Theos-Talk Archives (August 1997 Message tt00028)

Rich:

> HPB claims regularly that the real history of the human race is
> important, not merely as an antiquarian curiosity, but because WE
> ARE OUR ANCESTORS.

> > So, you are a reincarnation of your great-great-grandfather?

Quite possibly. Why not? The Mahatmas teach that the AVERAGE
time between lives was considerably longer than that, but
exceptions may be frequent for all we know. My
great-great-grandfather was a high Mason and I have strong ties
to him. The point, however, is that these ancient races have a
direct karmic connection to us, for WE ARE THEY. However, it
seems a given that all these races are not the same species. The
definition of species, of course, is the ability to procreate
among its members. I doubt we fifth-race folks could procreate
with Atlanteans -- therefore they are (quite) different species.
That they are genetically related I see no compelling evidence to
disbelieve. Rather a few quotes from HPB might show that she
does mean PHYSICAL DESCENT from one root race to another (despite
mutations and changes, brought about deliberately through
consciousness and karma):

SD II pg. 294-5: "A Kalpa later (after the separation of the
sexes) men having fallen into matter, their spiritual vision
became dim; and co-ordinately the third eye commenced to lose its
power ... The INNER SIGHT could henceforth be acquired only
through training and initiation ... The third eye, likewise,
getting gradually PETRIFIED, soon disappeared. This expression
'petrified' instead of 'ossified' is curious. The 'back eye'
which is of course the PINEAL GLAND, now so-called, the small
pea-like mass of gray nervous matter attached to the back of the
third ventricle of the brain, is said to almost invariably
contain MINERAL CONCRETIONS and SAND, and 'nothing more'.

Rich: This is clearly a gradually evolution from one sub-race to
the next, by direct descent. Why would new, emergent human races
preserve now-obsolete organs? Again,

SD II pg. 333-4: "Thus the Fourth Race Atlanteans were
developed from a nucleus of Northern Lemurian Third Race Men, centered,
roughly speaking, toward a point of land in what is now the
mid-Atlantic Ocean."

One may certainly say that HPB is making all of this up, but I
don't think it is fair to state that she is not suggesting direct
physical evolution one race from another (granted, guided by
spiritual and conscious impuleses and design). The states that
the fourth race emerged gradually from a nucleus of Third Race
folks. What more could we want as far as clarity on her part?

> > Our monads inhabited those bodies. Their karma is our karma, and
> > by understanding this and accepting it, we can work through that
> > old Atlantean muck and become better, higher, nobler creatures.
>
> Yes, our monads inhabited those bodies. But nowhere does it say
> that those bodies were humanoid. Of course, nowhere does it say
> that they weren't ...

I think she does say they were humanoid. She explains that some
had four arms and three eyes, etc. etc. etc. and that these
features gradually devolved/evolved into our present forms.

I won't go on and on however. This is plenty to chew on, and I
look forward to the thoughts of our fellow-list members. (If
anyone is following this now long thread ...)

Rich