Theos-Talk Archives (March 1997 Message tt00008)

I sent this once before but it doesn't seem to have gone through.
Sorry, if I'm wrong. Dara, thanks for all your quotes. I spent
yesterday with the S.D., and don't see where info about the
mindless and the anthropoids will help us in considering clones.
Except that we know we are capable of gross error with knowledge
and responsibility, as the 4th race Atlanteans had and yet
repeated the earlier error that was due to bestiality but not
responsibility. I just received the Hartman quotes and look
forward to reading them. Thanks.

Sat., Mar 8th:

Perhaps we need to define what is meant by "soul." Of course
everything that has life, has soul in the broad sense. That
includes all of the kingdoms: mineral, vegetable, animal, human.
But we see a difference between these divisions and that
difference is in consciousness. Looking just at the animal and
human, the difference is in the self-consciousness mind. The
door has been closed for the animal to evolve self-conscious mind
in this cycle.

The human, however, has the potential to enter higher states of
consciousness or SELF-awareness. At this particular time desire
is uppermost and we don't use higher mind much, if at all.
Therefore it is a real question if we could tell the difference
between one with seven principles and one with just four, headed
by lower mind. HPB says we elbow soulless people everyday. If
so, we certainly aren't aware of it. We might think of the
burnt-out bum on skid row who has coarse features and a vacant
stare. Or we might think of a totally amoral and selfish
businessman who uses people and situations to his own advantage.
He might be cunning and evil and have broken the connection. But
can we tell, in either case? No. We cannot judge others and must
treat all life with compassion.

I do not think one can compare twins to clones. Totally
different process. Also, I was thinking about the difference
between artificial insemination and cloning. In artificial
insemination, the egg and sperm are both present and the process
in natural, even if man intercedes and makes fertilization more
apt to occur. There may be many failures before there is a
success. The egg still has "choice." In the case of cloning, the
"choice" is co-opted, and growth is forced. This may be
significant because in the natural process it is the Ego that
seeks the right situation according to karma and causes the egg
to be fertilized. The physical plane, we learn in Theosophy, is
the effect plane, not the causal. The result here is due to
activity on higher planes. If the egg is forced does that
necessarily mean that an Ego is automatically drawn to it?
Something to ponder...

Gail