Theos-Talk Archives (May 1998 Message tt00102)

May 4th

Dear Kazimir

The "Main Problem" lies with our understanding ourselves and our
world and universe.

1.    We recognize that there is a physical universe and a
physical body for every human.  Our 5 senses contact the external
surface (or the physical vibrations) of the phenomena around us.

We have not yet developed the idea that within the physical
senses are the real senses, invisible to us, which interpret the
physical vibrations to the INNER MAN -- the CENTER OF
CONSCIOUSNESS.  Ancient Indian thought and investigation
determined thousands of years ago that the inner senses were the
real ones, and therefore each human being has two sets of 5
senses that are active.

1.    The physical senses act and receive on the physical plane.

2.    The Invisible senses act and receive on the "invisible (or
"astral") plane".

3.    The OBSERVER, or "Real Human" inside, observes the incoming
impulses, refers to previous events that are similar, using the
"memory." Then, it decides how to react or respond.  It also has
the power to choose, originating thoughts, feelings and actions.
You can study this in yourself using your mind if you wish to do
it.

The inner REAL MAN, the "Observer,"  has 3 chief sets of "tools."

    1. the physical body that we all know.

    2. the invisible "astral" body which is beginning to be
realized exists, and is the "causal" body, so to say, [ Kyrillian
photography revealed the presence of this electro-magnetic body"
many years ago ] and

    3. the Thoughts, which are generated by the mind.
[Thought-transference, clairvoyance, clairaudience, second-sight
or prophetic visions, are examples of this activity ]

    A 4th set of "tools" also exists :  our Feelings, our
Desires, our Wants, and our Passions -- they are irrational
(until allied with the Mind and thought) but they spring from the
instinctual nature of the animal body that we use.
 Psychologists like Maslow make a clear distinction between NEEDS
and "Wants" -- which are not essential.  They have also concluded
that an exaggeration of a "Need" can produce a "vice" -- as the
exaggeration causes a distortion of group-harmony, and
group-balance.  Every legal system is based on this concept, that
everyone has to respect the rights of others as though they were
his own. [ the "Golden Rule."]  ]

Theosophy at this point draws our attention to the "moral
universe."  It is that aspect of our Universe which is affected
by, and reacts on us, based on the ethical quality of our
feelings and feeling-thoughts (from moment to moment).  When our
balance becomes selfish instead of group oriented, when we do not
act as a "brother" to others, the living and sensitive beings
 life-atoms ) around us are impressed wit the distortion we
create by that choice.  Their deformation is keyed to our nature
and character, and when they remain or return to us they bring
the impairment that we originally imposed on them, back to us,
and we say at that time "I have had an accident.  I am being made
the victim of circumstance."

Theosophy says we do not yet have the ability to detect the
impress that we lay on these "life-atoms" around us, nor do we
understand the reason why they return to us and cause us pain an
suffering.  In Indian antiquity, the name Karma (action and
reaction) was applied to the Law of all Living things.  The
important idea to get is that all of nature is made up of living
and immortal beings.  They belong to a lower category of
experience than that which we have.  But, they are incipient, or
proto-men-minds.  In a way we can consider them our "children,
the children of our minds."

Now, to continue with the Universe around us,

    This Physical Universe (and our own body) is the result of
forces and powers that work from within.  We are only beginning
to realize that the physical world, when considered alone, is
plainly only an effect.  Science is very good with all its
instrumentation at recording observations that relate to the
physical.  They have yet to develop that level of instrumentation
which records accurately the "moral" effects of any thought,
feeling, word, or deed.  this is what Theosophy emphasizes.

A large and unknown gap exists between the physical and the
electro-magnetic forces that operate along the nerves, and cause
the human to "feel" or to act in definite ways.  This is the gap
in between the physical visible and the physical invisible (as
electro magnetic pattern along  and upon which the physical
molecules arrange themselves into the cells, vessels, nerves,
skeleton, and all the many kinds of organs and fluids that make
up our physical body.

Note carefully that we do not consciously shape our own body.  We
live in it.

Most if not all of its functions are performed without our direct
supervision.  How this is done and what are the laws of this vast
operation is still under investigation.  We do know how it works,
but there is a mysterious link called "bio-feedback" between
disease and the will to make ourselves healthy.  This includes
"Prayer,"  "Health-wishes," and also the Mesmeric "laying on of
hands."  None of these effects are yet fully determined, although
they are under investigation.  Theosophy has much to say on these
subjects as the ancient Sages and Adepts did the investigation
and have left their records for us to study in the "original"
writings of H.P.Blavatsky.

We have not yet defined the "shape of a thought" in physical
terms, because such a shape is entirely "astral," or if you
please:  electro-magnetic in a subtle way.  So too,  with our
human "feelings and desires, emotions," etc...  they are also
"astral" and their "shapes" are electro-magnetic, but of a
different quality (or rate of vibration) from the Thought-power
and thought-images that we all generate in our minds, and have
and use.  Our "imagination" is the most powerful tool that each
of us has.  We can use it to review our "memories," or we can use
it to anticipate and shape our "goals." for the future that we
design for ourselves.

The real forces of desire, will, like, dislike, and an enormous
panorama of vices and virtues make it difficult to pin down the
Real Human Being.

In any case Thought is not the result of Brain action on a
cellular level, because even if that is taken into account alone,
one would have to determine what causes the cell's activity when
all its components are analyzed and its unity is destroyed.

Thus we have three planes of being"

1.    Physical -- structures and forms, flesh and blood, and all
"life-atoms",
2.    Astral -- invisible electro-magnetic and "moral universe",
and the world of the
                    psychic, the emotional, and the basis for the
physical, then,
3.    Mind -- which is the plane of the Thinker, the creative
genius that we are
                    as Embodied Mind - the Personality."  It
lives very close to its desires
                    and its feeling and especially to its
"wants."  It provides them with the
                    mind qualities that they lack.  The "Mind"
can thus be selfish,or
                    personal  or  unselfish and Universal in its
visions and scope.

4.    Spiritual Plane.  this is Universal and individual. There
we find the
                Real Man  --  the Observer within.  It is one
with all the spiritual selves.
                This is the basis for fraternity, tolerance,
nobility, unselfishness,
                aspiration, and BROTHERHOOD.

This also explains why in the Universe perfection has to be
attained by directed and individual effort.  it also explains why
we are not all at once perfect.  The Universe consists of may
grades of beings from "beginners," to "graduates,"  (the WISE ).

It is like an enormous School, and like all schools it has many
levels and ranges of pupils, as well as teachers, each learning
or teaching at his or her level of progress, intelligence, and
consciousness.

Unfortunately our education in the modern world we all live in,
does not yet include these concepts, so when we meet Theosophy
which includes not only what we have so far learned. but much
more, and especially about the "causal" side of the moral/ethical
working of the World, we are confused.  But it is not illogical,
or unreasonable.

Consequently, when a World/Universe reawakens after a long rest
(or "sleep") it brings us and all other beings ( we are all
'immortal' "pupils") back to the spot where we were when that
Sleep/rest occurred.  Karma continues to operate as it did
before, and we pick up the threads of our lives and continue
improving them -- and all other beings do the same, each in its
own correct place.  The dynamic balance and harmony of the
Universe is complete, and although we cannot conceive of such a
minute power that stoops to adjust the smallest of living things,
yet it exists, and has to exist, or else there would be no Law,
and total chaos would reign.  But Chaos doesn't reign -- if it
did even a small percentage of the time, we could not exist.
Everything depends on the equitable operation of the constant
LAW.

I hope that this will be found to help.
Dallas


PS:  If you get to read a copy of Mr. W. Q. Judge's THE OCEAN OF
THEOSOPHY you will find that he puts the whole philosophy simply
and logically in about 175 pages. Mme. Blavatsky's book THE KEY
TO THEOSOPHY does the same, and it also includes a section on
"Practical Theosophy" which is very valuable.

Those books, one or the other, are essential to grasping the
basic ideas of what Theosophy has to offer for all of us to think
over.  They have to be STUDIED, as a quick reading will not
suffice, unless we have "photographic" memories.

Following that study, we have to really think out the
propositions offered, and then see if they are practical and if
we have noticed them operating around us, and in our own lives.

,                    Dallas

================================================