Theos-Talk Archives (June 1996 Message tt00045)

Eldon>
> I would not, though, put the doctrines in the role of a tool or
> support. I would not consider them as secondary, but rather
> consider them as of equal stature and also essential in living
> the life. It's the combination of (a) what we *are* (related to
> the living Wisdom within) and (b) what we *do* (related to the
> practice of noble virtues in life) that makes us a genuine
> Student. Both guidelines for reflection (the doctrines) and
> guidelines for living the life (the ethics) are important. Each
> provides a supporting framework for the other. Without either
> one, we become useless to the world, if not harmful to others.

The balance between, or the choice between, altruistic activity &
altruistic thought or motive is an old puzzle. Perhaps one
solution is to end the separation in ourselves between thought,
being & action. Just as we wish for & work for Unity of all that
lives, so we also must become a unity ourselves, with body,
speech & mind all working from, or as, the same self-sacrificing
Principle.

Mohini M. Chatterji wrote "Morality and Pantheism" in 1883, an
article found in BCW 5. Here are a couple of passages. Part of
the first quote is found in SD 1, 644.

"Inactivity of the physical body... does not indicate a
condition of inactivity either on the astral or the spiritual
plane of action. The human spirit is in its highest state of
activity in samadhi, and not, as is generally supposed, in a
dormant quiescent condition... A given amount of energy expended
on the spiritual or astral plane is productive of far greater
results than the same amount expended on the physical objective
plane of existence."

"...the initiatory training of a true Vedantin Raja Yogi must be
nourishing of a sleepless and ardent desire of doing all in his
power for the good of mankind on the ordinary physical plane, his
activity being transferred, however, to the higher astral and
spiritual planes as his development proceeds."

This article is chock full of good notions.

-- Nicholas