Theos-Talk Archives (August 2001 Message tt00254)

Sunday, August 26, 2001


Dear Gopi:


Agreed: CONSCIOUSNESS is a general awareness -- all beings are
"conscious" to the degree of their ability to PERCEIVE.

But like you say both CONSCIOUSNESS and PERCEPTION are ranges of
faculties. These emanate from the inner SPIRITUAL CENTER of
every one of us. So we all share in this.

When those faculties are embodied, (and the personality headed by
Kama-Manas is developed) then there is a (a form, an aggregate
of Skandhas / samskaras) that is CONSCIOUS or PERCEPTIVE.

It implies limitations which are focused in a temporary or
illusory "being." [ But. Within and 'behind' every physical or
exterior shape (maya) is a central ATMIC intelligence.] An
"atom" level consciousness, is not of the level of the
consciousness of a human, or of a deva, or of a Mahatma, or a
Buddha.

Each of these designations indicate the level to which a
"personality" has been purified. It is like the "golden vase"
described in GAYATRI. It is like BUDDHI (primordial pure
MATTER) which serves as the "vehicle" (kosha, sharira) for the
ONE SPIRIT SELF -- ATMA. It is interior to us as to every other
being sat whatever level of development. In fact we can say that
the delusion of personality, and selfishness is a characteristic
of the Kama-Manas. To the extent that this made impersonal and
universal, to that extent the "personality" become purer. I
think this is the "Path" indicated by all the great Sages.

But, as I understand Theosophy, the concept of the UNIVERSAL
MONAD ( UNIVERSAL ATMA-BUDDHI) splitting its self into
uncountable "rays," or parts, and each of these serving to
animate (as a center) many Monads, which because of this CENTRAL
potential UNITY, can now start on their individual path towards
PERFECTION, or "SAMMA SAMBUDDHA," or "PARAMPADATMAVA"

Is it not because of the STABILITY, the ONENESS that is provided
by this supreme spiritual center in each Individual, that any
awareness of the potential GOAL is derived?

Interesting thoughts. It still leads back to the simple
statement of the 1st "object" of the THEOSOPHICAL MOVEMENT :
UNIVERSAL BROTHERHOOD.

Best wishes,

Dallas

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




-----Original Message-----
From: Gopi Chari [mailto:ekcvv@juno.com]
Sent: Saturday, August 25, 2001 3:02 PM
To: study@blavatsky.net
Subject: [bn-study] RE: hello WHAT IS CONSCIOUSNESS? WHO DEVELOPS
AND USES IT ?

Dear Dallas,

If I may interject a point of view about CONSCIOUSNESS:

To me there seems to be a fundamental difference between
CONSCIOUSNESS
and 'being Conscious of'. Most of the discussions on this subject
do not
seem to differentiate between them.

CONSCIOUSNESS makes me Conscious of things,feelings, ideas and so
on, on
different planes. So it reveals itself on different planes. Each
one of
us believe that we are Conscious of these.

CONSCIOUSNESS itself is obviously prior to Creation and way
before the
Mind. So if CONSCIOUSNESS is before the existance of planes it is
definitely before me 'being Conscious of' on any plane.

Please comment.

Gopi

On Sat, 25 Aug 2001 06:24:17 -0700 dalval14@earthlink.net writes:
>
>
> Saturday, August 25, 2001
>
>
> Dear Jerome:
>
> Another question (and several more) it seems to me is: (see
> yours below)
>
> Is not the Eternal Ego ( Buddhi-Manas over which presides the
> Atma) always "self-conscious" whether the personal man may be
in
> any other state ? [ BHAGAVAD GITA NOTES, pp. 98-100 ]
>
> One of the statements there is:
>
> "The ONE CONSCIOUSNESS pierces up and down through all the
states
> or planes of Being [we are in or pass though] and serves to
> uphold the memory --whether complete or incomplete -- of each
> state's experience." ( NOTES ON THE BHAGAVAD GITA, p. 99)
>
> I know that the ONE CONSCIOUSNESS is in use -- and, so to say,
it
> is working its way through that which we call (and modern
> psychology also) our daily consciousness. But, I sense that it
> is not always aware of the actions and visions of the
> Buddhi-Manas -- except occasionally and even then in a vague
way
> [intuition, Voice of Conscience]. Is this connection to be
made
> stronger so that it is not the "Lower Manas" (selfishness,
lower
> self-protective, defensive, and isolated) which works, but only
> the "Buddhi-Manas" (which is impersonal, universal and
> law-abiding) ?
>
> Dallas
>
> =====================
>
>
>

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