Theos-Talk Archives (August 2001 Message tt00100)

Friday, August 10, 2001


Dear Friend:

Perhaps this may prove of help

One thing springs to attention immediately: Nature presents us
with a vast tissue of active interrelationships that support our
life.

Nature already contains everything.

Nature has provided laws of extreme subtlety to guide control and
nurture everything that is alive.

We do not necessarily know all of these, (nor are we convinced
that these statements are true) but, using our powers of
observation and reasoning we can decipher most, if not all of
those. Our WILL is limited only by our imagination. Imagination
is one of the king-faculties of the human mind. But where does
that spring from? What gives it its unique position?

We all have a tendency to say : "Why try? It is so complex that
a life-time would be needed in each department of scientific
investigation to secure any real knowledge or do adequate
testing. So, as a "short-cut" let me assume that the reports of
academics and professors in those various departments are honest,
complete and valuable. Let me accept them on faith. And again
we adopt the statements of "authority" without adequate personal
investigation." In other words we now make of Science a
"religion" and scientific pronouncements are deemed to be a
"credo."

Theosophy commences by offering for our consideration some
fundamental concepts -- it traces their presence to all great
religions of the present and past, to myth, legend and modern
psychological investigation of the nature of human mind, human
feeling and emotion, human fears and aspirations.

It is interesting to see how much these great foundation tenets
of Theosophy are to be found giving an understanding of
Immortality of the Spiritual Soul, of Reincarnation, of Karma and
of co-evolution are involved IN PRACTICE in all daily affairs.

The basic fundamental ideas and patterns are universal. They are
ethico-moral applications made individually under free-choice,
voluntarily, by individual who select, identify and idealize
them -- they set out to test them by daily practice and
experiment.

If we truly grasp the idea that the entire Universe is composed
of basically the
imperishable MONADS and they are engaged in an ever more elevated
pathway of experience, then our responsibility to assist becomes
one of great depth and importance to all. It becomes a question
of what information ought to be released at what point in a
cycle. And that is not easy to decide.

The first point that is made in Theosophy and emphasized by
innumerable examples in The SECRET DOCTRINE, is that metaphysics
underlie and support the physics of our "form" existence in this
world of "forms."

SPACE is everywhere and has no limits. LAW is all pervasive, is
established in NATURE (SPACE) to provide minute as well as
complete support for the evolution of INTELLIGENCE in all Monads
(FORMS- MATTER). EVOLUTION is a complete and interactive process
whereby over almost infinite TIME each Monad ( ATMA-BUDDHI or
SPIRIT-MATTER ) acquires, as a final achievement made possible by
its own self-effort, of "SUBLIME PERFECTION." "The "part"
acquires a knowledge of the "WHOLE," and limits itself to
voluntary service of and work within that WHOLE."

This is metaphysical, intellectual, a mental ideal. But this is
also a basis for ethical and moral conduct.

Applied to The VOICE OF THE SILENCE we find it the basis for
the consideration of virtue.

The LAWS of any country are based on certain uniform principles
of equity as ought to ideally regulate all interaction between
people everywhere. We note that the written, or accepted,
formulation of those adopted LAWS are under constant amendment
and refinement. But even when not written they are deemed to be
superior to the pedestrian statutes and decisions made by legal
actions.

THEOSOPHY exposes for our consideration the fact that NATURE (the
Universe) is pervaded by many laws. And, that LAWS, such as
cooperation and interaction underlie the reality and existence of
the physical forms and situations that are under continual
revision through the application of universal friction. Change
is ubiquitous and prevails everywhere. But for forms to change
there has to be some underlying CAUSE which serves to establish
the parameters of ex-istence. The outer appearance is supported,
limited and employed by the inner Intelligence. Intelligence is
CAUSAL.

It therefore posits the eternal, and immortal MONAD (an
infinitesimal and undefinable speck of intelligent
"Spirit-Matter.") It follows the progress of this entity. It
declares that although forms may change, die and be reformed, the
innate SPIRITUAL ENTITY never dies, but is in effect an "eternal
pupil (or an "Eternal Pilgrim"). [ Monad = SPIRIT-MATTER
intertwined ] The Laws we apply to human relationships are
automatically deemed to apply universally and by analogy to all
beings, and, with the life-atoms at one end and the unresolvable
limits in theory of an infinite UNIVERSE of GALAXIES, there is a
vast range for experience over many transformations,
reincarnations, and reformations. All are essential to each
other and all deserve recognition and respect. The inner
Intelligence is causal and immortal. The forms are mortal and
constantly changing.

LIFE is therefore considered universal, and entitative in it
components. But it is noticed that between periods of activity
there are periods of rest, inactivity and "sleep." Hence the
LAWS, while universal, operate in one way in dormancy, and in
another in the period of evolutionary activity. But the LAWS do
not disappear, nor do the "life-atoms" and the all-pervasive
relationships that are inter-established between them. We are in
effect examining ourselves and the purpose of our living, of our
being "Here." Life is Energy. Hence the metaphysical world
considers the energies, forces and powers that underlie the
physical appearance of things. These Laws of inter-relationship
have been named KARMA. A work in Sanskrit that means "action
(and re-action)." It is Universal in scope and so delicately
attuned that it considers and attends to the needs of the
smallest sub-atomic particle or energy.

If one takes the widest view, then Manifestation (or Evolution)
is not "Creation out of Nothing," but a "re-formation" out of
pre-existing materials, laws and Intelligences of the next period
of learning. There is a continuous link of life and of cause, as
well as meaning, in this that unites all disparities and the
problems of quality, character and relationship. Each day, each
life-period, may be considered to be a experience en the vast
SCHOOL OF LIFE. We are the "Eternal Pupils."

This single concept serves to bridge the gap of many scientific
observations as it relates disparity to an intelligent CAUSE.
Taking all causes into account and one has the Karma of an atom,
a cell, a person, their family, a nation, a World, a Solar
system or all the galaxies of the Universe. It is the key to
living and is called simply BROTHERHOOD.

Daily life ? And "Theosophists" are no different from other
people. They have (or ought to have) a deeper sense of
responsibility, and of purpose, if they consider themselves
immortals, and able to rationalize the virtues that mark the
progress of the immortal Being internal to each of them.

All "personal conflicts" are thus seen by the practical
Theosophist to be a matter of self-discipline -- a matter of
disciplining their fractious personalities.

But why is this so? Theosophy shows us that the "Personality"
(the "mask" we wear this life-time) is essentially a matter of
"feeling." Feeling relates directly to our Kamic (desire)
nature.

What is Kama? In a way it is the "karma" of our past choices.
It is: our capacities, character, and qualities taken as a
whole, it is our passions, desires and inclinations. It is NOT
the Mind.

Theosophy holds that in the Monad the Mind capacity is mid-way
between SPIRIT (Wisdom) and MATTER (Kamic desires and passions).
Mind is dispassionate but can be used by either of the eternal
opponents represented by WISDOM and FOLLY.

It should be noted that "virtues" can always be rationalized.
"Vices" cannot, and they are then hypocritically hidden under the
surface of apparent virtue.

"Vice" cannot be planned, used, or conceived of, unless there is
a corresponding "virtue."

Theosophy views all problems in this light as the eternal
conflict between SPIRIT (wisdom and experience) and it polar
opposite MATTER (selfish, isolationist, confusion and ignorance).

Spirit is considered to be CONSCIOUSNESS and eternally dynamic
and progressive it seeks cooperation, generous assistance,
continuous service and attention top the support and needs of
other beings. It sees no reason to "defend" itself as it known
it is eternal.

Matter is considered to INERTIA and the power of retardation and
the retrogressive seeking to retain a "form" that is already
passing away in time. It is always selfish, isolationist, and
defensive because it knows itself to be only a passing phase -- a
temporary manifestation of an evolving immortal INTELLIGENCE.
This brings on the confusion that exists in having two "Selves"
(two Egos) in every human : "the Self of SPIRIT and the self of
Matter."

Best wishes:

Dallas



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


-----Original Message-----
From: Eldon B Tucker [mailto:eldon@theosophy.com]
Sent: Thursday, August 09, 2001 12:32 PM
To: theos-talk@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: Theos-World The Voice of Silence.

At 09:55 AM 8/9/01 -0400, you wrote:

> I am currently studying The Voice of Silence and I am puzzled.
> Please give my your thoughts on verses 14-16.
>
> My confusion lies in this, I live in a world of created
illusion,
> yet should I not be joyful that I have this physical life to
> learn about the portion of truth that my mind can understand.

I would say that the world is real. Illusion comes from
misperception, from seeing things falsely. Reality comes when we
know things for what they are, seeing them freshly, in the
moment,
rather than judging them in advance and surrounding ourselves
with
those prejudices.

Life can be joyous. Pleasure and pain come at different times,
but
we don't have to suffer and add mental misery to our unpleasant
experiences. We can operate from a inner center of peace, with a
calm enjoyment of life, as the wind blows this way and that, as
external life cycles through happy and sad times, through gain
and
loss, through success and failure in life.

We escape the illusion when we give up forcing, in our minds, the
world to look a particular way, according to what we've already
decided that it should be like.

Reality is not achieved should we acquire rebirth on a higher
plane, in some higher sphere where things are loftier, more
spiritual, more holy. It's achieved in the clearness of our
vision
of life, in our openness to things. We can be as deluded on other
planes as on this one. The delusion comes from how we incorrectly
experience life, not from where we happen to live.

> Also, to truely form a Brotherhood, must we not lend an ear to
> her turmoil? How can we understand the nature of others, if we
do
> not hear her joys and sorrows? We should not get pulled in.
> Shouldn't an aspirant learn of whom one day he hopes to help?

Our goal is to dispel the cloud of selfishness and to live
openly, freely expressing the divine life within us. We each
learn
to be a light to others in the world. We're also responsible, as
in the process of self-discovery, to cultivate those activities
in
life that we do the best. We discover our unique ways to make a
contribution to the All.

Understanding other people and working to help them, as friend,
priest, social worker, musician, cook, shoe maker, etc., we can
do
one kind of work. Not everyone is going to be an ultimate guru to
people working to awaken them. No path in life is greater than
another. The value of a path is measured in the sense of
genuineness, the sense of living true to one's inner nature,
one's
spiritual heart.

> Finally, When spreading oneself in space so that the bodies
> become the moving molecules of space, for now, in my
> comprehension, is this not just a step on Who I am? It is not
> Truth, yet for now, it is a step in my education and all that
I
> know? Of course one would seek to go beyond this point, yet,
for
> now "This is I."

There are different modes to consciousness. In a particular mode,
life appears to work a certain way. In one mode, we have a
distinct personal self, and learn its boundaries, and tend to its
needs. In another mode, we've lost ourselves in the thing that we
do, and have forgotten ourselves. In the highest mode, we've lost
all notion of the particular situation, and operate with a
feeling
of universality and timelessness. All the modes are true and real
and happening at the same time. We pick which one we will
experience at any moment. In the West, we're stuck mostly in the
first mode, and so need training in the other two. That's why
they
are stressed as "higher". But no mode is really higher that the
others, and we should ideally be free to shift from one to
another
mode at will.

-- Eldon Tucker




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