Theos-World Responses to Dallas on the Will
Apr 06, 1999 08:29 AM
by Gerald Schueler
Some personal responses to Dallas' questions:
>>Then what is that UNIT which is PERCEPTIVE, CONSCIOUS, OBSERVANT ?>>
Consciousness itself is the most basic and fundamental
unit of everything. HPB calls it the divine Monad and
defines it as a consciousness-center (or at least G de P
does so, but I think he got it from her). So far, this has
been the best definition I have come across.
>>Are we to call it the MONAD ? Are we to call it the Higher EGO
(Higher Manas or Buddhi-Manas) ?<<
Yes. This is, by definition, the only true monad - an individual
indivisible non-aggragate unit. All others are expressions of it,
and not true monads because they are divisible into components.
The term "higher Ego" or higher self can mean many things,
and is usually used loosely to refer to the Reincarnating Ego.
Buddhi-Manas is the "spiritual monad" and is a ray or expression
of the divine monad. G de P uses the term human monad,
but this not even close to an indivisble unit and I am not
sure what it refers to anyway other than maybe the personality.
The term human monad implies that every human being
has an inner solid and substantial self, which is simply
not so. So, I don't like that term and seldom use it.
>>What is it in us that exercises the WILL ?<<
Many things, and the will itself can have multiple
definitions, all of which gets people confused. I see
the will as a direct expression of desire, the impelling
force that brings us into each incarnation. In a sense,
desire is the affect aspect and will is cognitive aspect
of the same thing. What exercises it is the vehicle or
focus of consciousness at any particular time and
can be the personality, or the Ego, or even atma-
buddhi. At each level, the will becomes more focused
and more specific.
>>In fact, what is the Will ?>>
Basically it is the force or energy that drives us to
make our evolutionary pilgrimages through the
planetary chain of Globes. It is almost synonymous
with purpose. We each come into each incarnation
with a purpose in mind, something that we want to
accomplish. In the OTO this is called the True
Will and we need to discover what it is before we
can do anything meaningful in our lives. The desire
to have an adventure is purpose enough, but usually
we have something more specific in mind.
>>What does it work with and for ?<<
Without a will or a directed purpose, we would never
be able to self-express through the planetary chain.
To the degree that our lives fulfill our True Will, we
are able to find meaning in our lives. Without meaning,
life is seen as not worth living and we die.
>>I am asking these questions quite sincerely, as any response will help
me to fit the terms you might employ to the ideas that I have. and then
I can perhaps answer in great er detail as o my own thoughts.
Hope you do not mind
Dal>>
Glad to help you to see where I am coming from. Maybe
you could return the favor by giving your own answers
and then we can compare. We probably aren't so far
apart.
Jerry S.
-- THEOSOPHY WORLD -- Theosophical Talk -- theos-talk@theosophy.com
Letters to the Editor, and discussion of theosophical ideas and
teachings. To subscribe or unsubscribe, send a message consisting of
"subscribe" or "unsubscribe" to theos-talk-request@theosophy.com.
[Back to Top]
Theosophy World:
Dedicated to the Theosophical Philosophy and its Practical Application