Theos-Talk Archives (May 2001 Message tt00167)

Below is G de Purucker's understanding and outline of the progressive
unfoldment on INDIVIDUALITY throughout the evlolutionary journey of the
Spiritual Soul through all the kingdoms of nature as described in the 3rd
Fundamental Proposition of the SD. I am not saying he is correct in the way
he has portrayed this, but you will see that each stages involves an
advancement in the unfolding of INDIVIDUALITY, the root of which is the
Monad, according to de Purucker. The Secret Doctrine states this
acquirement (or unfolding) happens first "by natural impulse", but at the
Human Kingdom "self induced and self devised efforts" are also required (see
SD I 17).

Peter

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the passages below are from

"Fundamentals of Esoteric Philosophy", Chapeter 31, Section V)

Following then the teachings of the great Sages and Seers of all past ages,
and collating and summing their statements on the subject, we are enabled
for purposes of convenient illustration, tentatively to divide this
graduated scale into seven (or even into ten) stages or degrees of
evolutionary unfolding, and an attempt is hereunder made to do so after the
following fashion:

a. First Elemental Kingdom: Ethereal and highly fluidic in type or
character, with relatively unmanifest and unindividualized monadic
corpuscles, or rather units, possessing a common vital organic existence.

b. Second Elemental Kingdom: Separation into droplets, so to say, of
quasi-particularized entities which are nevertheless still held together in
union by an identic vital stream or flow.

c. Third Elemental Kingdom: Beings yet more highly particularized, although
still bound together by, and functioning in, a common vital organic
existence.

1. The Mineral Kingdom: Quasi-individualized corpuscles, or particulars,
functioning in organic unity. Simple unism as a body.

2. The Vegetable Kingdom: Simple communism. The pressure towards
individualization increases.

3. The Beast Kingdom: Dawning of distinct individualized units.

4. The Human Kingdom: Efflorescence of individuality. Dawning of a common or
general consciousness.

5. The Great Ones: Full-grown individuality. Self-conscious realization of a
unifying general underlying consciousness.

6. Quasi-Divine Beings or Lower Gods: Perfected individuality merging,
without diminution, into the general underlying consciousness. Dawning of
cosmical consciousness.

7. Gods: mergence into conscious realization of cosmical consciousness,
without loss of a perfected impersonal individuality.

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