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RE: [bn-basic] Re: bn-basic digest: April 10, 2001

Apr 11, 2001 05:17 PM
by dalval14


Wednesday, April 11, 2001

 

 

Dear Friend:

 

One of the first propositions of Theosophy is “ Something can not be made out of Nothing.” 

 

Anything that is in existence now, has a cause for its “beginning” and ahistory of its own -- of its progress on the great and common evolutionary path, which leads from the ignorance of potential “beginning” to the full WISDOM of the Sage, who has investigated the entire Universe and knows it all (visibly and invisibly) currently and in every detail of its ‘past.’

 

Theosophy says that the plant always starts with a seed. 

 

If you look at any plant you see the truth of this fact.  So if you look for the beginning of a Universe, you start with an earlier one of which this present one is the “child.”  From the “atom” (and the such-atomic particles and forces) to the furtherest extent of our perceptible GALACTIC SPACE you will discover that Law rules everything.  Each cause produces an exact result.

 

We get confused by the multitude of effects that flash across our perception and it becomes difficult to identify and isolate any one of those -- this is because the whole Universe and every being in it is united into a harmonious whole.  Separately if compared (in spite of our similarities), we are a discordant and helter-skelter lot.  Apparent chaos and lawlessness seems to rule our so petty lives.  Yet behind and within our natures the harmony reigns and affords us a living space.

 

The theory of the BIG BANG with which this tangible physical Universe is supposed to have began is -- when all is said and done only an hypothesis.  Theosophy states that instead of a violent and causeless explosion of the PRIMORDIAL UNIVERSAL ATOM into heat, motion, isolation and “cooling” there was very simply an awakening.

 

Tis awakening is comparable to the assembling of our own faculties when we wake every morning to resume our daily tasks, work and responsibilities.  Both consciously and unconsciously we draw together our faculties and change our physical situation from repose to the guided activity of Waking.  Consciousness floods through the may structures of our bodies, our emotions, our minds, and our memory.  This is of course an oversimplification of many processes, which if carefully analyzed are seen to impact and fit in and around one another.

 

In agrand way it is the same for a solar system, a Planet, or a Galaxy (like the Milky Way -- made up of numberless solar-systems, comets, planets, suns, novae, “dark” matter, meteors and other forms of substance ).

 

Philosophically it is said that SPIRIT (or perfection and Wisdom) always finds itself wrapped up in “Primordial Matter.”  Matter is said to set real or arbitrary limits to environment.  In matter as well as in Spirit are stored (permanently) the memories of every experience we have ever had.  The primary compound of SPIRIT/MATTER is called a MONAD. 

 

The MONAD is said to be an immortal being which is called the “Eternal Pilgrim” for the reason that with it starts the whole evolutionary process in which we already participate.  At the core of ourselves (as humans with an active and independent Mind) is a MONAD.  Spirit-Matter-Mind is thus the “life-unit.” 

 

It may be conceived as the building block of the Universe and since it never dies, it passes through experiences of many kinds, always acquiring greater understanding of its environment and its own nature.

 

Since it is not possible to learn everything at once, this immortal pupil passes through its own days and nights.  Onemight say that our life-time is for it a day.  Then the body becoming old and worn is set aside and a period of sleep supervenes.  This is a periodof reflection and meditation.  And when the forces that induced this state are exhausted, a reawakening in a fresh body occurs.  But the processis not hap-hazard.  It is always regulated by the law of Nature that adjusts all phases of interactive life so that we have not only community growth and responsibility but individual seclusion during which we review our own acquired experiences.

 

Thislong introduction is to show you have the philosophical pictures of our Universeand our Earth dovetail with our own seemingly minor existence and work.  Everything has its place.

 

The concept that we carry with us our own facilities and disabilities is a basic one in Theosophy.  Our bodily makeup, for instance, is dependent on the quality of the atoms, molecules, cells, and other structures that compose it, and which come and go all through our life-time with an intelligence of their own, constantly filling gaps that become vacated by other “life-atoms” and “Life Units” that pass into, through and out of us all the time.  A good book on physiology will show you details of this process. 

 

We are usually not conscious of our bodies until they fall ill, or tired and fail us in some response.  We occupy them, and treat them (usually) as we would slaves.  But the thing to remember is that they too are living beings.  And although we may call them today “Monads of lesser experience,” they are immortals intheir own right, and will eventually rise to the human stage when the progressive setof tests conducted on a universal scale gives them the opportunity we now enjoy: of studying nature voluntarily and examining her secret workings.

 

The term “Predestination” seems to imply a Being of compelling and superior power.  A being that imposes arbitrarily a fate on others.  That may cause sorrow, suffering, joy, pain, disease, elation, and that these swings of fate are whimsical, uncontrollable (by us) and totally inexplicable.  We then begin to believe we live in a chaotic and lawless situation in which there is no place for our independent and free choice, action or progress.  But is this logical in any way? 

 

This concept has been offered by a priesthood which stands to benefit from the ignorance and the lack of ability to reason in their “flock.”  I say if the priests know better,then why not educate?  Why perpetuate a condition of ignorance and illogical stupidity?  If they take refuge in the often quoted:  “It’s the Will of god.” -- which explains nothing -- then either they are deluded or they delude their votaries.  Theosophy opens the whole situation for logical consideration.

 

It does this first by stating that although the body will die and be dispersed, the SPIRIT/SOUL within is an immortal entity and perpetually reincarnates.  Thus loved ones because of the force of love, service, mutual assistance, and interdependence, will eventually reincarnate together

 

But earlier we indicated that the Monads are all pupils, from the “beginners” which have just emerged from the Universal MONADIC ESSENCE, through humanity (as a stage of education) to the position of the Wise Sages who are able to assist Nature in her perpetual work of cooperation. 

 

The operation of this vast process (in which not a single “life-unit” is ever forgotten or “discarded”) s handled by immutable and ever-acting just and impartial laws.  Fundamentally we may say the LAW (of Karma - action and reaction) is always present, even inthe most intimate and secluded aspects of our life -- when we think and feel intently we evoke it.  The Monads that surround us are the repositories of our thought-feelings.  We impress them.  That impression is either of assistance to them or it distorts them.  They leave us and take with them the impress we gave them, and after a while according to their own laws and to the Great Law that controls all Nature they return to us.  They bring also the return of the impressions we laid in and on them.  Becoming thus “clothed” in our old vestures we are helped or impeded by those impressions.  It I at that time we feel the impact of fate, or accident and the result may be joyous or sorrowful.

 

If from this small survey, The ideas of theosophy are seen, then we may see we are every moment creating our own future.  Changing our residence, or adopting some new work, does not wipe outthe burden of responsibility we assumed when we impressed those Monads that came to us for assistance, and trusted us to treat them fairly and constructively.

 

Thus instead of “PREDESTINATION” we are offered the continuous opportunity to improve.  We have to do the work ourselves.  We thus create our own future.  It is clear that themore we know about Nature and her work, the better will we be able to make choices.  Life and Living now assumes a position of great and valuable importance for us.

 

Theosophy adds to our understanding of life several things.

 

1.  There is a universal urge, or purpose, and that is to become WISE.  The whole of SPACE is our shared habitat -- we constantly depend on others for our life (air, water, food clothing, housing, warmth, etc…) and we share them in one ay or another with the rest.

 

2.  Nature (the Universe) already contains everything and all lines and laws of progress are available to those who seek to find and use them.  Naturelives and works according to LAW.

 

3.  Brotherhood is the main process that places the cooperative and interdependence aspect of Nature right before usto understand and to use.

 

4.  Being immortals, and our learningbeing continuous we are “brothers” not only to other humans and to our families, but also to every least “life-unit” in or near us.  We are their protective parents or “elder brothers,” for the time-being.

 

5.  Karma is the Law of evolution.  It is fair, just, true, honest, and demands that if we desire to become wise we must also become harmless to all other things.  Generosity and charity are the prime qualities required of one who would advance in wisdomand spiritual living.

 

6.  We make our own “path.”  We advance at the speed and in the directions that we chose.

 

7.  Sleeping and waking are the vibratory changes that enable us to work and then reflect on what we have learned.  We do this on a voluntary basis.  No one can compel us to do anything.  The Planet we liveon and our solar system, as well as the whole galaxy, have their vaster periods of work and rest.  But the underlying immortal beings that we all are, ever progress forward to the ONE COMMON GOAL:  UNIVERSAL SPIRITUAL PERFECTION. 

 

No period of rest however long will have the effect of destroying or annihilating us as MONADS., We are the ETERNAL PILGRIMS of our UNIVERSE.  The only “predestination” we meet is that which we have ourselves created by voluntary choice.

 

I hope this may prove to be of some help

 

Best wishes,

 

Dallas

 

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

 

 

-----Original Message-----
From: DNisk98114@aol.com [mailto:DNisk98114@aol.com]
Sent: Wednesday, April 11, 2001 6:40 AM
To: basic@blavatsky.net
Subject: [bn-basic] Re: bn-basic digest: April 10, 2001

 

In a message dated 4/11/01 3:00:53 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
bn-basic@lists.lyris.net writes:



subject:  progress/Progress?

Recently,  Gerald Schueler wrote partly:

I am trying to eliminate the illogic
that I see in some Theosophical writings. It is
totally illogical to say on the one hand that we
"progress" and then on the other hand say that
we have no beginning or end. The "progress"
seen by science does have a start - the Big
Bang, but no one can say what happened
before that event nor where the original dense
matter came from, nor why it exploded, etc.
etc.
=========



Can anyone offer some Theosophical  references on the subject of
"predetermination and progress"?
---
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