Theos-Talk Archives (July 2001 Message tt00320)

Friends,

Here are a few thoughts on Mahatmas and Adepts to add to what had already
been offered.

>From our understanding of Theosophy, particularly of the human sevenfold
constitution, we can appreciate that the status of a Mahatma centres
solely around the higher principles of 'Atma-Buddhi-Manas' and has little to
do with the 'intellectual' capabities and qualities of the personality.

The Mahatma is one has has blended Manas into the higher Individuality and
is able to 'take up' and 'give up' the lower four principles at will.

"The real Mahatma is then not his physical body but that higher Manas which
is inseperably linked to the Atma and its vehicle (the 6th principle)"
Collected Writings v6 "Mahatmas and Chelas"

HPB adds that it is impossible to tell whether or not we are in the presence
of a Mahatma by his physical appearance alone. It is only our spiritual
intellect (Nous, Buddhi-Manas) raised above the veils of Maya that is able
to perceive a Mahatma. As to the individual who can do so..

"His vision will be bright and he will see the MAHATMA wherever he may be,
for, being merged into the sixth and seventh principles, which are
ubiquitous and omnipresent, the MAHATMAS may be said to be everywhere"
(ibid)

Subba Row, in his commentary on "The Idyll of the White Lotus" by Mabel
Collins, makes the following interesting remarks. Below are extracts, some
of which are qouted in the SD (around pages SD I 574).

"This light of the Logos, which is represented in the story as the fair
goddes of the sacred flower of Egypt, is the bond of union and brotherhood
which maintains the chain of spiritual intercourse and sympathy running
through the long succession of the great hierophants of Egypt and extending
to all the geat Adepts of this world who derive their influx of spiritual
life from that same source. It is the Holy Ghost that keeps up the Apostolic
Succession, or the Guruparampara as the Hindus call it. It is this spiritual
light which is transmitted from the Guru to the disciple when the time of
Initiation comes. The so-called "transfer of life" is no other than the
transmission of this light. And further, the Holy Ghost, which is as it were
th veil or the body of the Logos, and hence its flesh and blood, is the
basis of the Holy Communion.

"Every Fraternity of Adepts has this bond of union; and time and space
cannot tear it asunder. even when there is an apparent break in the
succession on the physical plane, a neophyte, following the sacred law and
aspiring towards a higher life, will not be in want of guidance and advice
when the proper time arrives, though the last Guru may have died several
thousands of years before he was born.

"Every Buddha meets at his last Initiation all the Great Adepts who reached
Buddhaship during the preceding ages; similarly every class of Adepts has
its own bond of spiritual communion whit knits them together into a properly
organised Fraternity. The only possible and effectual way of entering into
any such Grotherhood, or partaking of the holy communion, is by bringing
oneself within the influence of the spiritual light which radiates from
one's own Logos. I may further point out here. without venturing into
details, that 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 seven classes, each of which is guided,
controlled and overshadowed by one of the seven forms or manifestations of
the divine wisdom.

"In this connection it is necessary to draw the reader's attention to
another general law which regulates the circulation of spiritual life and
energy through the several Adepts who belong to the same Fraternity. Each
Adept may be conceived of as a centre wherein this spiritual force is
genreated and stored up, and through which it is utilised and distributed.
This mysterious energy is a kind of spiritual electrical force, and its
transmission from one centre to another presents some of the phenomena
noticed in electrical indiuction. Consequently there is a tendency towards
the equalisation of the amounts of energy stored up in the various centres."

...Peter