Theos-Talk Archives (May 1998 Message tt00121)

May 5th

Dear Thoa:O

A "theosophical vocabulary is not essential, as every statement
made can be put in every-day terms.  That is if we wish to
communicate clearly and the use of specialized or "theoretical
short-cut" terms between students who are aware of them, clearly,
is only useful to save time.

But even then, if they are not exactly aware of the meaning
assigned to those terms there can be confusion.  Of course a face
to face speaking is a quicker way of getting understanding -- if
one can keep a good memory going -- and is generous and tolerant
of what another says.

As to "psychic experiences" travelling around -- I think in
retrospect that I too did this -- but then for me it was more of
a "dream" experience, and not consciously controlled, since when
I exercised my will, I awoke.  But that is not necessarily an
"astral" trip -- our Imagination can show us many things.

Theosophically, we can sometimes see into the "picture gallery"
of the Astral Light (which surrounds us all).  The highest and
most permanent aspect of this "picture Gallery" is named Akasa
 "Sky" ) in Sanskrit -- and is said to endure for a whole
Maha-Manvantara [ period of Manifestation] (See SD II p. 70 for
date/time ).  But one can theorize that Karma [ the action/effect
sequence of every living thing in its relation to other living
things ] being an aspect of the ABSOLUTE, [ THE ONE UNIVERSAL AND
IMMEASURABLE, DEATHLESS SPIRIT ] the permanence of such images as
being residual and unharmonized Karma of many beings outdates and
outlasts the largest Pralaya.(Non-Manifestation)

Now that is a bit of metaphysics .

Skipping through ISIS can be a great deal of fun   I started
reading that at 18 and could not lay it down until I had finished
reading -- a lot I did not understand then ( or even now ).  But
I determined then, that if I was to remember for future use what
I was reading (and interested in) I ought to make notes.  So I
got myself a small 3-ring loose-leaf note book, put in an ABC set
of dividers, and have used that (and its companion volumes, as it
grew larger over the years) ever since -- I also used the
THEOSOPHICAL GLOSSARY as a base for researching all those old and
"foreign" terms.  (Put in blank pages between the printed ones --
done by a binder for me -- and am running out of space for all
the additional words that are explained and used here and there
in the Theos. Literature.)  But it has afforded me a basis for
finding and answering strange questions when they arise.  I
always felt impelled to make a record that I could revisit, and
also verify repeatedly as I studied more and more.

I seem to recall that my sister in Bangalore (South India, where
she founded a school and has taught and managed it ever since
1960) also wrote you on this -- so I won't repeat.

Internet is quite wonderful to get things answered and make
exchanges of ideas, isn't it ?

Best wishes,                Dallas

> From: "Thoa Thi-Kim Tran" <thoalight@aol.com>
> Date: Monday, May 04, 1998 1:00 PM
> Subject: Jerry Challenges Dallas but What does Jerry Offer as anAlternative?

>Hi Dallas:
>
>Dallas:
>>If you have read or heard that the search for TRUTH, Occultism,
>>Esotericism, Secret Wisdom is a complete giving up of your
active
>>control over mind, body and sensibility -- does it really make
>>sense ?  As I just wrote you:  WHO IS IN CONTROL ?  What is the
>>real man/woman
><snip>
>
>What I meant is that you release as much of your
self-conscious(?) self as
>you can.  Forgive me if I don't have the theosophist's
vocabulary, but I'll
>try my best to make myself clear.  I think psychism is more
natural than we
>realize.  In fact, being the cautious and inhibitive adult is
the more
>unnatural state.  I believe that children have more of the
ability than
>adults, because they have not yet thrown on their persona to fit
in with
>their mayavic environment.
>
>The following can be attributed to either psychism or brain
chemistry.
>When I was a child, I used to easily travel out of my body,
float around
>the room, and sometimes to other planets.  I felt awake when I
was doing
>all of this.  I heard on TV recently that brain chemistry can
make you feel
>like you're awake when you're actually dreaming.  When I moved
to the U.S.,
>became educated, and tried to fit in, I began to lose that
ability.  In
>fact, I developed a fear of traveling out of my body and would
move the
>only unparalyzed part of my body, my toe, vigorously to put me
back into a
>waking state.
>
>As a child, I also had repeating visions of many heavy points
that were
>vibrating in front of my mind's eye.  It was not a vibration in
a normal
>sense, it was a vibration of a change in size, but in a way that
it also
>remains the same size.  The points were both infinitely large
and
>infinitely small.  It isn't until recently when I read about the
mechanics
>of the theosophical ether that this made sense to me.
>
>Anyway, what I'm trying to say is that such a natural state
should not be
>feared.  What should be feared is all the unnatural disguises
that we throw
>on ourselves as we mature because we are afraid, because we pick
up
>personas (educated, artist, theosophist), or because we want to
conform.
>
>>If I sound like a "cautious Uncle," it because I am just that.
>
>See, Dallas, your persona.
>
>>Have you read through the first volume of ISIS UNVEILED ?  It
can
>>serve you as a good introduction to what you propose to deal
>>with.  It is also a marvelous adventure story -- if you like to
>>follow HPB as she travels through the realm of the invisible,
the
>>psychic and the spiritual. -- all over the world, and way back
in
>>time as in the present.
>
>I've skipped around Isis Unveiled according to my interests.
Pretty soon,
>I would realize that I've read the whole book, skipping around.
>
>>I write this in haste and may not be answering everything.
best
>>wishes,        Dal.
>
>Thanks, Dallas.  Best wishes to you, too.  Anyway, I wouldn't
worry about
>me being sucked dry of psychic energy.  I'm too concerned with
being sucked
>dry from daily life.
>
>Thoa :o)