Theos-Talk Archives (May 1998 Message tt00300)

> From: "K Paul Johnson" <pjohnson@leo.vsla.edu>
> Subject: Theosophical California Dreamin'
> Date: Tuesday, May 12, 1998 8:16 AM
>
> So, here's the dream I had last night after reading those
> passages (well afterwards, actually this morning shortly before
> arising):
>
> I'm at the TS Pasadena Headquarters attending some conference.
> Lots of people are milling around on the grounds, which are
> extensive and lovely, an oasis of (15-20?) acres of gardens in
> the midst of suburbia.  Well-tended and sylvan, but you can never
> quite get out of sight of TS buildings or the streets that
> surround the property.  I'm chatting with a few friends, but say
> "I want to go for a walk, catch up with you later" and head into
> the gardens.  Somehow (dreams are always vague on how these
> transformations occur) I find myself in a meadow in a valley amid
> high mountains, all contained within the TS property.  After
> hiking a few minutes admiring the scenery, I cross a ridge and am
> awestruck by a magnificent waterfall cascading down a
> mountainside.  Maybe not as tall as Yosemite or as wide as
> Niagara, but hugely impressive, with several smaller waterfalls
> on other ridges in sight.  I stand here soaking up the vibes, all
> alone in this natural paradise, until satisfied that it's time to
> return to the conference.  So I walk back the way I came, and in
> minutes am back with my friends.  I wonder why no one else has
> talked about this amazing place within the grounds, but feel
> disinclined to talk about it.
> END OF DREAM
>

Your last line intrigues me.  Here you've just experienced these majestic
sites right within your friends' grasp, but you don't feel like talking
about it. Why is that?  Have just witness a private vision that defies
words? Would talking about it demystify the experience and make it seem
commonplace? Or have all the "dream" friends already known about the
natural paradise and it's only you who have just discovered it? Or would
they just not understand?

Sometimes I meditate on the meaning of the phrase "To keep silent".  It
seems to be one of those simple phrases  with layers and layers of meaning
for the occultist.  On one level it's the Christian admonishment not to
"spread pearls before swine".  On another level, I've noticed that some
experiences seem to lose power when they're discussed or just shared with
others.  Maybe it's a real loss, or maybe it's just a perceived loss as
subjective experiences and imagery are forced through the inadequate screen
of language.  Maybe it's the transition from the mythic to the ordinary.
Regardless, there seems to be a disruption in the personal psychic
environment.

There's a rule in "Light on the Path" that says "Stamp out Ambition" and
goes on to define this rule as the need to remove the desire for reward.
(Sorry, I just have this on audio, so this quote isn't exact.)  I think
this relates to the phrase "To keep silent".  Many times, the desire to
talk about our personal occult and mystical experiences relates to the need
to "compare notes", to gage where we are, to try to verify whether our
experiences are real or valid.  So speaking about these experiences
(without the intent of teaching) indicates a lack of confidence in our own
abilities.

Anyway Paul, it's a cool dream that speaks to yet undiscovered wonders
within our collective grasp.  Thanks for sharing it.

Pam
pgiese@snd.softfarm.com

"Blessed are the cracked, for they shall let in the light..."