Mar 20th 1999
Dear Gerry:
Years ago I found that Damodar K. Mavlankar, one of
HPB' earliest and most devoted students in India wrote
something very interesting on the understanding of MAYA. I reproduce it
below:
"There is only one eternal infinite existence, call it
either spirit or matter. I will, however, call it by the latter name,
as that is most suited in its common understanding for what I am to
state.
Matter, as you know, we call Maya. Some say that this
thing does not really exist; but I do not agree to that. In my
opinion it is called Maya simply on account of these
transformations. It is never steady. The process is ever
working. The one infinite agglomeration of matter is in some of its
modes becoming grosser,while in others becoming more sublimated. The
circle is ever turning its round. Nothing goes out of that
circle. Everything is kept within its bounds by the action of the
centripetal and centrifugal forces. The forms are changing,
but the inner substance remains the same.
The action of the centripetal force keeps us to our gross forms, and
if we have to etherealize ourselves, we must supply the centrifugal force,
which is our will. And this is the first principle in
Occultism. We must study and know the forces of nature. Every
result must be in proportion to the cause producing it. We are every
minute emitting and attracting atoms of matter.
Now a person who is not an occultist will have various desires, and
unconsciously to himself he will produce a cause which will attract to him
such atoms of matter as are not suited for his higher progress. The
same way, when he is emitting others, he may give them such a tendency that
they will mix with others evilly inclined; and thus other
individualities, which are thus formed, will have to suffer for no fault of
theirs. But an occultist directs both. He is the master of the
situation. He guides them, and by knowing their action he produces
such conditions as are favorable to his obtain
"Nirvana."
But what is Nirvana? By Nirvana I
mean a state, and not a locality. It is that condition in
which we are so etherealized that instead of being merely a mode of the
Infinite Existence, as at present, we are merged in totality, or, we
become the whole.
Another thing about the advanced Occultist is that he is in a better
position to benefit humanity.
The particles of which I am formed have always existed; yet I
donot know in what form they existed before. Probably they have passed
through billions of transformations, [ That all the particles of the matter
of our universe have passed through millions of transformations, and been in
every sort of form, is an old assertion of the Adepts.] Why do I not
known these? Because I [as the indestructible individuality] did not
supply the force that would have prevented the disintegration of my
[personality in this birth].
I
will, if I attain Nirvana, remain there till the action of the force that
put me there ceases; the effort being always in proportion to the
cause. The law of Exhaustion must assert itself.
In
passing through this process of etherealization, you all along give a
certain tendency to the particles of which you are composed. This
tendency will always assert itself; and thus in every cycle, or
reincarnation, you will have the same advantages, which you can always
utilize to soon be free. And, by remaining longer in the Nirvana state
that the generality of humanity, you are comparatively free. [The
comparison made is with the general run of men in all races. They are
not free at any time.] So every consciousness, which has been once
fully developed, must disintegrate, if not prevented by the purity of its
successive egos till the Nirvana state is attained. Now I believe that
the full development of my consciousness as [a "Krishna" --
Atma-Buddhi-Manas] is possibly only on this earth, and therefore if I
die before that is done, I must be reborn here. If I reach Nirvana
state, even though I am in another body, I shall know myself as {a
"Krishna"--the universal Higher
SELF.}."
From a Letter written by D. K. Kavlankar and printed by Wm. Q. Judge
in PATH Magazine, New York, in January
1896.
Offered by Dallas
========================
