Theos-Talk Archives (May 2001 Message tt00197)

Tuesday, May 29, 2001


Dear Peter


I think the enclosed (copied) extracts below might be helpful in
considering if there is any "growth" in Atma.

The concept (possibly because of the words used) seems most
strange to me, since it is not possible to have "your" Atma and
"My "Atma."

ATMA is a UNIVERSAL PRINCIPLE. The 'RAY" that overshadows us,
the MONAD, as I understand it is ONE WITH THE UNIVERSAL ATMAN. No
differences, no separateness of any "level," etc. I am not sure
what Mr. De Puruker means. Wish he was "here" to ask him.

Best wishes,

Dallas

==============	COPY	======================


ATMA

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


A study of the statements made in the Theosophical philosophy
concerning the universal ONE principle ATMA show it pervades
everything. It can be understood as limitless "Space."

The "purpose for manifestation" is that every Monad, an
individualized "ray" of the Atma, may assist the "Monads of
lesser experience" to reach to a complete understanding of the
nature and reach of the Universe in all its vast complexity.
This elevates all "Monads of lesser experience" towards an
individual independence of Self-knowledge and responsibility. It
is cooperative Brotherhood in action. It is an active assistance
of Karma.

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


ATMA

"...Atman is the Universal All, and becomes the Higher Self of
man only in conjunctions with Buddhi, its vehicle, which links It
to the individuality (or divine man). For it is the Buddhi-Manas
which is called the Causal Body, (the united 5th and 6th
Principles) and which is consciousness, that connects it with
every personality it inhabits on earth."	Key, p. 121


" Atma. Spirit. One with the Absolute, as its radiation."
KEY, p. 92


"Atma neither progresses, forgets, nor remembers. It does not
belong to this plane: it is but the ray of light eternal which
shines upon and through the darkness of matter -- when the latter
is willing." S.D., Vol. I, p. 244



HIGHER SELF

"The Supreme Divine spirit overshadowing man. The crown of the
upper spiritual Triad in man--Atman." Theos. Glos., p. 141


"Atman" is no individual property of any man, but is the Divine
essence which has no body, no form, which is imponderable,
invisible, and indivisible, that which does not exist, and yet
is.

...It only overshadows the mortal; that which enters into him
and pervades the whole body being only its omnipresent rays, or
light, radiated through Buddhi, its vehicle and direct emanation.
This is the secret meaning of the assertions of almost all the
ancient philosophers, when they said that "the rational part of
"man's soul" never entered wholly into the man, but only
overshadowed him more or less through the irrational spiritual
Soul or Buddhi...the difference between that which is negatively,
or passively, "irrational," because undifferentiated, and that
which is irrational because too active and positive.

Man is a correlation of spiritual powers, as well as a
correlation of chemical and physical forces, brought into
function by what we call "principles." ...the spirit (Atma) never
descends hypostatically into the living man, but only showers
more or less its radiance on the inner man (the psychic and
spiritual compound of the astral principles)..."	Key 101-2



MAN IN EVOLUTION


"...our Ego is a ray of the Universal Mind, individualized for
the space of a cosmic life-cycle, during which space of time it
gets experience in almost numberless reincarnations or rebirths,
after which it returns to its Parent-Source. The Occultist would
call the "Higher Ego" the immortal Entity, whose shadow and
reflection is the human Manas, the mind limited by its physical
senses. The two may be well compared to the Master-artist and
the pupil-musician...In the course of natural evolution our
"brain-mind" will be replaced by a finer organism, and helped by
the 6th [Buddhi] and the 7th [Atma] senses..." Theos. Articles
& Notes, (ULT) p. 208


"...Spirit (in the sense of the Absolute...invisible All), or
Atma. As this cannot be located or limited in philosophy, being
simply that which is in Eternity, and which cannot be absent from
even the tiniest geometrical or mathematical point of the
universe of matter or substance, it ought not to be called, in
truth, a "human" principle at all. Rather, and at best, it is in
Metaphysics that point in space which the human Monad and its
vehicle man occupy for the period of every life. Now that point
is imaginary as man himself, and id an illusion, a maya; but for
ourselves, as for other personal Egos, we are a reality during
that fit of illusion called life, and we have to take ourselves
into account, in our own fancy...Occultism calls this seventh
principle the synthesis of the six, and gives it for vehicle the
Spiritual Soul, Buddhi."	HPB Key , p. 119


"The student must not confuse this Spiritual Ego with the "Higher
Self" which is Atma, the God within us, and inseparable from the
Universal Spirit."	Key, p. 130-1fn



ATMA AND THE "THREE FUNDAMENTALS" OF THE S.D.
.


"This "Higher Self" is Atma... For Atman or the "Higher Self" is
really Brahma, the Absolute, and indistinguishable from it. In
hours of Samadhi, the higher spiritual consciousness of the
Initiate is entirely absorbed in the One essence, which is Atman,
and therefore being one with the whole, there can be nothing
objective for it...this term [Self] ought never to be applied
except to the One universal Self...even Buddhi, the "Spiritual
Soul," is not the Self, but the vehicle only of the Self. All
the other "selves"...ought never to be spoken or written of
without their qualifying and characteristic adjectives."	Key, p.
174


"The Higher Self is Atma, the inseparable ray of the Universal
and One Self, It is the God above, more than within, us. Happy
the man who succeeds in saturating his inner Ego with it !"
Key, p. 175



MASTERS AND THE HIGHER SELF (ATMAN)


In another place HPB seems to equate the idea of the Masters of
Wisdom with the Higher Self, the Atma within. This ought to be
carefully considered, since the implication is that the Master is
already "in place" in each of us, and the embodied "brain-mind"
needs to consider this as a vital fact for its own advance. I
believe this to be very important as a concept.


"The "Master" in the Sanctuary of our souls is "the Higher
Self"-- the divine spirit whose consciousness is based upon and
derived solely...(during the mortal life of the man in whom it is
captive)... from the Mind, which we have agreed upon to call the
Human Soul (the "Spiritual Soul" being the vehicle of the Spirit
[Atman]. In its turn the former (the personal or human soul) is
a compound in its highest form of spiritual aspirations,
volitions, and divine love; and in its lower aspect, of animal
desires and terrestrial passions imparted to it by its
association with its vehicle, the eat of all these. It thus
stands as a link and a medium between the animal nature of man
which its higher reason seeks to subdue, and his divine spiritual
nature, with the inner animal. The latter is the instinctual
"animal Soul" and is the hotbed of those passions..."
H.P.B. -- "OCCULTISM VS. THE OCCULT ARTS," HPB Articles
(U.L.T. ), Vol. II, p. 105


"...our Higher Self is leading us through all the experiences of
life to the end that we shall recognize the unity of all, then,
instead of continually acting contrary to that object of the
Higher Self [Atma], we try to acquire the right belief and
aspiration." GITA NOTES, pp. 123-4
[ see also H.P.B. -- TRANSACTIONS, pp. 65-77 ]


"Rely within yourself on your Higher Self always, and that gives
strength, as the Self uses whom it will. Persevere, and little
by little new ideals and thought-forms will drive out of you the
old ones. This is the eternal process." W.Q.J.-- LETTERS THAT
HAVE HELPED ME , p. 129


"Apart for the Higher Self in each of us, there are in the World
the actual Masters of Wisdom, Adepts, Mahatmas or Perfected Men.
Their existence and continued work in both visible and invisible
planes and it has been described as: Knowers of Atma:
"Atma-Gnyanis." Atma (our 7th principle) being identical with
the universal Spirit, and man being one with it in essence, what
is then the Monad proper ?

It is that homogeneous spark which radiates in millions of rays
from the primeval "Seven;" ...It is the EMANATING spark from the
UNCREATED RAY--A MYSTERY...Adi-Buddha (Chogi dangpoi sangye), the
One Unknown, without beginning or end, identical with Parabrahm
and Ain-Soph, emits a bright ray from its darkness. This is the
Logos (the first), or Vajradhara, the Supreme Buddha (also called
Dorjechang)...he cannot manifest, but sends into the world of
manifestation his heart--the "diamond heart," Vajrasattva
(Dorjesempa). This is the second logos of creation, from whom
emanate the seven (in the exoteric blind the five) Dhyani
Buddhas, called the Anupadaka, "the parentless."

These Buddhas are the primeval monads from the world of
incorporeal beings, the Arupa world, wherein the Intelligences
(on that plane only) have neither shape nor name, in the exoteric
system, but have their distinct seven names in the esoteric
philosophy. These Dhyani Buddhas emanate, or create from
themselves, by virtue of Dhyana, celestial Selves--the
super-human Bodhisattvas. These incarnating in the beginning of
every human cycle as mortal men, become occasionally, owing to
their personal merit, Bodhisattvas among the Sons of Humanity,
after which they may re-appear as Manushi (human) Buddhas. The
Anupadaka (or Dhyani-Buddhas) are thus identical with the
Brahmanical Manasaputra, "mind-born sons"--whether of Brahma or
either of the other two Trimurthian Hypostases, hence identical
with the Rishis and Prajapatis." SD I 571


"The real Mahatma is then not his physical body but that higher
"Manas" which is inseparably linked to the "Atma" and its vehicle
(6th principle) -- a union effected by him in a comparatively
very short period by passing through the self-evolution laid down
by the Occult Philosophy." HPB Articles (U.L.T. ) I, p. 293


Considering that there are Atmic Beings -- those who "perfected"
themselves in previous Manvantaras, it is They who volunteered to
assist in this Manvantara to develop further successful pupils in
this eternal School.


"Alone a handful of primitive men -- in whom the spark of divine
Wisdom burnt bright, and only strengthened in its intensity as it
got dimmer and dimmer with every age in those who turned it to
bad purposes--remained the elect custodians of the Mysteries
revealed to mankind by the divine Teachers. There were those
among them, who remained in their Kumaric condition from the
beginning; and tradition whispers, what the secret teachings
affirm, namely, that these Elect were the germs of a Hierarchy
which never died since that period: -- "The inner man of the
first * * * only changes his body from time to time; he is ever
the same, knowing neither rest nor Nirvana, spurning Devachan and
remaining constantly on Earth for the salvation of mankind ..."
"Out of the seven virgin-men (Kumara) four sacrificed themselves
for the sins of the world and the instruction of the ignorant,
to remain till the end of the present Manvantara. Though unseen,
they are ever present. When people say of one of them, "He is
dead;" behold, he is alive and under another form. These are
the Head, the Heart, the Soul, and the Seed of undying knowledge
(Gnyana). Thou shalt never speak, O Lanoo, of these great ones
(Maha...) before a multitude, mentioning them by their names.
The wise alone will understand. (Catechism of the Inner
Schools.)
SD II 281-2



ATMA - THE ONE "PRINCIPLE" AND ITS 6 "VEHICLES"


"As the synthesis of the 7 Dhyani-Buddhas, Avalokiteshwara was
the first Buddha (the Logos), so Amitabha is the inner "god" of
Gautama, who, in China, is called Amita (-Buddha)...the glorious
counterparts of every earthly mortal Buddha--the liberated
Manushi-Buddhas appointed to govern the Earth in this Round.

They are the "Buddhas of Contemplation," and are all Anupadaka
(parentless), i.e., self-born of divine essence...rests on the
fact that owing to the highest initiation performed by one
overshadowed by the "Spirit of Buddha"--...a candidate becomes
virtually a Bodhisattva, created such by the High Initiator."	SD
I 109


"...an adept‚ may be compared to that one key which contains all
the keys in the great harmony of nature." He has the synthesis of
all keys in his thoughts, whereas the ordinary man has the same
key as a basis, but only acts and thinks on one or a few changes
of this great key, producing in his brain only a few chords out
of the whole great possible harmony...the brain of the chela is
attuned by training to the brain of the Master. His vibrations
synchronize with those of the Adept...so the chela's brain is
abnormal...the adept sees all the colors in every color and yet
does not confuse them together...the highest adepts [have raised
their vibrations so as to have them the same as those of nature
as a whole]...He can produce a sound which will alter a color.
It is the sound which produces the color, and not the other or
opposite. By correlating the vibrations of a sound in the proper
way a new color is made...on the astral plane every sound always
produces a color ...these are invisible because not yet
correlated by the human brain so as to become visible on the
earth plane....His astral senses may see the true color, but the
physical eye has its own vibrations, and these, being on the
outer plane, overcome the others for the time, and the astral man
is compelled to report to the brain that it saw correctly. For
in each case the outer stimulus is sent to the inner man, who
then is forced, as it were, to accept the message and to confirm
it for the time so far as it goes. But there are cases where the
inner man is able to even then overcome the outer defect and to
make the brain see the difference...."	WQJ ARTICLES U.L.T.,
Vol. I, p. 423-426.



"There are 7 chief groups of such Dhyan Chohans...the primeval
Seven Rays. Humanity, occultism teaches, is divided into 7
distinct groups and their sub-divisions, mental, spiritual, and
physical...(Fn) Hence the 7 chief planets, the spheres of the
indwelling 7 spirits, under each of which is born one of the
human groups which is guided and influenced thereby. There are
only 7 planets (specially connected with this earth), and 12
houses...countless...each of which varieties is born under one of
the 7 planets and one of the said countless planetary
combinations."	SD I 573 & fn



"...the 7 wise ones (rays of wisdom, Dhyanis) fashion 7 paths (or
lines as also Races in another sense)...they are primarily beams
of light falling on the paths leading to wisdom...the 7 Rays
which fall free from the macrocosmic centre, the 7 principles in
the metaphysical, the 7 Races in the physical sense."	SD II 191
fn ( see also S.D. I 570-573 )



"The 7 Beings in the Sun are the 7 Holy Ones, Self-born from the
inherent power in the matrix of Mother substance. it is they who
send the 7 Principal Forces, called rays, which at the beginning
of Pralaya will center into 7 new Suns for the next Manvantara.
The energy from which they spring into conscious existence in
every Sun, is what some people call Vishnu (fn) which is the
Breath of Absoluteness. (Fn) In the same manner as a man
approaches a mirror placed upon a stand, beholds in it his own
image, so the energy or reflection of Vishnu (the Sun) is never
disjointed but remains in the Sun as in a mirror that is there
stationed."(Vishnu Purana) SD I 290



"Are not the prismatic rays fundamentally one single white ray?
>From the one they become three; from the three, seven; from
which seven primaries they fall into infinitude. Referring back
to the so-called "consciousness" of the Ah-hi, that consciousness
cannot be judged by the standard of human perceptions. It is on
quite another plane. [Example]...often the reasoning faculty of
the higher mind may be asleep, and the instinctual mind be fully
awake." TRANSACTIONS, p. 26-7


"...the true esoteric meaning is that most of them (the
Agnishwatta Pitris) were destined to incarnate as the Egos of the
forthcoming crop of Mankind. The human Ego is neither Atman nor
Buddhi, but the higher Manas; the intellectual fruition and the
efflorescence of the intellectual self-conscious Egotism--in the
higher spiritual sense. The ancient works refer to it as Karana
Sarira on the plane of the Sutratma, which is the golden thread
on which, like beads, the various personalities of this higher
Ego are strung...these beings were returning Nirvanees, from
preceding Maha-Manvantaras...."	SD II 79


The information given would not have much use for us, unless some
practical applications could be drawn from it. It is suggested
in a number of places that we can be:



ATTUNING OURSELVES TO THE INFLUENCE OF THE ATMA WITHIN



"...Buddhi and Atma...These higher principles are entirely
inactive on our plane, and the higher Ego (Manas) itself is more
or less dormant during the waking of the physical man...So
dormant are the Spiritual faculties, because the Ego is so
trammeled by matter, that IT can hardly give all its attention to
man's actions, even should the latter commit sins for which that
Ego--when reunited with its lower Manas--will have to suffer
conjointly in the future. It is...the impressions projected into
the physical man by this Ego which constitute what we call
"conscience;" and in proportion as the personality, the lower
Soul (or Manas), unites itself to its higher consciousness, or
EGO, does the action of the latter upon the life of mortal man
become more marked." TRANS 62-3


"...human consciousness" is but a Ray of the Divine. Our Manas,
or Ego, proceeds from, and is the Son (figuratively) of Mahat.
Vaivaswatta Manu (the Manu of our fifth race and Humanity in
general) is the chief personified representative of the thinking
Humanity of the fifth Root-race; and therefore he is represented
as the eldest Son of the Sun and an Agnishwatta
Ancestor...Thought in its action on human brains is endless.
Thus Manu is, and contains the potentiality of all the thinking
forms which will be developed on earth from this particular
source. In the esoteric teaching he is the beginning of this
earth , and from him and his daughter Ila humanity is born; he
is a unity which contains all the pluralities and their
modifications. Every manvantara has its own Manu, and from this
Manu the various Manus or rather all the Manasa of the Kalpas
will proceed...he may be compared to the white light which
contains all the other rays, giving birth to them by passing
through the prism of differentiation and evolution."
TRANSACTIONS, p. . 99




ATMA - THE INNER "GOD" OF EVERY MAN AND WOMAN


"It is the Spiritual evolution of the inner, immortal man that
forms the fundamental tenet in the Occult Sciences...the ONE
Universal Life, independent of matter...and...the individual
intelligences that animate the various manifestations of this
Principle...The ONE Life is closely related to the one law which
governs the World of Being--KARMA."	SD I 634


"Every man has a god within, a direct ray from the Absolute, the
celestial ray from the One."
TRANSACTIONS, p. 53


"To meditate on the Higher Self is difficult. Seek then, the
bridge--the Masters. Fix your thoughts again on Those Elder
Brothers, work for Them, serve Them, and They will help through
the right appropriate means..."	W.Q.J. LETTERS THAT HAVE HELPED
ME, p. 112


"...think, think, think on the truth that you are not body,
brain, or astral man, but that you are THAT, and "THAT" is the
Supreme Soul [Atma]."	W.Q.J. LETTERS p. 116


"...relying always on the Higher Self, and looking to it for
knowledge and light."
W.Q.J. LETTERS, p. 122


"...remember that the greatest and truest friend is the Higher
Self. He who has the Higher Self as his friend possesses all
things and lacks nothing, and the Higher Self is your friend if
you will but receive that friendship. Take courage and be
patient; the light is shining in your heart, and, if you will
but go on, you will find it there, and it will be brighter far
than you can now imagine."
W.Q.J. LETTERS, pp. 174-5


"...a full reliance upon the Spirit within and upon the law that
the hands that smite us are our own, will relieve the pressure of
some events that seem mysteries...The great struggle must be to
open up my outer self, that my higher being may shine through,
for I know that in my heart the God sits patient, and that his
pure rays are merely veiled from me by the many strivings and
illusions that I bring on outwardly." W.Q.J. LETTERS, p. 85


"But let me again insist upon your trying to realize in
yourselves that you are a part of the All. That is the constant
subject of meditation, and will bring you the best and most rapid
progress...too much must not be expected of the Mahatmas. They
cannot interfere with Karma'; and so, if a man starts out to
them, they say: "Try"...It does not follow that they are always
helping him because he has made himself a chela. Of course,
there are those whose Karma is such that they are helped...Of
course if the Master sends one, then he will protect...We say we
are all part of the All. Well, we must intensely mediate upon
that until we begin to realize it, and from then we will receive
instruction."	W.Q.J. LETTERS, p. 200


"He must first get rid of the idea that he himself really does
anything, knowing that the actions all take place in these three
natural qualities [Gunas], and not in the soul at all. The word
"qualities" must be considered in a larger sense than the word is
generally given. Then he must place all his actions on devotion.
That is, sacrifice all his actions to the Supreme and not to
himself. He must either (leaving out indifference) set himself
us as the God to whom he sacrifices, or the other real
God--Krishna, and all his acts and aspirations are done either
for himself or for the All. Her comes in the importance of
motive. For if he performs great deeds of valor, or of benefit
to man, or acquire s knowledge so as to assist man, and is moved
to that merely because he thinks he will attain salvation, he is
acting only for his own benefit and is therefore sacrificing to
himself. Therefore he must be devoted inwardly to the All; that
is, he places all his actions on the Supreme [Atman], knowing
that he is not the doer of the actions, but is the mere witness
of them...All doubts come from the lower nature, and never in any
case from the higher nature. Therefore, as he becomes more and
more devoted, he is able to know more and more clearly the
knowledge residing in his Satwa part... The three qualities are
lower than a state called Turya, which is a high state capable of
being enjoyed even while in this body. Therefore, in that state,
there exists none of the three qualities , but the soul sees the
three qualities moving in the ocean of Being beneath. This
experience is met with not only after death, but, as I said, it
may be enjoyed in the present life, though of course consciously
very seldom. But there are those high Yogees who can and do rise
up to Nirvana, or Spirit, even consciously, while on earth. This
state is the fourth state, called Turya...In that state the body
is alive even though in deep catalepsy. (Self-induced by the
Adept.] When the Adept returns from it be brings whatever he can
of the vast experiences of that Turya state. Of course they are
far beyond any expression, and their possibilities can only be
dimly perceived by us."	WQJ - Letters, p. 28-9


"I am glad that you have such faith in the Great Workers who are
behind us. They are behind us, to my personal knowledge, and
not behind me only, but behind all sincere workers. I know that
their desire is that each should listen to the voice of his inner
self [Atma] and not depend too much on outside people, whether
they be Masters, Eastern disciples, or what not. By a dependence
of that kind you become at last thoroughly independent, and then
the unseen helpers are able to help all the more." WQJ
Letters, pp. 112-113


"Seek the truth by strong search," by doing service, and by
enquiry, and Those who know the Truth will teach it. Let the
warrior fight, the gentle yet fierce Krishna, who, when he finds
thee as his disciple and friend, will tell thee the truth and
lighten up the darkness with the lamp of spiritual knowledge."
W.Q.J. Letters, p. 112


"The best and most important teacher is one's seventh (Atma)
principle centered in the sixth [Buddhi]. "	W.Q.J. Letters, p. 96


"A student of occultism...gets into...a vortex of occultism...he
passes into the whirl caused by the mighty effort of his Higher
Self [Atma], to make him remember his past lives. Then those
lives affect him..." W.Q.J. LETTERS, p. 150


"Getting back the memory of past lives is the whole of the
process."
W.Q.J. LETTERS , p. 78
[ see also WQJ ARTICLES, Vol. I, p. 571 bottom, II 462 middle ]



VERIFICATION AND PROVING OF ALL DOCTRINES


The process of self-perfection is always directed by our
free-choice. It is significant that in the Occult and Esoteric
process each student-pupil is left entirely free to make his own
choices, his own "path," and to either accelerate or retard his
progress. At all stages he receives information and suggestions
for his consideration and use if he desires to employ them. It
is always recommended that he fully investigate and probe all
information, so as to verify its accuracy for himself. Nothing
is to be taken on "blind faith." To do so, would give no actual
benefit to the student, because, in effect he remains ignorant of
some vital link. He is expected, by the laws inherent in Nature,
to learn the whole process from its base on up. It is for this
reason that no impartation of esoteric knowledge by the payment
of money or an exchange of personal benefits or services.


"Every Buddha meets at his last initiation all the great adepts
who reached Buddhahood during the Preceding ages...every class of
adepts has its own bond of spiritual communion which knits them
together...The only possible and effectual way of entering into
such brotherhood...is by bringing oneself within the influence of
the Spiritual light which radiates from one's own Logos
[ATMAN]...such communion is only possible between persons whose
souls derive their life and sustenance from the same divine RAY,
and that, as seven distinct rays radiate from the 'CENTRAL
SPIRITUAL SUN,' all adepts and Dhyan Chohans are divisible into 7
classes, each of which is guided, controlled, and overshadowed by
one of the 7 forms or manifestations of the divine wisdom."	S.D.
I 574	(S. Rao quoted - THEOSOPHIST, Aug. 1886. )


"The "Absolute Consciousness"..."behind" phenomena...is only
termed unconsciousness in the absence of any element of
personality...transcends human conception...Only the liberated
Spirit is able to faintly realize the nature of the source whence
it sprung and whither it must eventually return...we can but bow
in ignorance before the awful mystery of Absolute Being...the
Finite cannot conceive the Infinite..."	D I 51


"Free-will can only exist in a man who has both mind and
consciousness, which act and make him perceive things both within
and without himself. Consciousness is a condition of the monad
as a result of embodiment in matter and the dwelling in a
physical form."
WQJ ARTICLES, Vol. I, p. 29


Then there is a most important axiom on which the whole of
Theosophical philosophy rests:
"Every living creature, of whatever description, was, is, or will
become a human being in one or another Manvantara." H.P.B. --
TRANSACTIONS, p. 23.



MONAD and ATMA


The individual MONAD -- the "Eternal Pilgrim" is defined::


"Monad‚ (Gr.) The Unity, the one; but in Occultism it often
means the unified triad, Atma-Buddhi-Manas, or the duad,
"Atma-Buddhi," that immortal part of man which reincarnates in
the lower kingdoms, and gradually progresses through them to Man
and then to the final goal--Nirvana."	T. Glossary, .p. 216 [see
SD I , pp. 173-4 footnotes]



"As to the "we," there is but one "we," or perceiver [Atma], who
perceives on any plane through the sheaths evolved by him on each
plane. His perceptions on any plane will depend on the "quality"
of the sheath or vehicle.

"Atma" (spirit) or consciousness alone, is what remains after the
subtraction of all the sheaths. It
is the ONLY witness--a synthesizing unity.

On this "plane"-- and this means during waking consciousness or
its dream effects -- the perceiver knows "only what it knows on
this plane" (generally speaking), and through ignorance of the
Real, involves itself in the cause and effect of physical nature,
identifying itself with body and sensations, and looking at other
human beings in the same light. This is a wrong attitude of
mind. The "we," at this end, is the identification of the
perceiver with this plane's perceptions--a misconception of the
perceiver, a dream--a play--in which the perceiver is so involved
as to have lost sight and memory of his real life.

The mind is both "carrier" and "translator" of both lower and
higher self; the attitude determines the quality and kind of
action, for one will act according to the attitude of mind firmly
held. The great and incalculable value of acting for and as the
Supreme is that there is nothing higher in the way of attitude,
and this endeavor "must," by its very nature bring about the best
results.

What moves the "mind" this way or that is usually desire for the
attractions of matter, and self-interest in them; these then move
and control the mind through the brain. "We," the Perceiver, do
not perceive anything but the "ideas" which the senses and organs
present. He is not fully awake on this plane; sometimes he gets
partly wakened, but drops off to sleep again, lulled by the
sounds and memories of his dream; sometimes "bad dreams" awake
him; sometimes he is awakened by the voices of those who are
awake.

The "Real" and the "unreal," the "fleeting" and the
"ever-lasting" are terms which will be more fully understood if
looked at from the point of view of the Perceiver. This is the
attitude of mind we should hold."	FRIENDLY PHILOSOPHER, pp. 47-8


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


-----Original Message-----
From: Peter Merriott [mailto:nous@btinternet.com]
Sent: Sunday, May 27, 2001 1:18 PM
To: Subject: INDIVIDUALITY
Re to Jerry - Individuality


* PETER: Yes, De Purucker does write about Atman changing and
growing.
*
CUT