Theos-Talk Archives (January 2000 Message tt00064)

I'd like to add some additional comments to the discussion
on the "soulless."

One good reference regarding "lost souls" comes from THE MAHATMA 
LETTERS, Letter #25, by KH. On pages 193-94, it says, speaking of 
devachanic states,

 > ... But suppose a case of a monster of wickedness, sensuality, 
 > ambition, avarice, pride, deceit, etc., but who nevertheless has a 
 > germ or germs of something better, flashes of a more divine nature 
 > -- where is he to go? The said spark smouldering under a heap of 
 > dirt will counteract, nevertheless, the attraction of the eighth 
 > sphere, whither fall but absolute NONENTITIES; "failures of 
 > nature" to be remodelled entirely, whose divine monad separated 
 > itself from the five principles during their life-time, (whether in 
 > the next preceding or several preceding births, since such cases 
 > are also on our records), and who have lived as SOULLESS human 
 > beings. These persons whose sixth principle has left them (while 
 > the seventh having lost its VAHAN (or vehicle) can exist 
 > INDEPENDENTLY no longer) their fifth or animal Sour of course goes 
 > down "the bottomless pit."

He goes on to say:

 > Well, the first named entity then, cannot, with all its wickedness 
 > go to the eighth sphere -- since his wickedness is OF A TOO 
 > SPIRITUAL, REFINED NATURE. He is a MONSTER -- not a mere SOULLESS 
 > brute. He must not be simply ANNIHILATED but PUNISHED; for, 
 > annihilation, i.e. total oblivion, and the fact of being SNUFFED 
 > out of conscious existence, constitutes per se no punishment ... 
 > There must be for such a nature a state corresponding to Devachan, 
 > and this is found in AVITCHI -- the perfect antithesis of DEVACHAN 
 > -- vulgarized by the Western nations into Hell and Heaven.

The idea of becoming soulless, is to have completely severed 
all connection to buddhi, to the spiritual. To do so in small 
degree is to live a life without redeeming value, with no higher 
qualities leading to a wealth of rewards in devachan in the 
after-death states, not to an expansion of opportunities to do 
good in the world.

Avitchi is the polar opposite of Nirvana. Nirvana represents 
"liberation" from existence in life, a complete absorption in the 
oneness of all life. Avitchi, on the other hand, represents 
another form of "liberation," where one has completely freed 
oneself from life. But with Avitchi comes "wavelessness," the 
stillness, stupor, lifelessness of *total isolation*, of the 
complete fulfillment of selfishness, of complete disconnection from 
all caring and connectedness with other life. This is the absolute 
opposite of Nirvana, the fulfillment of unselfishness, of complete 
union with all that is.

The literature suggests that although we're on the lowest plane of 
existence that our earth supports, that there are worlds yet 
lower, worlds on darker, denser, more concrete planes of 
existence. One such world, with a special connection to earth, is 
called "the eighth sphere," and is the place of future rebirth for 
the failures of evolution in our scheme of existence.

There's a correspondence between Nirvana and Avichi, and the 
Christian Heaven and Hell, but the analogy can only be carried a 
little way. Another correspondence might be drawn between 
Devachan and Kamaloka, and Heaven and Hell. With Devachan is the 
personal reward for all the noble, spiritual impulses of this 
lifetime, a personal heaven as a reward for the good done by the 
person of this lifetime. And with Kamaloka is the personal 
punishment -- really a purgatory -- for the darker cravings, 
desires, and selfish impulses of the life that was just lived.

-- Eldon


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