Theos-Talk Archives (September 2000 Message tt00033)

Is the universe one OR  Is it a mass of separate units?

How does a sense of "Self" arise?


---------------------------------

Some thoughts:




The theory of nature and of life which Theosophy offers is not
one that was speculative, laid down and then proved by adjusting
facts or conclusions to fit.  It is an explanation of existence,
cosmic and individual, derived from knowledge reached by those
who have acquired the power to see behind the curtain that hides
the secret laws and operations of nature (which science
continually investigates), but our minds are still unaware of.

By asking "Why?" the process of investigation begins.  The search
is for a "General Theory" which will answer all basic questions,
such as:  "What is the Universe for?  Why am "I" here?  What
potential and final result of life and experience is there?"

History shows that such ideas have always encouraged the wisest
minds to investigate and leave a record of their discoveries.  In
effect, we stand on the "shoulders of Giants."  Such Beings wave
been called Sages, using the term in its highest sense. Of late
they have been called Mahatmas and Adepts. In ancient times they
were known in India, China and Tibet and the East as Buddhas,
Rishis, Mahatmas and Avatars-the last being a word that means
Great Souls and Spirits.

There are, of course, various grades among the students of this
single "Wisdom-Religion."  Those belonging to the lower degrees
of study and learning are able to give out only so much of the
Knowledge according to the grade they have reached.  They depend,
for further information upon students who are higher yet. It is
these higher students for whom the claim is asserted that their
knowledge is not mere inference, but that it concerns realities
seen and known by them.

While some of them are connected with the Theosophical Movement
they are yet above it. The power to see and absolutely know such
laws is surrounded by natural regulations (and concentrated
study) which must be complied with as conditions of learning.  It
is, therefore, not possible to respond to the demand of the
average inquirer for an immediate (or a complete) statement of
this wisdom, insomuch as he could not well understand until those
conditions are fulfilled.

As this knowledge deals with laws and states of matter, and of
consciousness that are only beginning to be thought of and spoken
about in our "practical" Western world, it can only be grasped,
piece by piece, as the student pushes forward the
demolition of any preconceived notions.  Those may be due either
to inadequate, or to erroneous theories -- some of which are held
to be true (so far) as hypotheses by Science or Religion.

It is claimed by advanced students that, in the West, a false
method of reasoning has for many centuries prevailed, resulting
in a universal habit of mind which causes men to look upon many
"effects" as "causes," and to regard that which is real as the
unreal, meanwhile, putting the unreal in the place of the true.

As a minor example, the phenomena of mesmerism and clairvoyance
have, until lately, been denied by Western science, yet there
have always been numerous persons who know for themselves, by
incontrovertible introspective evidence, the truth of these
phenomena, and, in some instances, understand their causes.


Some fundamental Observations are::

The spirit in man is the only real and permanent part of his
being; the rest of his nature being variously compounded. And
since decay is incident to all composite things, everything in
man but his Spirit is impermanent. For this reason one might say
that all humans are fundamentally high adepts in their spiritual
Nature (the "Higher Self").  As physical beings they all appear
diverse in many ways.


The universe is one, and not diverse. When manifesting through
various forms, everything being within it is interconnected with
every other thing.

On the plane of Wisdom (known to the Higher Self -- the
"Individuality") there is perfect knowledge.  Hence we might say
that on this spiritual plane of unison each one is an "Adept."
No act or thought occurs without each portion of the great whole
perceiving and noting it. Hence all beings, from the sub-atomic
to the UNIVERSE of all Universes are deemed to be inseparably
bound together by the tie of Brotherhood.  It is the various
veils of matter and substance that makes for apparent separation
and the concept of "personality."


It is taught that there is no creation of worlds in the
theological sense; but that their appearance is due strictly to
evolution. When the time comes for the Unmanifested to manifest
as an objective Universe, periodically, it emanates a Power or
"The First Cause"-so called because it itself is the rootless
root of that Cause, and called in the East the "Causeless Cause."

The first Cause we may call God, Brahma, Ormazd, or Osiris, or by
any name we please. The projection into time of the influence or
so-called "breath of Brahma" causes all the worlds and the beings
upon them to gradually appear. They remain in manifestation just
as long as that influence continues to proceed forth in
evolution.

After long aeons the outbreathing, evolutionary influence
slackens, and the universe begins to go into obscuration, or
pralaya, until, the "breath" being fully indrawn, no objects
remain, because nothing is but Brahma.

This breathing-forth is known as a Manvantara, or the
Manifestation of the world between two Manus ( from Manu, and
Antara "between" ) and the completion of the inbreathing brings
with it Pralaya, or destruction. It is from these truths that the
faulty doctrines of "creation" and the "last judgment" have
sprung. Such Manvantaras and Pralayas have eternally occurred,
and will continue to take place periodically and forever.

For the purpose of a Manvantara two so-called eternal principles
are postulated, that is, Spirit (or Purusha), and matter (or
Prakriti). Both are ever present and conjoined in manifestation,
as well as Karmic energies through the periods of Pralaya (or
non-manifestation).  These old Sanskrit terms are used because no
equivalent exists in English.

Purusha is called "spirit," and Prakriti "matter," but this
Purusha is not the unmanifested, nor is Prakriti matter as known
to science; the ancient Indian Sages therefore declared that
there is a higher spirit still, called Purushottama. The reason
for this is that at the night of Brahma, or the so-called
indrawing of his breath, both Purusha and Prakriti are absorbed
in the Unmanifested; a conception which is one of continuous
renewal and re-manifestation (just as each day succeeds others
but is not identical to any one of them).

This then, presents us with the doctrine of Universal Evolution
as expounded by the Sages.  The Spirit, or Purusha, they say,
proceeds from Brahma, and animates as "cause" the various forms
of matter.  These faithfully mirror those "interior causes"
(Karma) and so they appear and are evolved at the same time.  The
process is said to begin in the spiritual plane -- the highest,
and in the material world from the lowest. The lowest form is one
unknown as yet to modern science. Thus, therefore, the mineral,
vegetable and animal forms each imprison a spark of the Divine, a
portion of the indivisible Purusha.

These sparks (of the One Spirit) struggle to "return" to the
SPIRIT -- the "Father," or in other words, to secure
self-consciousness and at last come into the highest form, on
Earth, that of man, where alone self-conscious-ness is possible
to them.

The period, calculated in human time, during which this evolution
goes on embraces millions of ages. Each spark of divinity has,
therefore, millions of ages in which to accomplish its
mission-that of obtaining complete SELF-consciousness while in
the form of man. But by this is not meant that the mere act of
coming into human form of itself confers SELF-consciousness upon
this divine spark. That great work may be accomplished during the
Manvantara in which a Divine spark reaches the human form, or it
may not; all depends upon the individual's own will and efforts.

Each particular spirit thus goes through the Manvantara, or
enters into manifestation for its own enrichment and for that of
the Whole.

Mahatmas and Rishis are thus gradually evolved during a
Manvantara, and be-come, after its expiration, planetary spirits,
who guide the evolutions of other future planets. The planetary
spirits of our globe are those who in previous Manvantaras-or
days of Brahma- made the efforts, and became in the course of
that long period Mahatmas.

Each Manvantara is for the same end and purpose, so that the
Mahatmas who have now attained those heights, or those who may
become such in the succeeding years of the present Manvantara,
will probably be the planetary spirits of the next Manvantara for
this or other planets. This system is thus seen to be based upon
the identity of Spiritual Being, and, under the name of
"Universal Brotherhood," constitutes the entire exposition of the
Laws of Nature that Theosophical Sages have ever investigated and
studied in their operations from those primeval times up to, and
including the present.


All comments and responses will be welcome.

D T B


-- 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.