Theos-Talk Archives (November 1997 Message tt00342)

At 12:24 PM 11/20/1997 +1100, you wrote:
>MK writes:
>> When TS was launched, those who were behind her, have clearly stated that
>> the primary objective of TS was to establish a nucleus of
>> Brotherhood/Sistehood/Siblinghood and *not* to be a school training
>> occultists for future Adeptship. This being the case, is it any surprise
>> that HPB did not place much emphasis on the path of initiation or
>practical
>> practices.
>
> Wasn't a case of "do as I say, not do as I do". The contents of the S.D.
>are a result of practical occultism, both by H.P.B. and the Adepts.
> Object No. 5 To investigate the powers innate in man. Does this mean we
>just read about them?

Bruce,

My latest book, STUDIES IN THE BHAGAVAD GITA gave me a totally different
perception of what "the latent powers of man" are. It says (Chapter I - in
summary):

For all developing Egos, we would do well to try to understand the function
of Karma.

1. Drawing out the latent power in the undeveloped ego. The vibrations of
the physical plane are designed to call out the latent or germinal man.

Harmonious vibrations cause the Ego to look out and as it recognizes
pleasure the latent power is poured out - during which time the Ego
formulates its own being. It sees itself in the concrete.

When the Ego pours out its life, it colors the outer vehicle with its own
tinge. Now the upadhi which previously was governed by the life of Ishvara
is subjected to two forces: Ishvara and Egoic Man. The outer forces are
rearranged by the higher dormant potencies. Matter opens grander vistas:
such as the earth element recalling the water element and so on until
divinity is reached. Evolution is a refinding of divinity. When the forms
are realigned to the two forces, the forms over time develop habits or
patterns which help to reproduce the original pleasureful stimuli with the
least dissipation of energy.

Without this outreach and vibration the Ego would not be able to develop.
Unless the body acted on by the Ego were responsive to outer forces, the
expression of life could not take place; nor could the latent Ego be found
to come forth. The harmony we are looking for is threefold: outgoing Ego
with body and outer world - this repetition of contact causes automatic
activity, the adjustment by the logoic lifewaves to keep harmony with both
forces without Egoic action, and the automatic Ego impulse flooding the
body and keeping it controlled and working efficiently.

This governs activities like respiration, digestion, nervous system, etc.
This is the Ego working out into the physical sheath and then allowing the
energy to pervade the form in balance, so that the he himself may function
in the higher planes.

Thus, Karma vivifies the sheath by the Ego's energies and results in an
automatism which frees the Ego to unfold deeper qualities.

end summary of text
---------------------

In my own words, we are observers of powers previously latent in man,
because our Egos are capable of contacting our vehicles and our worlds in
new ways. Our own capacities might even surprise us from time to time as we
deal with new situations in our lives, and produce successfully a part of
our selves that we can view as "higher than normal." I mean, most people
think of their egos as grander than appears ordinarily. Ordinarily we are
tinged. With egoic outpouring, we are blazing with color and light,
reaching out to the world around us with love and healing, I would hope.