Theos-Talk Archives (October 1997 Message tt00082)

Oct 24 1997

Dear Pam Giese:

Your account of the sunrise, and the clouds apparently doing
battle with it, then reforming into shapes that had relevance to
your thought and quest is one of the phenomena I have heard
spoken of, though admitedly in somewhat different terms.

There is apparently a force resident in persons (and it may
manifest with or without their control) which has the power to
alter cloud shapes, to unite and dissipate them.  Whether this is
an actual physical reformation or in effect a "personal vision"
would be better substantiated if another were also to witness the
event, and unbidden, speak of their observation independently of
the one who is the "operator." That would give an independent
quality so necessary to secure.

It is difficult to decide which of these two processes (or
"visions") is in opperation if one is alone.  The event need not
be doubted, as the fact of its remembering implies memory,
whether subsequently embelished by imagination or not.  All
memories start with a fact.  It may be an act of the desire --
which is usually personal--as either curiosity, or the use of an
inner power that we all possess to some degree, sometimes termed
the "will," when brought into operation.  Desire, thought and
will are to be seen as three powers common to all of us.  The
important fourth is the "moral" power -- or the "necessity" for
any such event or production of effects.

Theosophy points out, the importance and existence of this moral
quality.  Call it the "necessity" of any event that involves
"choice." there is a wide difference between curiosity and
neceessity.  What can also be significant are questions such as :
Why me? Why at that time? What has been the subsequent effect on
my life and thought since that event? -- and so on.

In the book THE KEY TO THEOSOPHY written by Mme.  Blavatsky who
was the first to make Theosophical philosophy available as a
system for our consideration in this era (which began in 1875 and
has continued since then), the nature of the "mind" is made quite
plain.  In fact Mme.  Blavatsky ( or HPB as her students call her
fondly ) devotes well over 100 pages in the KEY, to discussing
the nature of the human "priinciples." This knowledge is
important to acquire.

If one desires to understand the basic nature of mankind, as he
stands now in evolution, this information regarding the actual
state of human psychology is a valuable asset, and well worth
some hours of study and codifying for one's future use.  It will
be found to apply in areas where modern Psychology has yet to
fill in gaps and blanks.  There also exists a useful tanslation
of an old Hindu Sanskrit book written by a sage named Patanjali.
The best translation that I know of for the theosophical student
to use after he has learned what the " Seven Principles" are,
(and is able to trace their existence in his own make-up) is the
one translated and made available by HPB's pupil William Q.
Judge.  But I may be advancing too fast in saying this, as some
will seize a translation of Patanjali's work and then try to work
out the details; and without a knowledge of the THREE-FOLD
COMPOSITON OF THE MIND, and will have to eventually back-track,
as there are no "short-cuts." Modern psychological terms and
Theosophical psychology have many gaps when compared, and there
is certainly a wide difference in the technical use of terms.
theosophial psychology is the more complete and includes all the
information and observations that modern western psychology have
so far uncovered.  Our modern Western psychology exposes many
aspects of what might be called the psychology of the personality
-- of the transtory man/or woman of this one life we are so far
aware of -- in memory.  Theosophical psychology deals also with
the spiritual man and with the moral man, and these two ought to
be added to the information about the personality to have a
compete and usable system.

Briefly: the nature of man as a thinking being is triple.  The
mind is that principle which can ally itself either with the
freedom of WISDOM--or universal knowledge and experience--(which
is harmless to all beings), or to SELFISHNESS ( which is a
concentrating of personal and selfish desires into information
that does not care for the influence one may direct on others --
which is a description of the condition in which most of us live
today).  The motive for choice, for which we do anything is most
important.  It is causative and starts any process or keeps it in
motion.

To use technical theosphical terms; the Mind (Manas) is either
allied to wisdom (Buddhi), or to "passions and desires" (Kama) --
and as a result the triple mind is denominated:

1.  Selfish (Kama-Manas), the desire-mind;

2.  Pure Mind: logic, ratiocination, reasoning ....  without
motive.

3.  Wise Mind (Buddhi-Manas) which because it is morally pure,
devoid of selfishness, is focused on that which is useful and
beneficent to all around it.  It is the gateway to the Universal
in Nature, which cannot be used in any way selfishly.  For this
reason the "Path" has often been defined as "unselfishness,
generosity, compassion and altruism."