Theos-Talk Archives (August 2001 Message tt00247)

Sunday, August 26, 2001


Re: SMASKARAS and SKANDHAS and KARMA

Dear Friend:


I think these definitions will help to focus our attention on the
philosophical concepts that Theosophy offers:

SAMSKARA and SKANDHA

The word SAMSKARA (Skt.) [The T GLOSSARY, p. 287-8] is defined
as"

"From Sam and Kri, to improve, refine, impress, In Hindu
philosophy the term is used to denote the impression left upon
the mind by the individual action or external circumstances, and
capable of being developed on any future favorable occasion--even
in a future birth....the germ of propensities and impulses
[desire, passion] from previous births to be developed in this,
or the coming janmas or reincarnations....action connected with
Karma...and its workings."

It is also termed SKANDHA (Skt) The T GLOSSARY p. 301-2;
Defines them as:

"bundles," or groups of attributes; everything finite,
inapplicable to the eternal and the absolute. [There are 5 -- or
7 of these attributes in every human being: 1. form (rupa); 2.
perception (vidana); 3. consciousness (sanjana); 4. action
(sanshara); 5. knowledge (vidyana)]. These unite at the birth
of man and constitute his personality. After the maturity of
these Skandhas they begin to separate and weaken, and this is
followed by janamana, or decrepitude and death [of the physical
body and personality].

In the KEY TO THEOSOPHY, H P B has described them and their
functions on pp. 77-8. 130, 133, 143, 154-5, 176, 184-5.

Briefly. The Samskara (or Skandhas) are monads with little
experience who are attracted to each human being as a source for
their growth and experience. Moved by the general impulse of
nature to evolve and to learn, they are deeply impressed by the
ethical and moral quality of our feeling and thoughts. And thus,
they acquire these as an impression that results in a KARMIC
DEPOSIT. They are the "carriers" so to say of our Karma.

After a while they may leave us and go out into the world where
they are attracted to other beings. But they retain the
impression we gave them indelibly.


SAMSKARAS CARRY OUR KARMA -- Good and Bad

It is for this reason that we cannot "escape" from our KARMA. We
have built it, and we have deposited on the living "germs" of
Nature which being eternal will return it to us with the force
that we endowed and forced upon them.

We alone are the ones who have to deal with those effects and
then adjust them, putting them back into balance. To illustrate
this you will find in LIGHT ON THE PATH an essay at the end of
the book (p. 85) that deals with Karma and carries a beautiful
illustration there of this process.


EVOLUTION -- SKANDHAS -- MONADS

Look it the scheme of evolution (3rd Fundamental) this way: Each
Manvantara represents a period of evolution and growth. Our
present one is just past its mid way point. The Human Kingdom as
MONADS have just received their "awakening." This makes the Mind
INDEPENDENT and aware of its immortality and potential to learn
and know everything. This important step brings with it
individual responsibility. With freedom, and the power to choose
our future we become KARMIC AGENTS. The Monads of lesser
experience (as said above) whom we have incarnated into, are the
carriers of our Karma.


OUR INNER "GOD"

If we look on our Inner Self as a truly wise and progressed
MONAD, then we ought to realize that it has sacrificed its high
position, and it has incarnated among the "monads of lesser
experience" in order to assist them in the great task of
self-improvement. There is a grave danger connected with this
"descent into matter." It is because the overwhelming flood of
material desires and passions may temporarily blind the MONAD --
the INNER SELF -- to its true nature as an "incarnated God."

Let us look at our own nature and note that there is a constant
conflict going on between our HIGHER (noble, virtuous, honest,
sincere and true) SELF, and the Lower self, which is passionate
(and full of desires, fancies, dreams of selfish power, and ease,
etc...) If we desire to see an illustration of this kind of
situation and conflict as well as the way to be used to emerge
victorious from it, we ought to study the BHAGAVAD GITA (Krishna,
the sage, teaches his pupil Arjuna).

H.P.Blavatsky has also provided us with the VOICE OF THE
SILENCE -- and it is similar in its teachings to the BHAGAVAD
GITA . Both are most valuable.


SPIRITUALITY IS WITHIN OUR SELVES -- We have to discover it.

We have to realize that our search for spirituality is an
inherent quest. The higher aspect of the Lower Self (Kama-manas)
is "touched" by the golden light of the Spiritual Self (the
Buddhi-Manas) and under this impulse (we may call it Intuition,
or the Voice of Conscience) we seek to elevate ourself by
self-imposed disciplines to the state and condition of the HIGHER
SELF.


2 EGOS IN EVERY MAN -- Higher and Lower

This is why it is said by H.P.Blavatsky in The SECRET DOCTRINE
that there are 2 Egos in every human. [ S D I 130, 225, 247,
338-9, II 167, 254-5, 275, -- and in TRANSACTIONS OF THE
BLAVATSKY LODGE , H.P.Blavatsky illustrates the interconnection
and consultation that constantly flows back and forth -- see pp.
66 - 78; or BLAVATSKY: Collected Works (TPH) Vol. X, pp
252-264]

>From the above, one will see how Nature's participation in our
self-guided evolution is a silent but potent partner, and further
how we are always connected with every other Monad in the
Universe.

It gives one not only a sense of continuity, of having a goal we
can attain presented to us: SUBLIME PERFECTION; but, it shows
us who we are already half way there and need only learn more
about our own immortality, Karma, and potentials to make our
lives truly significant.

When at the end of life the death of the physical body occurs,
Theosophy teaches that the memories of that life are extracted
from all parts of the body, and rushing through the physical
brain are relocated in to the astral brain ( see Key)


KAMA-RUPA in KAMA-LOKA -- and the Samskaras and Skandhas

A form named "Kama-Rupa" then has a life for a short time ( a few
days or weeks, up to a few years if the personality was very
selfish and materialistic) In this the SPIRITUAL EGO
(Atma-Buddhi-Manas) initiates a sorting out process. The Lower
impressions (skandhas, samskaras of a selfish passionate and
vicious nature) are left behind to disintegrate, disperse and
fade out with the Kama-Rupa in the astral light. This has been
named the Second death.


DEVACHAN and the SKANDHAS, SAMSKARAS

Those impressions (skandhas) that are noble, virtuous, generous,
unselfish, are assembled by the MONAD and taken into the
condition and state named Devachan. The nature of Devachan (says
the Key) is such that the Personal Ego does not know he has died
and lives a sublimated, and idealized life there reviewing the
"good" done or aspired to during the life last lived. This is
his "bliss." There is no sorrow or suffering in that state --
everything is idealized. This process may be from a few years to
tens of thousands of years, but the average for us is said to be
about 1500 years -- forming the average cycle of reincarnation,
and which can be traced in the cycles of civilization. (see Key)

There comes a time when these are now fully built into his
character and spiritual nature. Karma demands that he return to
earth-life to resume his learning and pick up the skandhas that
he had abandoned in Kama-Loka -- they are his and he has to deal
with them. It is said (key) that these await the return of the
Higher Ego like an army and under the impulse of Nature's laws
they help to build up again the new baby form in the right
appropriate family, nation, etc... and we say an old soul has
returned to work again.

There will undoubtedly be more questions of these doctrines given
out by the Adepts. The KEY TO THEOSOPHY (HPB) explains them in
detail and also the OCEAN OF THEOSOPHY (Judge) devotes many
chapters to explaining this in detail.

Best wishes,

Dallas

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


-----Original Message-----
From: E--- B-------
Sent: Saturday, August 25, 2001 12:44 AM
To: THEOSOPHISTS
Subject: re: reincarnation

Hi folks, this e-mail might be of interest to you concerning
reincarnation.

By *sanskaras* the author meant the imprinted past impressions,
those
impressions which have been engraved on the subconscious mind,
being stored
there as dormant pockets of energy, which *wake up* and force the
individual
to a specific uncontrolled action. The whole purpose of life on
earth is to
gather impressions in order to cultivate divine consciousness,
and when this
consciousness has been developed, the problem is how to get rid
of all these
impressions, while retaining the state of consciousness. Etzion
> >From Listen Humanity
> Harper/Colophon Edition
> published 1971
>
>
>
> If the good and bad sanskaras of the individual are almost
balanced
> at the time of death, he may take on a new physical body almost
> immediately. He may even enter a new incarnation as early as
the
> fourth day after death. In such urgent cases of rebirth the
> individual can enliven a eady foetus any time between the
> sixth and seventh month of embrological development. It is
> important to note that both father and mother give only
> prana or vital energy to the foetus. In addition to recieving
> prana, it must be enlivened by some iindividualized soul.
> Ordinarily this takes places during the later stages of
> embryological development.
>
> Meher Baba
> Death and Immortality p.104-105
>
CUT