Theos-Talk Archives (April 1999 Message tt00099)

In a message dated 4/9/99 1:11:41 PM, Peter wrote:

<<It seems to me that if we went by the sanskrit and Buddhist definitions
alone we might misunderstand the meaning that HPB and the Masters give to
these terms.  So did they (HPB, KH & M) borrow them, or are they explaining
the real Esoteric meaning of the terms and using them in that light?>>

This question is difficult to answer.  To suggest that those three "borrowed" 
terms from Buddhism, when all three are on record as being *practising* 
Buddhists, seems strange.  Clearly, HPB and her teachers were trying to shed 
light on the inner meaning, the "wisdom-religion" meaning, of exoteric terms. 
 What is interesting is that the way they do this is not to come up with 
something utterly unheard of before, but to go to Mahayana Buddhism in order 
to explain early, exoteric Buddhism.  Klishta Manas and Alaya-vijnana are 
*Mahayana* Buddhist terms (solely), unused by early (conservative, Theravada) 
Buddhism or by Hindu schools.  But these two "borrowed" concepts do explain, 
as you say, the meaning of "This is not mine.  There is no 'I' here."  What 
is ephemeral is certainly not worthy of saying "it exists" let alone "this is 
the real me."  But questions of existence and non-existence will take us too 
far afield for now ...

I believe Alaya-vijnana (storehouse consciousness) will answer to HPB's 
"Higher Manas."  Both are intellectual-intuitive faculties that are 
long-lasting (one mustn't say eternal yet) from life to life, carry the 
karmic-seeds awaiting the "future" within them, and both are capable of 
transformation into something even higher.  Alaya in Buddhism is what is 
behind "Impure Mind" as "Higher Manas" is behind "Lower Manas."  

In later Mahayana Buddhism (which is even more "esoteric" than the first wave 
of Mahayana) there is something taught which is even higher than 
ALaya-vijnana, Storehouse Consciousness, and that is "Tathagata-garbha" or 
"Buddha-seed."  It is said to be eternal, blissful, real, pure, and the 
essence of the Self (not a personal self).  Lacking in ego, it is the real 
Man, which while temporarily obscured will one day bloom into a full Buddha.  
(This doctrine is taught in the Ratnagotravibhaga Shastra, the 
Srimaladevisimha-nada Sutra, the Mahaparinirvana Sutra and others, for those 
who want to follow up on it).  

I believe this Tathagata-garbha or "Buddha-seed" (which will ripen in the 
"future") is to Alaya-vijnana in Mahayana Buddhiam what Atma-Buddhi is to 
Higher manas in Theosophy.  Little or no difference.  

Beyond this, there is the Dharmakaya, or the Absolute Itself.  Seems to 
answer to HPB's undifferentiated eternal BE-ness.

Thus, again, HPB and her teachers are teaching straight esoteric Buddhism, 
known to all educated Mahayana Buddhists, but using Theosophical terms that 
can function as parallels for terms in both Buddhism and Hinduism.  
Atma-Buddhi-Manas are in fact Vedantic terms, but seem to teach more of a 
Buddhist doctrine in HPB's hands than Vedantic.  HPB regularly criticizes the 
Vedantins, but hardly ever the Yogacara Buddhists.  At one point she says "Is 
our doctrine then Yogacara Buddhism?  Not quite."  (Paraphrased)  

All this is explained more fully in my study "Blavatsky and Buddhism" which, 
due to problems with Sanskrit and Tibetan font, is still not up on the web.  
When it is I will leave the address on this list.

Rich

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