Theos-Talk Archives (September 1998 Message tt00072)

In a message dated 9/7/98 11:31:24 AM Central Daylight Time, dalval@nwc.net
writes:

[Dal, "Rilke" is just a pseudonym.  Please do not reveal my real name, sex, or
sexual orientation to anyone (especially not to Kym]

 R.I.>
 I, at least, have no doubt whatever that Theosophists of the past
 utilized the
 "analogical method."  That is, they were careful observers of
 their own inner
 states of consciousness during meditative sessions and then used
 the commonly reversed "as below, so Above" technique to put
 together a larger world view.

Dal>
 Such a view point would relate solely to images arising in the
 "Astral Light."

R.I.>
I am sure this is true looked at in some way.  Unfortunately, I suppose there
is really no pleasant way to suggest to you that it is pretty-much off-track
if we are talking about observing what happens in meditation.  "Images,"
either associated with desire-feeling consciousness (3rd-level, kama) or
desire-mental (4th-level, kama-manas), represent only a modest proportion of
what one can experience.  (Or I should say "prevent oneself from
experiencing," since the whole object of meditation is to retain an
"untransformed remainder" of the Ultimate "I Am" [the Undifferentiated
Consciousness component of the particular "soul" one has developed] as the
manifold egoic delusions [semi-Selves] continuously try to form at the first
six levels of consciousness.)

I realize that most people are unlikely to regard something like "I Am the
itch on my butt" as any kind of a temporary "ego-formation" (in this case 2nd-
level physical).  Fortunately, and unless the itch gets unbearable, such a
low-level delusion seldom confuses a person about his or her higher "identity"
anyway (since it is easily "ensouled"--that is, can be mediated by the "Once-
Removed Vantage"--with even a modest degree of Self-awareness).  Where it
really gets difficult to hold even a modicum of the "Higher Ground," of
course, is when Consciousness starts trying to differentiate itself into
various ego-formations (one at a time, please) at the much more subtle kama-
manas (desire-images associated with "word content") and manas (dispassionate
"word-thinking") levels.

Have you ever temporarily "lost yourself" in a good book?  Well, then, you can
start to see what is being talked about here when I use the expression "egoic
delusion."  There are many more types of "soul-snatchers" than just imagery in
the "Astral Light."  Actually, a person doesn't even need to be a meditator;
the same sequence can be observed when falling asleep:  first there is the
"tingling" one can experience; if one can prevent oneself from "merging" with
this, next there is the little aches and pains one's attention is taken by; if
one successfully fights this, next there is the desire-related imagery; next
there is the imagery and the talking to oneself; next the images fall away and
there is just the dispassionate talking to oneself etc.  (If you are still
awake and have retained enough of the Once-Removed Vantage to be able to
"Silent Witness" yourself at this point, you are a Bodhisatva for sure.)

Dal>
 The "spiritual point of view," arising in buddhi (wisdom of
 experience over many incarnations) would look directly on a
 problem and show where a similar set of circumstances occurred
 before, and what the present Karmic environment currently is and
 will be, and thus lead the confused inquirer to see the best
 course for action in terms of duty and necessity.	Da >>

R.I.>
~Buddhi~ is perhaps one of the most problematic of words.  Usually, I just
translate it as "Spirit."  I do this with full awareness that many Eastern
writings give it the psychological flavor of "intuition."  How can Spirit have
anything to do with any kind of intuition, "knowledge," perception, or
"wisdom" at all?

Well, I like to use the illustration of some of the artwork of Escher.  You
can find some of his pictures which have no background at all:  the outline of
the fish borders exactly with the border of the elephant which borders exactly
with the border of the worm etc.  Until one examines the work carefully, one
may have no idea what one is seeing.  Spirit is somewhat like the Ultimate
Background:  one may have trouble perceiving certain higher realities
(especially psychological) unless one can isolate it against the Background.
Since the Atma-Buddhic level of consciousness can make even the most subtle
things stand out in stark contrast, a person who can even momentarily be at
this level will be pretty intuitive, indeed.

Thank you for your polite conversation, and

Godspeed,

Richard Ihle