Theos-Talk Archives (November 1998 Message tt00377)

[Dallas:] 
>The "personality"  -- our brain-mind -- resists the idea because 
>it looks for ways to weasel out of the consequences of its 
>choices and acts.
 
Since I dont know what "the idea" is, I have no idea what you
are talking about.


>The "individuality" -- the immortal, Real Man -- knows that every 
>impression made on the material of our being either distorts or
> improves it.  

First of all, I don't like your "Real Man" because as far as I am
concerned, the individuality is just as real and just as illusive
as the personality or physical body. All are maya. All are
real. All are illusion.

How do you know what the individuality "knows?" The reason
I ask this is that when I raise my consciousness to that level,
I have no concept of matter, or ego, or lifetimes, etc., or any
other topic that bothers the brain-mind. It is only after I return
consciousness to the mental-physical that I can deduce
these kinds of things, and even then some interpretation
comes into play.

Improvement and distortion are purely subjective terms.

 
>We as physical, psychological and mental beings carry with 
>us all the time the effects of our choices.  We have 
>either improved or impaired our instruments.
 
I agree.


>As far as I can determine, modern psychology has only 
>investigated the personal consciousness as it manifests through 
>the brain mind. and being materialistic in its approach it fails to 
>grasp the cause for psychic memories and traits, as separate 
>from the physical or the "spiritual" or Egoic -- which are universal 
>in scope, and not solely focused on this life and its soon-to-be-ended 
>termination.
 
You are avoiding or ignoring transpersonal psychology. 

In any case, you are also ignoring the axiom as-above-so-below
which suggests that how things work during any one life is based
on universal principles that work over all lives. My experience
tells me that the "spiritual" knows nothing at all of the material,
that the Higher Self is not aware of its lower expessions nor 
cares much what happens to them, nor does it follow the "karma"
of its lower expressions.

However, I do follow G de P's suggestion that there is karma on
all planes so that we have physical karma, emotional karma,
mental karma, and causal karma. It is causal karma that 
 works on the causal plane that is concerned with the
succession of lives. Causal karma is, I think, largely collective.
It is not karma or causation that carries over so much as
the skandhas or propensities and tendencies. The idea
that every thought and act in one life must be paid for in 
a future life is pernicious and insulting. 


>As far as I can see if one is focused on the here and now,
> the causative side and purpose of life remain a mystery and
> inexplicable.
 
I feel strongly that the purpose of life and its "causative side"
were, are, and will ever be a mystery. They can't be put into
words, although we Theosophists do try to construct models
of such things and then jump to the false conclusion that we
understand (physicists have been so burned by this all-too human
trait, that they seldom do it any more. I wish more Theosophists
would follow suit). Those who think they know, probably don't.


>To me the value of Theosophy has been to find that there are 
>a long-time group of researchers who have looked into those 
>events and have observed how and why they occur.  

Again, physicists do this too, and get burned all the time. 
Theosophists will also get burned, but most don't know it yet.
By "burned" I mean that experience will one day demonstrate
clearly that one's models, and worldviews, and belief systems
are not adequate. This happened to me, and I can't help but
think others will find this out too. If your Theosophical views
are currently supported fully by your experiences then rest 
assured there will come a time when you will have the rug 
pulled out from beneath your feet and will have to change
your worldview accordingly. 
 
Jerry S.