 0:12.1

We know that the Trinity Ultimate is, even now, a qualified reality (1291.8) 117:6.21, but it cannot form as a factual reality until the Supreme Being has completed his evolutionary growth. (16.3) 0:12.6 This means that this experiential trinity cannot emerge as a factual reality until the close of the present age, the Second Age, when the seven superuniverses are settled in light and life.

§ 1 members of the trinity ultimate

The membership of the Trinity Ultimate is unlike the membership of either of the other two trinities. The members of the Trinity Ultimate are: the Supreme Being, the Architects of the Master Universe, and the Supreme Creators. (16.3) 0:12.6 On first consideration, this seems simple enough — three members, just like the other two trinities, the Paradise Trinity (of Father, Son, and Spirit) and the Trinity Absolute (which is made up of the Supreme, the Ultimate, and the Consummator of Universe Destiny). But this "middle trinity" which intervenes between the other two is unique in its membership. It does not seem to be made up of three beings; it seems to be comprised of one being and of two groups of beings. An actual inventory of the personalities comprising the membership of the Trinity Ultimate discloses the following:

1	Supreme Being — (16.3) 0:12.6
28,011	Architects of the Master Universe — (352.3) 31:9.10
7	Master Spirits — (184.1) 16:0.1
21	Ancients of Days — (209.6) 18:3.4
700,000	Creator Sons — (235.3) 21:1.4; (167.5) 15:2.14
700,000	Creative Spirits — (167.5) 15:2.14; (203.4) 17:6.1
1,428,040	Total of personalities listed.

This large number of beings are certainly concerned with the First Experiential Trinity, but it is a proposition that is a little difficult to visualize. How can nearly one and one-half million personalities function in relation to a trinity? However, this startlingly large number can prove to be quite valuable, because it will compel us to think of trinity in a more precise manner than we probably would otherwise.

We can think rather loosely about the Paradise Trinity; it has three members. We can think just as loosely about the Second Experiential Trinity; it, too, is made up of three members. We can confuse trinity with triunity (1146.3) 104:3.1 in our thinking about the original Trinity and the Trinity absolute. But erroneous thinking becomes quite impossible when we look at the numbers of those personalities related to the membership of the Trinity Ultimate.

§ 2 the nature of trinity

The citations from the Papers that are used in the following section all have reference to the Paradise Trinity. Nevertheless, it is reasonable to assume that what is said about one trinity would equally apply to another trinity so far as concerns the principles of structure, function, nature, and relationship to the constituent members. Consider, then, the following data:

(a) Definition of triunity: a partnership association

(1147.6-7) 104:3.14-15 The association of three persons, as persons, is triunity; it is not trinity. The three persons (or groups) can have no personal relationship to such a triunity.

(1147.7) 104:3.15 Triunity is a threefold functional unanimity.

(1147.8) 104:3.16 Triunity does not constitute an entity; it is a functional grouping rather than an organic reality. Its members are like partners; it is an association in contrast to a (trinity) corporation.

Most of us are apt to think of the Paradise Trinity in a rather careless manner. We are probably thinking most of the time, of the partnership association of the Father, Son, and Spirit; when the Father, Son, and Spirit do associate themselves together as persons, this association is called the First Triunity. (1148.2-5) 104:4.4 But the Paradise Trinity is their corporative union, which, in symbolic terms, might be designated "Undivided Deity, Incorporated." This is their union as deity. (1167.4) 106:5.4

(b) Comparison of triunity and trinity

(1147.9) 104:3.17 Triunity and trinity have one point in common: Both have functions that are more than, and other than, the predictable sum of the attributes of the component members. Otherwise, there is nothing in common between them.

(ibid) Triunity is to trinity as functions is to structure.

In human terms triunity is like a partnership, an association; trinity is like a corporation, a legal entity — not a person, but still an entity. This difference may become even clearer if we compare the functions of the First Triunity with the functions of Paradise Trinity:

(c) The First Triunity contrasted to the Paradise Trinity

(1148.2-5) 104:4.3-6 The First Triunity is defined as an association of the Father, the Son, and the Spirit.

(1148.6) 104:4.7 In function it ". . . is the threefold union of love, mercy, and ministry . . ." It is ". . . divinely fraternal, creature-loving, fatherly-acting, and ascension-promoting . . ." Its members ". . . are . . . personality-bequeathing, sprit-bestowing, and mind-endowing Gods."

(112.5-6) 10:4.2-3 The Paradise Trinity is defined as the corporate entity of undivided Deity: the deity union of the Father, the Son, and the Spirit.

(113.2-3) 10:5.1-2 Its functions include: ". . . justice administration, totality attitudes, co-ordinate action, and cosmic overcontrol." It appears to be concerned only with the total: total planet, total universe, total superuniverse, total grand universe.

The functions of the First Triunity are the personal expressions of the three divine personalities that are associated in this partnership. The functions of the Paradise Trinity are quite different; they reflect the impersonal, collective, and corporative attitude of undivided Deity. There is no similarity between triunity functions and trinity functions. We are informed (114.3) 10:6.2 that "goodness, mercy, and truth" are ministered personally by the Paradise Deities, and that no one of these three Deities personally administers justice, because justice is always a collective attitude. Hence ". . . justice falls within the province of the Paradise Trinity . . ." (114.2) 10:6.1

(d) Trinity as an entity

(1145.5) 104:2.4 Trinity is a real entity. It is not a personality, but it is a true reality. Its reality as an entity is compatible with the reality of the personalities related to it. Trinity is deity reality; it is more than the adding together of the attributes of its constituent members. The functions of a trinity cannot be deduced from an examination of those attributes.

Trinity is a true reality. It is a reality that is external to, and apart from, its constitutive members. Any or all of the personal beings concerned in the membership of a trinity can sustain a personal relationship to that same trinity. (1147.7) 104:3.15 But the members of a trinity could not sustain a collective deity relationship to that same trinity, because such trinity is their total deity association. (112.7) 10:4.4

(e) Trinity in relation to personality

(1167.4) 106:5.3 Trinity is not personal — but neither does it contravene personality.

(ibid) Trinity encompasses personality and correlates it, in a collective sense, with impersonal functions.

Observation: God is love; the Paradise Trinity is justice.

(113.2) 10:5.1 Personal deity has attributes; trinity has functions.

(1167.4) 106:5.3 The only personal relationship of a trinity is in the personalities of its members. But, as persons, such members are not trinity. As a collective union they are trinity; "that is trinity."

(112.5) 10:4.2 The members of a trinity can collaborate in a non-trinity manner, but not collectively as deities. As personalities they can work together as they choose, but that is their personal work, not the trinity function.

The organic structure of the entity of a trinity is something quite real and quite apart from its members as persons, be there three members or a million. Such members of a trinity could be likened to the members of the board of directors of a corporation. They could live their personal lives quite apart from their corporation; and the corporation could have its existence, as a legal entity, quite apart from the personal lives of its directors. But the personal members of the board could not function collectively as directors apart from the function of the corporation, itself.

When we desire to refer to personal deity, we use the pronoun "he;" we employ the pronoun "it" to refer to trinity.

(f) Trinity in relation to deity

(1167.4) 106:5.3 Only deity can become trinity.

Deduction: The association of the Corps of the Supreme Creators and the Corps of the Master Architects in the Trinity Ultimate is as two corporative entities of deity and not as a large number of personalities.

(1167.4) 106:5.3 Trinity is always deity reality, never is it a personality reality.

(16.1) 0:12.5 Trinity functions always take in deity realities and these always tend to personalize. The end results of trinity functions therefore give rise to new personalizations of deity.

This clearly differentiates between a personal association of divine persons and a trinity collective of deities. It also explains why new personalizations of deity, experiential deity, appear in the universe. The personal and divine creators associate in an impersonal (deity) manner to form an impersonal trinity, and this trinity, in turn, eventually gives expression to a new personalization of deity.

§ 3 evolution of the members of the trinity ultimate

Let us again recapitulate the membership of the First Experiential Trinity, the Trinity Ultimate, but with a slight variation in the usual order of listing:

(a) The Supreme Being

(b) The Master Architects

(c) The Supreme Creators

Earlier in this Appendix we computed the number of personalities that are related to the membership in this trinity and found that it totaled 1,428,04 individuals. But in actuality neither this trinity nor any other trinity has a membership of personalities. The Trinity Ultimate has three members, and only three members, and none of them is a personality. Personalities do not unite to constitute a trinity — trinity is a deity union, not personality association. (1167.4) 106:5.3 Perhaps the membership of the Trinity Ultimate should be analyzed a little more carefully.

The Supreme Being. The first member of the Trinity Ultimate should not be too difficult to conceive; this first member is the Deity-nature of the Supreme Being. At the close of the Second Universe Age, which is the time of the factual formation of the Trinity Ultimate, the Supreme will have completed his evolution and will have emerged as a unified experiential deity. And it is as deity, and not at all as personality that he is a member of this trinity. It is not the personality of God the Supreme that is a member; it is the Deity of the Supreme that enjoys such membership. (1167.4) 106:5.3

To consider again a helpful analogy provided by a more familiar situation: The Father, Son, and Spirit enjoy a personal association as three personalities; this is triunity (1148.2-5) 104:4.2-5 but it is not trinity. (1147.7) 104:3.15 The Father, Son, and Spirit constitute a trinity as their deity union (112.7) 10:4.4, and by means of the entity of such trinity they can sustain a collective relationship to their triunity association (partnership) as three personalities. (1147.7) 104:3.5 Trinity is corporative entity; triunity is personal association — partnership.

We can visualize the trinity relationship of Father, Son, and Spirit without too much trouble; it is a more familiar relationship. It is helpful in aiding us in our efforts to visualize the deity-nature of the first member of the Trinity Ultimate. But we encounter something quite new and unfamiliar when we come to the consideration of the second member of the Trinity Ultimate.

The Corps of Master Architects. The Architects are superpersons — all 28,011 of them. And there are not going to be 28,011 superpersons as architect-members of the Second Experiential Trinity — there is just one "architect-member." In view of our reasoning thus far it is obvious that this member must be an entity of some sort, a deity-entity of some kind, a deity-entity that is in some manner representative or incorporative of all the super-personal spirit, the absonite divinity, and the master-universe purpose, of the entire Corps of Architects. This is a new concept. The Papers are entirely silent on this, but it is the only concept that will fit all the facts about the Architects in relation to the Trinity Ultimate, as we understand them.

Perhaps we can best visualize this second member as the impersonal corporative unification of the entire Architect Corps. If we need to conceive of a "voice" for this corporative entity, we might think of the Senior Architect as symbolic of the "Chairman of the Board," hence spokesman for that deity-entity which might be named "United Master Architects, Incorporated," the second member of the Trinity Ultimate.

If we had some difficulty visualizing the second member of the Trinity Ultimate, we can anticipate still more difficulty attempting to picture the third member of this trinity. The Architect Corps is an ever-existent body of universe planners (350.6) 31:8.3; the Corps of the Supreme Creators is an evolutionary body — the members have an origin in time. This Corps of Supreme Creators is (as yet) an unfinished group of Paradise-origin beings; not all Universe Sons and Spirits have been commissioned as organizers of local universes. (167.16) 15:2.25; Appendix XVII § 3)

The Corps of Supreme Creators. If we add the numbers of the Supreme Creators, and tabulate the Creative Spirits along with the Creator Sons, it comes to a total of 1,428,040 creative persons. The third member of the Trinity Ultimate cannot possibly be nearly a million-and-a-half persons; this third member is a single, unified, deity-entity of some kind. Since the Papers give us little or no guidance regarding the derivation of this deity-entity, we must resort to the resources of logic in the attempt to visualize some reasonable manner in which such deity-entity could be evolved — a deity-entity that would be expressive of the unified divinity of the entire Corps of the Supreme Creators. Only deity is conjoined in trinity, and only by deity-unification could the Supreme Creators, as a corporative collective, function as the third member of this trinity.

When we talk about the collective action of the Supreme Creators in the post-Havona universes, what are we talking about? We should recognize that the Second Universe Age is not only the age of the Son-Spirit partnership (93.5-6) 8:3.3-4, it is also the age of the dual-collaboration of the Supreme Creators and Triune Paradise Deity (11.4) 0.7.9, either as the three Paradise Deities or as their trinity union. This is a Dual-Deity relationship that is trinity-unified on one side by the Paradise Deities, and may be achieving deity-unification on the other side by the Corps of the Supreme Creators. It will be recalled that this relationship involves the following personalities:

The successful collaboration of Supreme Creators and Paradise Deity is the heart of the functioning of God the Sevenfold, and is the source of the converging sovereign power of the Supreme Being. Now, what do the Papers have to say, in detail, about this relationship? Consider the following:

(11.4) 0:7.9 The Supreme Being is evolving as the correlator of the activities ". . . of triune Paradise Deity in . . . association with the Supreme Creators . . ."

Observation: The Papers can be most precise — when they want to be. The expression "triune Paradise Deity" is not a precise designation; it is ambiguous. The opinion is here advanced that this is intentional ambiguity, that the relationship between the Supreme Creators and Paradise Deity is not always the same.

(199.5) 17:2.1 We are informed concerning the seven episodes in the creation of the Reflective Spirits that ". . . each such creative episode was . . . a liaison between the Paradise Trinity and one of the Master Spirits." When the creative power of the Supreme Creators is united with the creative potentials of the Paradise Trinity it becomes the ". . . source of the actuality of the Supreme Being."

Observation: This is a clear-cut instance of the personal collaboration of each Master Spirit with the Trinity.

Question: Is this the only manner in which the Seven Master Spirits can associate or otherwise collaborate with the Paradise Trinity? The answer is, "No!"

(188.4 ) 16:3.16 The Seven Master Spirits can "unite as Sevenfold Deity." This is a collective Deity union and not a personality association. Such Sevenfold Deity ". . . is functionally associable with the Paradise Trinity."

Deduction 1. The relationships between the Supreme Creators and the Paradise Deities are probably variable; there is more than one kind of relationship.

Deduction 2. There is a sometimes-existent Sevenfold Deity that is a corporative union of the Master Spirits; this deity union is associable with the Trinity.

Question: Does this intermittent (?) Sevenfold Deity that is the corporative union of the Seven Master Spirits in any way foreshadow the sometime-appearance of a deity-entity that will be a corporative union of the total divinity of the entire Corps of the Supreme Creators?

(1270.10) 116:2.13 Reference is made to the Corps of Supreme Creators as being characterized by "divine unity of power and personality." This is the source of the power of the Almighty.

Question: Could this "divine unity" also develop a coherence in and of itself? a non-power coherence? a type of divinity coherence? — and all of this quite apart from, or even repercussive to, the converging power of the Almighty?

At this point a certain conclusion appears to be logical: at the same time that the Supreme Creators are collectively evolving the converging power of the Almighty, they are probably also evolving a new entity of the entire Corps of the Supreme Creators. This is not a personification of the Corps; this must be an externally-projected deity-unification of the entire Corps. We deduce that the attributes of this deity-entity would be (at least in potential) like those of the Master Spirits — supreme, ultimate, and supreme-ultimate. (185.3) 16:1.3

If the total collective action of the Corps of Supreme Creators does not result in the evolution of some deity-entity that is expressive of the collective total divinity of the entire Corps, then who is the third member of the Trinity Ultimate? (We should note that the Papers are silent on this question.)

We are informed that the evolution of the Almighty is to the Corps of the Supreme Creators what the appearance of the Infinite Spirit is to the partnership of the Father-Son. (1270.11) 116:2.15 We now advance the proposition that the evolution of the sovereign power of the Almighty Supreme has its repercussive corollary in the concomitant evolution of the deity-entity that corporatively unifies the total experiential divinity of the entire Corps of Supreme Creators. If we desire to have a symbolic name for this entity, we could call it "Consolidated Supreme Creators, Incorporated." If we desire to visualize some "voice" for this entity, we might recall that the Seventh Master Spirit can speak for the Sevenfold Deity Union of the Master Spirits. (188.4) 16:3.16 This entity, "Consolidated Supreme Creators, Incorporated," or some entity equivalent thereto, must be the third member of the First Experiential Trinity.

(This kind of speculative reasoning can, of course, be challenged as failing in logic, but it can hardly be challenged as either unwarranted or unwise, for the Papers [330.2) 30:0.2] seem to encourage this sort of "creative speculation.")

If our rather lengthy reasoning about the probable members of the Trinity Ultimate is substantially correct, then such members would be precisely described only if they were designated as follows:

(a) The Deity of the Supreme Being

(b) The Deity of the Corps of the Master Architects

(c) The Deity of the Corps of the Supreme Creators

In the same sense, the Paradise Trinity is only loosely designated as the union of the Father, the Son, and the Spirit. A more precise (but obviously more awkward) designation would be: the union of the Deity of the Father, the Deity of the Son, and the Deity of the Spirit.

§ 4 status and functions of the trinity ultimate

The Papers have quite a little to say about the present status and functions, and the future status and functions, of the First Experiential Trinity. Consider the following citations:

(a) Present status

(16.2) 0:12.5 The experiential trinities are not yet fully real; they are in process of being actualized.

(1291.8) 117:7.4 The Trinity Ultimate could hardly form as a factual reality until after the complete emergence of the Supreme. But this trinity is now a "qualified reality" and the Qualified Vicegerents of the Ultimate are now in existence.

While the Trinity Ultimate is not yet fully real, neither is it quite correct to say that it is not real. Perhaps we should classify it as a "becoming reality" and, as such, functional to a limited (but expanding) degree in the present universe age.

(b) Present functions

(1166.3) 106:3.5 Physical and spiritual evolution are unifying on finite levels in the Supreme, and on transcendental levels in the First Experiential Trinity.

(353.6) 31:10.10 The mobilization of the seven finaliter corps is more than a response to the directive action of the Supreme; it discloses the directive activities of the First Experiential Trinity in the process of mobilizing both the finite and the absonite resources, forces, and personalities, in preparation for future developments in the outer space universes.

The Trinity Ultimate is certainly functioning in the present universe age despite the incomplete status of the Supreme Being and the unfinished estate of the Corps of the Supreme Creators — not all universe Sons and Spirits have been commissioned, neither have they all finished their personal evolutionary growth as universe makers.

(c) Future functions

(113.6) 10:4.12 / (116.3) 10:8.2 / (1166.3) 106:3.5 The Paradise Trinity now co-ordinates ultimate realities, but it does this as a self-qualified absolute; the First Experiential Trinity will co-ordinate transcendentals as a transcendental.

(1165.7) 106:3.2 The Trinity Ultimate is destined to bring about a further evolutionary unification of the master universe.

(1166.2) 106:3.4 In the post-supreme ages (of the outer space levels) the finaliters will be carrying out the plans of the Paradise Deities as promulgated by the First Experiential Trinity.

(ibid) This trinity provides the technique for the group attainment of ultimate destiny.

The functions of the Trinity Ultimate will likely dominate the activities of the post-supreme ages, the ages of the organization and development of the universes of the four outer space levels. It would appear that the expanding activities of this trinity will experientially supplement (and might even eventually supplant) the co-ordinating functions of the existential Paradise Trinity with regard to absonite reality. (113.6) 10:4.12 The post-finite creatures (finaliters and others) will surely be serving under the direction of the Trinity Ultimate; and in this service, in the realms of outer space, these same finaliters and their associates may hope to attain the ultimate of creature destiny.

§ 5 unification of the trinity ultimate

We know that the Trinity Ultimate is less than infinite because it embraces "derived Deities," beings derived from that which was produced by the action of the Paradise Trinity. (15.9) 0:12.3 Since the attainment goals of the Trinity Ultimate are also less than infinite, this trinity can unify in completion. (16.3, 5) 0:12.6, 8 The Trinity Ultimate apparently has three experiential goals:

(a) The co-ordination of the entire master universe (1166.5) 106:4.2

(b) Its own experiential unification (16.5) 0:12.8 (We should not forget that Deity unity in the post-Havona creations "is an achievement." (641.1) 56:5.4)

(c) The power-personalization of the Ultimate (16.3) 0:12.6

We advance the theory that these goals will be achieved in four broad stages and each of these stages will be associated with the invasion, the exploration, the development, and the final settling, of one of the outer space levels. There are four of these outer space levels and the conquest of each should be attended by corresponding progress in the co-ordination of the master universe, the unification of the Trinity Ultimate, and the emergence (the power-personalization) of God the Ultimate. Apparently all three goals will be simultaneously attained at the close of the Sixth Universe Age, the final development and settling of the Quartan Space Level, and the final emergence of God the Ultimate. (Appendix XVIII § 1)

We know that trinity functions always encompass the realities of deity, that such deity realities always tend to personalize (16.1) 0:12.4, that the Trinity Ultimate is going to become completely unified (16.1) 0:12.4, and such completion of unification will result in the power-personalization of God the Ultimate. (16.3) 0:12.6 How will this happen? We simply do not know. The post-Havona creators (the Supreme Creators) are involved in this process (12.3) 0:10.12, and God the Ultimate is a personal participant in it. (16.1) 0:12.4 But the actual mechanics involved in the power-personalization of the Ultimate are not described in the Papers. (Nevertheless, see Appendix XXII § 7 - 9)

§ 6 footnote: trinity and triunity gestalts

Why are trinities (and triunities) supersummative? Both have functions that are something more than the predictable sum of the attributes of their component members. (1147.9) 104:3.17 First of all, this appears to be true because both exhibit the qualities of pattern. We know that pattern may configure matter, mind, or spirit, or any combination of them. It can characterize "personalities, identities, entities, or nonliving matter." (10.2) 0:6.10 It appears as a reality because of the "coexistence of personality and power." (10.4) 0:6.12 In the higher sense, pattern appears because of the coexistence of Deity and energy. (ibid)

Beyond this, both trinity and triunity appear to exhibit the qualities of system. We are informed that two objects have relationships; three or more eventuate a system. (1227.7) 112:1.17 Such a system is something more than a two-way relationship that has become more complex; its members are connected together, not by a relationship of each part to other parts, but rather by a relationship of each part to the whole. (ibid) Each one of the parts now has a "positional value" in relation to the pattern-of-the-whole. (1227.9) 112:1.19 It must be this arrangement of the parts (their positional values) that eventuates the Gestalt, the pattern-of-the-whole, with its unpredictable factors and its super-additive qualities.

(Gestalt is a German word for which there is no English equivalent. Configuration-of-the-whole comes close. Pattern-of-the-whole is better. But neither one is quite right.)

To illustrate this: Let us establish the difference between a non-pattern type of aggregation and the pattern of a system. (1227.9) 112.1.19 The simplest system will require three parts, so let us take three coins and let them fall on a table top. Since they fall by chance their positional values will have no particular meaning, no significant relationship. The three coins (unless, by rare chance, they fall in a straight line) will likely form an odd-shaped (scaline) triangle — but this is nothing like a symmetrical (equilateral) triangle.

If we do this a second time, but this time arrange the coins carefully so that they are equidistant from each other, they will form a symmetrical triangle; each coin now has a significant "positional value." But this positional value is not a function of any one of the parts; it is due to the relationship of each part to the whole. The symmetry-of-triangularity is the Gestalt of the system, and it imparts a value to the whole that is greater than the sum of the individual parts. The appearance of a Gestalt — a system — signifies mind-action (intelligent purpose) in imposing pattern on what would otherwise be mere aggregation — and agglomeration. (483.9) 42:12.9 The value of an aggregation is equal to the sum of its parts; the value of a system is greater than the sum of its parts.

(As a very simple illustration: If nine strangers should walk onto a baseball field it would be an agglomeration, an aggregation of nine men; it would not be a baseball team. These men are strangers to each other — and, perhaps, to the game. They do not know where they should be, nor when, nor how, nor even what they should do together. In contrast to this aggregation of nine strangers, think of an experienced baseball team. Now we have nine men who know where they should be, and why; who know what they should do, and how — at all times. They know their "positional values" and how to maintain these positional values throughout all the moving relationships of the entire game.)

§ 7 footnote: trinity and personality

If both trinity and triunity are characterized by the supersummative effect which eventuates out of the Gestalt of a system, then why is it that triunity is a partnership association and trinity is a corporative entity? Let us look at all of the triunity associations. (1147.11) 104:4.1 The Universal Father is a member of each of the Seven Triunities. We believe he is functioning in each of these seven relationships (as in the First Triunity) in a manner we would best understand as "personal." (At least it is not otherwise-than-personal.) If this is the case, then it may be helpful to consider certain statements that are made concerning deity and personality:

(1225.12) 112:0.12 Personalities are associable but they cannot be added together; they are nontotalable.

Deduction: An association of personalities can never result in the eventuation of trinity; trinity is a total.

(1167.5) 106:5.4 Only that which is deified can become trinity.

Deduction: Deity can be added together; it is totalable. There is a certain malleability in deity that is foreign to the nature of personality.

But, we should raise a point. Is it really impossible for personalities to be combined? How about trinitization? and the union of the two parental beings? Does not such a union constitute a totaling of the parental beings?

The Papers answer these questions as concerns both creatures and creators:

(a) This is not true with creatures

(250.1) 22:7.7 The union of the parents of a creature-trinitized son is a limited union and seems to consist in a ". . . bi-unification of certain spiritual phases of personality . . ."

(b) This is not true with creators

(250.2) 22:7.8 When the Father and the Son eternalized the Spirit they ". . . became as one and ever since have been one."

(109.5) 10:2.1 But this is true only in the sense that the Father cannot function "as the absolute and unqualified personality" except in conjunction with the Son.

(294.3) 26:8.4 On Paradise the Father is contactable apart from both the Son and the Spirit.

Accordingly, we deduce that personality can enter into certain intimate and limited relationships with another personality, but cannot be unified with another personality in the corporative (trinity-totaling) sense.

"Personality . . . can unify the identity of any living energy system." (1225.7) 112:0.7 But such a personality unification cannot be totaled with other personalities, neither (on deity levels) can it be fragmented. The Eternal Son is an "exclusively personal being" and cannot fragment his nature, as does the Father. (78.1) 6:5.5 The Father is just as much a person as is the Son, but he is "also everything else in addition." (78.2) 6:5.6 His prepersonal deity can be fragmented (333.7) 30:1.99, personal deity cannot. It is apparently impossible to subtract from personality; it seems to be equally impossible to total personalities. Personality appears to be inconcussible — take it, or leave it — it is as it is.

Deity appears to be employing two techniques that are opposite, complemental, and interacting in the process of achieving maximum self-realization and self-expression. These two techniques are: individualization and unification — the individual and unique articulation of each possible part, and the full and complete unification of all such parts in the whole, without the loss of any factor of identity or individuality in each part. Deity seems to employ the following two techniques to accomplish these ends and to achieve them simultaneously:

(a) personality expression, and

(b) trinity formation.

Personality produces an internal unification of the part; trinity eventuates in the external unification of the whole — the whole of whatever (superrmaterial) level that may be concerned. Personality acts in an intensive manner to unify the part; trinity acts in an extensive manner to unify the whole. Such achievement of trinity-total is an existential fact in the central creations; it is an experiential achievement in the outlying universes. (641.1) 56:5.4

Personality and trinity are two differing but complemental (deity) techniques for achieving unity (in opposite directions, at the same time) and for reconciling such antipodal expressions to each other at all times. The Paradise Deities give expression to 1,428,040 creative personalities in the Corps of Supreme Creators that is active in the present universe age. These Supreme Creators collaborate, within the framework of the plans that have been formulated by the Corps of 28,011 Master Architects, in such manner as to contribute to the power-personalizing of the Supreme Being. All three participants — all of the 1,428,040 personalities concerned — so function as to evolve the entities of the three Deity-presences that are trinity-unified in the First Experiential Trinity.

We believe the cosmic situation that makes trinity formation inevitable is the presence of three Deities functioning on the same level of reality. In the Paradise Trinity, of eternal and existential status, it is the Deity-presences of the eternal and existential Father, Son, and Spirit. In the Trinity Ultimate, of subinfinite and experiential status, it is the three Deity-presences of the Supreme Being, the Architect-Corps, and the Supreme-Creator-Corps — also functioning on an experiential level of subinfinite reality.

Two deities functioning on the same level of reality, can have a "relationship," but three such deities must eventuate a "system," and it would appear that the appearance of trinity is inherent in the eventuation of such a system. The binding force of the trinity-union of Deity must be divinity — ". . . the characteristic, unifying, and co-ordinating quality of Deity." (3.3) 0.1.16

Deity simultaneously seeks for two reciprocal techniques of self-realization — individuality-expression and totality-expression; individuality of expression in personality, totality of expression in trinity. Since trinity is also deity, it also seeks for new and further expression in personalization. (15.8) 0.12.2; (16.1) 0:12.4

Such trinity expression of a new personalization of deity gives rise to new deity relationships. If such new deity relationships become threefold then a new system will eventuate, with the result that there will be a further totaling of deity through the formation of a new trinity-total.

The Paradise Trinity and the Trinity Ultimate can have a two-way "relationship." Such a two-way "relationship" would be automatically modified if a third trinity should ever make a factual appearance. The three trinities would eventuate a "system," possibly the final system, resulting in the trinity-totaling of three trinity-totals — the appearance of the Trinity of Trinities.