Theos-Talk Archives (December 2000 Message tt00060)

December 20, 2000

Dear Tony:

Re: The physical SECRET DOCTRINE and
Some of the concealed meanings and codes in it.


You make some very important points for us to consider.

First you draw together Some of the interesting changes made in
spelling and emphasis with which the S.D. is full. Can these,
you ask, be regularized. I would say that only H.P.B. or the
Masters could answer as to whether they were intentional or
inadvertent (perhaps proof-readers, and well intentioned
"readers" made change in H.P.B.'s MSS (no longer available) -- as
she notes in her article MY BOOKS [Lucifer, May 1891 -- ULT
"H.P.B. Articles," Vol. I. P. 475] and also some notes she makes
on the S.D. in "MISTAKEN NOTIONS ON THE SECRET DOCTRINE"
[Lucifer, June 1890, ULT "H.P.B. Articles," Vol. I, p. 485;
see also the interesting foot-note on S.D. II 441; and the
projected CONTENTS of Vols. III and IV of the S.D. as outlined on
S.D. II 437, 798, I-vii and II-106]

Apparently there were a number of "hands" that stirred the
'broth' which became for us the S.D. I find it most difficult to
try to retrace the broken steps so as to see an original which is
no longer tangible.

Therefore I try to concentrate on the meaning of what H.P.B.
tries to convey of the ancient doctrines said to be millenniums
old.


To be very brief there appear to be 7:

1, 2, 3 FUNDAMENTALS [ "GOD," "LAW," BEINGS in Evolution (as a
study of the development of CONSCIOUSNESS) ],

4. CYCLES (as KARMA),

5. REINCARNATION (as a process whereby all "material
substances" have an opportunity to develop into spiritual and
metaphysical beings with a consciousness that spans the Universe)

6. UNIVERSAL CAUSATION - or UNITY (Brotherhood being the basis
for all living)

7. The ABSOLUTE -- indescribable as it includes and
interpenetrates ALL BEINGS. (Serves to bring any of its many
"children" from ignorance to full wisdom, from non-consciousness
to full UNIVERSAL CONSCIOUSNESS).


Apparently the use of a "K" as in Kosmic indicates the TOTALITY
OF ALL MANIFESTATION.

The use of a "C" as in Cosmic indicates the range of our
particular Universe in this present stage of its manifestation
and evolution with and through the 7 planes of substance
described to us.

One of the results from a comparison of the ways in which
students who followed H.P.B. tried to re-write the S.D. according
to their understanding of it and her presumed meaning is to
realize how important it is to preserve the original and let all
students, current and future figure it out for themselves.
Personally I think it highly presumptive to endeavour to read
into H.P.B.'s writings what a student may think he understands,
and then pass that compote along to others as "authentic H.P.B."
and not indicate where the editor has done his/her work. If
errors are discovered, and I have found some, the changes can be
made in footnotes which an editor may use to show the reasons for
considering a change. But the ORIGINAL ought to be made
available (using current technology, we can do this) to future
students as H.P.B. allowed it to be presented in her time.

I would say that in the S.D. there is, no doubt, more than one
code. Each student as he advances in understanding opens out the
petals of this great "lotus" of wisdom. H.P.B. and the Masters
have focused here a précis of the wisdom of the ages of the past
of an incredible passage of time. Any good student re-reads the
S.D. several times, and no doubt, he will find that on reading
again shades of meaning that had earlier escaped his attention
emerge. A single reading is quite inadequate to appreciate the
importance of this book.

We have been given (in the S.D.) analogies and correspondences to
enable us to trace through the myths, legends and traditions of
the past of all religions and cultures the very same paths that
are inherent in them of still older sources of knowledge and
wisdom. These parallels serve to demonstrate that WISDOM is
always ONE, and the "possession" of the whole of Humanity. But
the ways to present that Wisdom vary in language and in symbols
used -- although the unity of symbolism is also quite remarkable.

One important fact is that H.P.B. wrote when the sciences of
antiquity, in various field of Science were just developing. She
tried to place before those who were concerned in discovery the
clues and keys to a deep understanding of the past and proofs of
the antiquity not only of civilization, arts, sciences, thought,
morals, and philosophy but the unanimity of metaphysical as well
as of physical artifacts which could be considered. Most of
those sciences of inquiry are barely 250/300 years old, and
H.P.B. wrote about 125 years back when real knowledge was just
being accumulated and the theories and hypotheses that have later
ruled the education of specialists were just being developed.

As I see it, no one need arrogate to themselves a position of
specialist, scholar, interpreter, teacher or translator without
giving to the new student and enquirer the freedom to do their
own research and see if their independent conclusions tally with
those of the authors of this marvelous book.

Best wishes,

Dallas

===================================

-----Original Message-----
From: Tony [mailto:alpha@dircon.co.uk]
Sent: Friday, December 15, 2000 6:05 PM
To: sd@blavatsky.net
Subject: [bn-sd] RE: Some further questions on our passage on
page 15-16

You write:

<<<How should we understand the distinction that the Secret
Doctrine draws
between "precosmic" ideation/substance and "cosmic"
ideation/substance?
What are the correspondences between 'precsomic and cosmic' with
the seven
human principles (Atma, Buddhi, Manas, Kama & so on)?>>>

It was interesting to print out the passage you quoted from the
SD, and then
with a marker pen highlight certain words. In this case
precosmic and
cosmic.

In the first para. it is:

precosmic (and cosmic)
i.e. in both cases cosmic has a small "c"

in the 2nd para.it is:
pre-Cosmic.
It is now "hyphenated" (what does the hyphen symbolise?) and
Cosmic has a
capital C.

In the 3rd para:

It is Cosmic with a capital C.

What distinctions can be drawn between precosmic and pre-Cosmic?

There are the distinctions:
Root (Capital R)...precosmic Ideation/pre-Cosmic Ideation/Cosmic
Ideation.

and on the other hand:
precosmic root-substance/pre-Cosmic Substance/Cosmic Substance.

It appears that the metaphysical triad is represented by the
Absolute (Parabrahm)/Spirit/Matter? Why is Parabrahm put in
brackets? Or
why isn't it Parabrahm with the Absolute in brackets?

the Root, the great Breath assumes the character of precosmic
Ideation.
On the other hand "root-" substance...that aspect. Why "root-"
in
relation to substance, but not Ideation.
Why "character" in relation to precosmic ideation, and "aspect"
in relation
to precosmic root-substance?

Just making the observations becomes suggestive.

One fascinating thing in passing, is that the recent edited
edition of "The
Secret Doctrine" alters both precosmic and pre-Cosmic as given
above, to a
consistent "pre-cosmic" which doesn't appear in the original at
all. This
is mentioned in case all on this list are not aware that
subtleties, which
are in the original, are often removed in the revised editions.

Students of the secret doctrine see it as being worked from "the
above" and
this helps towards an understanding of why these subtleties are
there in the
original. When worked from below, consistency in spelling,
grammar, etc.
can seem important. It is unlikely HPB and the Masters decided
they were
going to make the first fundamental proposition 49 words in total
(changed
in all subsequent non-facsimile editions of the SD). It naturally
happened
as it was worked from "above."
7 x 7. Each of the 7 principles is 7 principles. The 49 fires.
Number 7
is the number of this Manvantara. The 7 human principles appear
to be fore
shadowed at source???

Perhaps to a western mind to express the difference between
precosmic and
pre-Cosmic requires a treatise in itself. See page 21 PROEM, re:
stanzas I
& II:
"The stage described in Stanza II. is, to a western mind, so
nearly
identical with that mentioned in the first Stanza, that to
express the idea
of its difference would require a treatise in itself. Hence it
must be left
to the intuition and the higher faculties of the reader to grasp,
as far as
he can, the meaning of the allegorical phrases used. Indeed it
must be
remembered that all these Stanzas appeal to the inner faculties
rather than
to the ordinary comprehension of the physical brain."

This leads to another point.

Why study the secret doctrine? The Bowen pamphlet which was
recommended
earlier suggests it is to do with the development of Janna Yoga.

"In the old books, the word *Janna* is defined as "to reform
one's self by
meditation and knowledge," a second *inner* birth. Hence Dzan,
*Djan*
phonetically, the "Book of *Dzyan*."" (SD XX, footnote)

"Ordinary intellectual activity moves on well-beaten paths in the
brain, and
does not compel sudden adjustments and destructions in its
substance. But
this new kind of mental effort calls for something very
different-the
carving out of new "brain paths," the ranking in different order
of the
little brain lives. If forced injudiciously it may do serious
physical harm
to the brain." (The Bowen pamphlet)

Tony


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